Chapter 15 - The New Mistress of Moretti Manor
My hands flew to my mouth, tears springing instantly to my eyes as my heart thudded violently against my ribs.
Luca opened the velvet box.
Resting inside was not an ostentatious, cold diamond purchased from a high-end catalog.
Inside sat Sarah’s original platinum wedding band, restored and polished to a brilliant, luminous shine, nestled beside a delicate band of pavé diamonds designed to interlock with it perfectly.
“Claire,” Luca said, his voice steady, rich, and filled with a love so deep it echoed through every corner of the sunlit room.
“Six months ago, you walked into this room carrying a broken cake and an unbreakable spirit. You risked everything you had to protect a grieving child who had no voice. You brought truth into a house built on secrets, and you brought light back into a heart that had forgotten how to feel.”
Lily slipped down from her chair, running over to stand beside her father, her small face glowing with pure, unadulterated joy.
“Please say yes, Claire!” Lily whispered, bouncing on her heels. “We want you to stay forever!”
Laughter rippled through the room, mingling with the happy tears rolling down my mother’s cheeks.
Luca looked up at me, his dark eyes asking the only question that mattered.
“Claire Dawson, will you marry me? Will you be my wife, Lily’s mother, and the true donna of this house?”
I didn't hesitate for a single heartbeat.
“Yes,” I choked out through my tears, a dazzling, radiant smile breaking across my face. “Yes, Luca! A thousand times yes!”
The room erupted into deafening cheers and thunderous applause.
Luca stood up, sliding the rings onto my finger. They fit as if they had been forged for my hand from the beginning of time.
He wrapped his strong arms around my waist, lifting me off my feet, and spun me around in the golden spring sunlight before bringing his lips down onto mine in a fierce, breathless, deeply tender kiss that sealed our future forever.
Lily wrapped her arms around our waists, joining the embrace, her laughter ringing out like music.
Later that evening, when the guests had departed and the mansion settled into peaceful twilight, Luca and I stood together on the master terrace overlooking the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan.
A gentle spring breeze rustled the sheer curtains behind us.
Luca held me from behind, his chin resting gently on my shoulder, his large, warm hands clasped over mine where the platinum and diamond rings caught the silver moonlight.
“Happy, my love?” Luca whispered into my ear.
I leaned back against the solid, unshakable warmth of his chest, watching the city lights glitter across the water, feeling an overwhelming, profound sense of belonging that I had searched for my entire life.
“More than happy, Luca,” I whispered back, turning in his arms to cup his rugged face in my hands. “I’m home.”
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He smiled—the soft, peaceful smile of a man whose battles were won and whose soul was finally at peace—and kissed me beneath the Chicago stars.
THE END
