Chapter 15 - FOREVER AND ALWAYS
Six months later.
The Moretti mansion had changed completely.
Gone were the cold, sterile decorations and the suffocating atmosphere of fear.
Now, the halls echoed with the sound of laughter, piano music, and little footsteps running across the marble floors.
Today was a celebration.
Not an engagement dinner filled with deceit and hidden daggers, but a warm, intimate wedding in the Bellagio courtyard overlooking Lake Michigan.
Only close friends, loyal guards, and trusted allies attended.
And standing at the front, dressed in a sharp black tuxedo, was Luca Moretti.
As the violin music swelled, the heavy oak doors opened.
Oliver walked down the aisle first as the ring bearer, wearing a brand-new navy-blue sweater with a tiny white star embroidered near the collar.
He beamed proudly, holding a velvet pillow in his small hands.
Behind him, I walked forward in a flowing ivory lace gown, holding my father's old pocket watch pinned to my bouquet.
Luca watched me approach, his dark eyes shining with undisguised love and adoration.
When I reached the altar, he took my hands in his.
“You look breathtaking,” he whispered softly.
“You clean up pretty well yourself, Mr. Moretti,” I teased quietly back.
The ceremony was short, sweet, and filled with true emotion.
When the priest finally pronounced us husband and wife, Luca pulled me into his arms and kissed me deeply, while the small crowd erupted into cheers and applause.
From the front row, Oliver clapped harder than anyone else, shouting, “That's my new mom!”
At the reception dinner later that evening, the guests toasted to our future.
Vanessa and her co-conspirators were locked away in maximum-security federal prison, never to bother our family again.
The shadows of the past had finally been washed away by love, loyalty, and truth.
Later that night, as the stars twinkled brightly over the lake, Luca and I stood on the balcony of our home, watching Oliver sleep peacefully in his room.
Luca wrapped his strong arms around my waist from behind, resting his chin gently on my shoulder.
“Penny for your thoughts, Mrs. Moretti,” he murmured against my neck.
I smiled, leaning back into his embrace and placing my hand over his scarred knuckles.
“I was just thinking about that old navy-blue sweater,” I whispered happily.
Luca chuckled softly, turning me around to face him.
“The best thing that ever happened to us.”
May you like
“Forever and always,” I smiled, kissing his lips as the night breeze whispered through the trees.
THE END
