Chapter 13 - The Proposal in the Rose Garden
That evening, after the gala celebration had concluded and the city lights of Manhattan began to twinkle across the river, the private gardens of the Moretti estate were illuminated by hundreds of twinkling fairy lights.
Soft acoustic guitar music drifted through the fragrant rose bushes.
Mateo was asleep in the nursery under the loving care of his dedicated nanny.
Elena and I walked hand-in-hand down the stone pathway toward the central marble fountain—the very fountain where I used to stand in the rain during my darkest years of grief.
Tonight, the fountain was surrounded by thousands of fresh white roses and glowing lanterns.
Elena stopped, looking around the breathtaking garden, her eyes wide with wonder. “Dante… what is all of this?”
I stopped, turning to face her, taking both of her soft, warm hands into mine.
“Elena,” I spoke, my voice deep, steady, and filled with a love so profound it made my soul ache with joy. “Two years ago, I was a dead man walking through a world of shadows. I thought my heart had been buried in the dirt forever.”
Elena looked up at me, tears glistening on her eyelashes.
“Then an eight-month-old baby crawled into my office,” I continued softly. “And with him came the bravest, most beautiful, most extraordinary woman I have ever known. You didn't just save my son’s life, Elena. You saved my life. You showed me that a man is not defined by the violence he commands, but by the love he protects.”
I slowly sank down onto one knee on the mossy stone path.
From my jacket pocket, I pulled out a velvet box and opened it.
Inside gleamed a breathtaking, flawless six-carat emerald-cut diamond ring, set in platinum and flanked by two delicate, crescent-shaped sapphire stones.
“Elena Vance,” I whispered, looking into her glowing hazel eyes. “Will you do me the greatest honor of my life? Will you become my wife, the mother of my children, and the Queen of the Moretti Family?”
Elena let out a choked, joyful sob, covering her mouth with both hands.
May you like
“Yes!” she cried, throwing her arms around my neck, pulling me up into a deep, passionate embrace. “Yes, Dante! A thousand times, yes!”
I slid the ring onto her finger, wrapped my strong arms around her waist, and lifted her off her feet, spinning her beneath the warm starlight as the sweet melody of the guitar echoed into the peaceful night.
