Chapter 13 - THE PROPOSAL IN THE FOYERThe foyer fell completely silent.
Even the distant sound of the estate housekeepers working in the kitchen seemed to fade away.
Gabriel didn't break eye contact.
He reached slowly into the inside pocket of his tailored suit jacket.
He pulled out a small, velvet black box.
My breath caught in my throat.
Sophie gasped softly, covering her mouth with both hands.
She started signing furiously in excitement, but I was too stunned to translate.
Gabriel dropped down onto one knee right there on the polished marble floor.
“Gabriel, what are you doing?” I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs.
“When I first met you, you were just a waitress trying to protect a little girl from a cruel world,” Gabriel said, his voice steady and clear.
“You didn't run when things got dangerous. You didn't fold when Isabella threatened your family.”
He opened the velvet box.
Inside rested an exquisite antique diamond ring sparkling under the crystal chandelier.
“You brought light back into this house, Hannah,” Gabriel continued.
“You gave my daughter her voice back. And you gave me something I thought I lost forever.”
He looked up into my eyes.
“Will you stay here? Not just for Sophie. But with me. As my wife.”
Tears blurred my vision.
I stared at the ring, then up at Gabriel’s sincere, unwavering face.
I looked at Sophie, who was jumping up and down, signing Yes! Yes! with both hands.
I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice.
“Mr. DeLuca... are you sure?” I managed to choke out.
“Never been more sure of anything in my life,” he smiled.
I dropped to my knees right in front of him.
“Yes,” I whispered, a tear slipping down my cheek.
“Yes, I’ll stay.”
Gabriel slid the ring onto my finger.
It fit perfectly.
Sophie shrieked with joy, throwing her arms around both of us and knocking us slightly off balance.
May you like
We all collapsed onto the marble floor, laughing together for the first time without fear, without shadows, and without secrets.
[CLIFFHANGER: SIX MONTHS LATER, ON THE DAY OF THEIR WEDDING, A FINAL UNWANTED GUEST TRIES TO CRASH THE CEREMONY.]
