Chapter 12 - HE THREW THE RING INTO THE FIRE
The velvet box hit the burning logs with a soft thud.
It instantly caught fire, the flames curling around the expensive fabric, consuming the diamond inside.
I stared at the fire, shocked.
“Luca, that ring was worth millions.”
Luca didn’t look at the fire. He looked at me.
“It was worthless,” he said simply. “Because it wasn’t for you.”
He walked back over to me.
The firelight danced across his face, softening the harsh, ruthless edges of the man the world feared.
Tonight, he wasn't a boss. He was just a man.
“I spent the last year trying to rebuild this family the way I thought I was supposed to,” Luca said, his voice quiet, raw. “I thought I needed an alliance. I thought I needed a Bellini to keep the peace.”
He reached out and gently traced the line of my jaw with his thumb.
“I was blind. The only peace I had in this house was when you walked into a room.”
My heart hammered so hard I thought it might burst through my ribs.
“You don’t need an alliance,” I whispered.
“No,” Luca agreed. “I just need you.”
He leaned in.
There was no hesitation this time.
His lips met mine.
It wasn't a rushed, desperate kiss. It was deep, deliberate, and fiercely possessive.
It felt like a promise.
It felt like coming home.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, tangling my fingers in his thick, dark hair.
His strong arms banded around my waist, lifting me slightly off the floor, holding me flush against him as if he never planned on letting go.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathless.
Luca rested his forehead against mine, a soft, genuine smile playing on his lips.
“Tomorrow,” Luca murmured, “I am calling a meeting of all the families. I am introducing Isabella Santos Moretti. The true heir.”
He kissed my forehead.
“And then, we are going to hire a new contractor.”
I laughed softly, the sound bubbling up from a place of pure joy I hadn't felt in years.
“To fix the altar?”
“To rebuild the stained glass window,” Luca said firmly. “Exactly the way it was.”
He looked toward the window, out over the sprawling, moonlit estate.
“It’s our house now, Maria. We rebuild it together.”
I leaned my head against his chest, listening to the steady, strong beat of his heart.
The uniform was gone.
The seventy-one dollars in my bank account didn't matter anymore.
The ghosts of the past were finally laid to rest.
I closed my eyes, the diamond necklace resting warm against my skin.
“Together,” I whispered.
For the first time in my life, I wasn't just surviving.
May you like
I was exactly where I belonged.
And the Moretti estate was finally, truly, at peace.
