Chapter 15 - THE END OF THE BEGINNING
The morning sun filtered through the lace curtains of the master suite, warming the hardwood floors. Natalie stirred, blinking open her eyes to find herself wrapped safely in Luca’s arms. The platinum sapphire ring caught the morning light, sparkling brilliantly on her left hand. She smiled to herself, tracing her fingers across Luca’s chest as he continued to sleep peacefully beside her. His life was complex, heavy with responsibility, and tied to a world most people only read about in crime novels. But here, in this room, he wasn't the head of a syndicate. He was her husband. Luca stirred, his dark eyes fluttering open. A lazy, content smile spread across his face as he looked down at her. "Good morning, Mrs. Moretti," he murmured, his morning voice deep and gravelly. "Good morning, Mr. Moretti," she replied, leaning up to press a sweet kiss to his lips. "What's on the agenda for today? More international corporate takeovers?" Luca chuckled, pulling her closer against him. "No takeovers today," he whispered, burying his face in her neck. "Today, we're driving up to Milwaukee to visit your mother and Leo." Natalie’s eyes lit up with pure joy. "Really?" "Really," Luca smiled. "I promised Leo I’d help him paint Batman's cape dark blue. And I never break a promise to my family." Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him tightly as the sun climbed higher into the Chicago sky, bathing their future in endless, unbroken light.
THE END
