Chapter 10 - The Diamond on the Horizon
Inside the black velvet box sat a flawless, emerald-cut diamond ring, flanked by two platinum bands that sparkled brilliantly in the afternoon sunlight.
I stared at it, the breath completely leaving my lungs.
“Dante...”
“For three years, I tried to convince myself that keeping you at arm’s length was the only way to protect you,” Dante said, his deep voice thick with heartfelt sincerity. “I told myself that you were my assistant, my trusted confidante, the one person who kept my world sane. But the truth is, I fell in love with you the day you walked into my office and looked me in the eye without a shred of fear.”
He took the ring from the box and held my left hand in his.
“I don't want you managing my schedule, Harper. I want you managing my life. I want you standing beside me as my equal, my partner, and my wife. No more shadows. No more hiding.”
Tears blurred my vision, but this time, they were tears of overwhelming joy.
“Are you asking me to marry you, Mr. Moretti?” I whispered, my voice trembling.
“I am begging you, Harper. Say yes and make me the luckiest man alive.”
“Yes,” I choked out, throwing my arms around his neck. “A thousand times yes!”
He slid the diamond onto my finger—a perfect fit—before capturing my mouth in a deep, passionate kiss that washed away every lingering shadow of fear, pain, and violence from the past month.
Outside, the sun was setting over Lake Geneva, casting gold and amber hues across the water.
The war was won.
May you like
The monsters had been vanquished.
And in the arms of the most dangerous man in Chicago, I had finally found my safest home.
