Chapter 8 - THE THREE FLOWERS
I stared down at my wrist, stunned into complete silence.
“Dante... I can't,” I breathed, trying to pull my hand back, though my body betrayed my words by not moving an inch. “This belonged to your wife. It’s a family heirloom.”
“It belongs to the woman who saved my family,” Dante corrected, his fingers wrapping firmly around mine. “Anna would have wanted you to have it, Emily. She trusted you with her life, and in the end, you helped save her daughters.”
“It’s too much,” I whispered, tears blurring my vision. “I’m just... I’m just the housemaid.”
Dante reached out with his free hand, his warm, calloused thumb gently wiping away a tear that had slipped down my cheek.
“You haven't been just a housemaid for a very long time, Emily,” he said softly. “You are the heart of this home.”
From across the lawn, Sophie and Elena stopped eating their scones. They turned around, watching us with wide, knowing grins.
“Look, Elena!” Sophie stage-whispered loudly enough for the whole yard to hear. “Daddy is holding Emily’s hand!”
Elena giggled, clapping her hands. “Are they getting married like in the fairy tales?”
A bright crimson blush rushed to my cheeks. I quickly pulled my hand away from Dante’s, though I couldn't help the smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
Dante laughed—a rich, genuine sound that seemed to chase away the last remaining shadows of the past two years.
He turned toward the girls.
“Hey! Mind your own business over there!” Dante teased, raising his voice playfully.
“Only if you promise to give Emily a proper kiss!” Elena called back cheerfully.
Dante looked back at me, an eyebrow arched, a mischievous spark in his dark eyes.
“Well,” Dante murmured. “We wouldn't want to disappoint my daughters, would we?”
Before I could answer, Dante stepped forward, pulled me gently into his arms, and pressed his lips to mine.
It wasn't a rushed, desperate kiss born of adrenaline and gunfire like the one on the bridge. It was tender, deep, and filled with the promise of a brand-new beginning.
Applause erupted from the picnic blanket.
“Yay!” Sophie and Elena cheered, jumping up and down on the grass.
When Dante finally pulled back, resting his forehead against mine, we were both smiling.
May you like
“So,” Dante whispered against my lips. “Does this mean you’re staying?”
“I think,” I whispered back, my hand resting comfortably over the gold bracelet on my wrist, “I finally found a place where I belong.”
