Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
I lift my chin slightly, even though I can hear my blood rushing in my ears.
"Any questions?" None of the men dares to speak, and Alessandro nods in approval. But he's not done. “Now, I want to hear it.”
Another long pause, and finally, Lorenzo finds enough courage to speak. "Hear what, Boss?"
"Swear your fealty to her. All of you. Emmy is my woman, and if I am to lead this family into the future, then I need to know that every single one of you will protect what's mine. Let Marco be a lesson. After he fucked with her, I broke every bone in his face before he was given the mercy of death. So swear it."
For a long moment, I think that they will all remain silent, but then Lorenzo speaks again. “I swear fealty to Emilia.”
A second follows.
“I swear fealty to Emilia.”
Then another.
“I swear fealty to Emilia.”
One by one, the voices ring out, filling the room. Some are firm, some are reluctant, and some I know are purely for Sandro's sake, but in the end, they all say it. When the last vow is spoken, the room falls silent again. My chest rises and falls, but it still feels like I can't get enough air.
Sandro tilts his head down, his dark eyes locking onto mine. The edge in them softens slightly as he lifts my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles.
"You are mine, tesoro, and now everyone knows it. You're untouchable."
I exhale shakily. When he said he was going to give me the world, he meant it. “Because of you.”
His gaze doesn't leave mine, but when he speaks again, it's to the gathered men. "I'm trusting all of you with my wife. Don't make me regret it."
There are shocked murmurs, but my gasp is the loudest of them all. "Your what?!"
Sandro reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small, red velvet box. He opens it, revealing a shining diamond solitaire ring. "My wife," he repeats, smiling at me. "Emilia Moretti, I love you. Will you marry me?"
I don't even hesitate. "I love you, too! Yes, oh my God. Yes, Sandro!"
I should be shocked, should be stunned, but instead, tears of joy are freely flowing down my face, joy blooming in my chest like a rose garden.
There's a murmur around the table, but Alessandro doesn't seem to care. He slips the ring onto my finger and pulls me into a deep kiss, sealing the deal. I lean into him, feeling the eyes of all the men on me, but this time, I want them to look. Hell, I want the entire world to witness this moment.
I'm marrying Alessandro DeLuca. The future is ours.
EPILOGUE
ALESSANDRO
One Year Later
My office has changed. It had to. There are touches of warmth where there once was nothing but coldness—a soft blanket thrown over the back of the leather couch, houseplants vining their way towards the sunlight on nearly every surface, and most importantly of all, a bassinet tucked into the corner next to my desk.
I'm quiet as I walk in, but even more than a year after her kidnapping, Emmy's shoulders still tense until she turns around and sees that it's me. I take my suit jacket off as I stride over to my wife, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, rocking our infant daughter, Olivia, in her arms.
“She finally asleep?” I ask as softly as I can, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her close to me.
Emmy nods, leaning her head against my shoulder, her dark hair loose and falling in waves down her back. "I fed her about an hour ago, and she hasn't been awake since."
I smile, pressing my lips to her temple. "Good. I want to take you somewhere tonight."
"Tonight?" Her voice is incredulous. "Sandro, I don't think I can."
"You can," I assure her, brushing her hair behind her ear. "You need to get out somewhere besides the office and the penthouse."
She doesn't seem convinced. "I still haven't finished interviewing the nannies and—"
"I flew your mother in. She's here for a week."
Emmy turns in my arms to look at me. "What?"
"She wanted to see you and the baby, and I figured that would be an incentive for you to get out of the house with me tonight."
Her smile grows, her eyes lighting up, and I know I've won her over. "Fine. Where are we going?"
I lift a brow. "That's a surprise."
"And if I don't like it?"
"Then I'll take you somewhere else."
She shakes her head, laughing, but I can see her excitement. It wasn't long after my proposal that we found out she was pregnant, and a beach wedding close enough for her mother to attend came not long after. We waited until the pregnancy was further along to tell anyone, but the birth of our daughter only increased the amount of work we had to do.