Chapter 10 - THE NEW KINGDOM
Six months later.
The sun shone brightly over the Tuscan countryside. We had left Milan behind, trading the dark, brooding Villa Moretti for a sprawling vineyard estate in Florence. The transition hadn't been easy. The underworld had tested Alessandro’s resolve to leave, but after a few brutal reminders that a sleeping dragon is still a dragon, the families had accepted his retirement.
I sat on the veranda, sipping a glass of iced tea, watching the grapes ripen on the vines. I wore a simple white sundress, but on my left hand sat a diamond ring so large it caught the sunlight with every movement.
"Mommy! Look!"
Emma came running up the stone path, her face smeared with dirt and chocolate. Behind her walked Alessandro, no longer dressed in the intimidating black suits of a mafia don, but in a casual linen shirt and slacks, looking relaxed, younger, and breathtakingly handsome. He was carrying a brand-new, enormous blue stuffed rabbit.
"We found the biggest bunny in the toy store," Alessandro declared, scooping Emma up and tossing her into the air, making her shriek with laughter.
I smiled, my heart swelling with a warmth I hadn't felt in years. The ghosts of the past—Thomas, Ricci, the poverty, the fear—had finally faded, replaced by the vibrant reality of this new life.
Alessandro set Emma down and walked over to me. He leaned down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to my lips. "How is my beautiful fiancée today?" he murmured.
May you like
"Happy," I replied honestly, resting my head against his chest, listening to the steady, strong beat of his heart.
He wrapped his arms around me, looking out over the peaceful vineyard, his former empire of blood replaced by an empire of love. "Me too, Clara. Me too."
