Chapter 15 - THE HAPPY ENDING
Five years later.
The lawn behind the Moretti estate was bathed in the warm, golden light of a late-summer afternoon.
A five-year-old girl with dark curls and bright, curious gray eyes chased a golden retriever across the grass, her joyful laughter echoing across the gardens.
"Daddy! Catch me!" Elena squealed, running toward the stone terrace.
Adrien Moretti—dressed in a casual linen shirt, sleeves rolled up—scooped her up effortlessly into his arms, tossing her into the air as she shrieked with delight.
Isabella sat on the terrace lounger, watching them, a peaceful smile on her face as she rested her hand against her second pregnancy, six months along and glowing with happiness.
Adrien walked over, setting Elena down gently so she could run back to chase the dog, before sitting on the edge of the lounger beside Isabella.
He leaned down and kissed her lips, slow and tender.
"What are you smiling at?" he asked, brushing a stray lock of hair from her cheek.
"I was just thinking about the day I walked out of this house with a small brown suitcase," Isabella murmured, resting her head against his shoulder.
Adrien’s smile faded into a look of quiet reverence. He took her left hand, kissing the platinum ring that had never left her finger since the night he returned it.
"Don't ever remind me of how close I came to losing you," he whispered.
"You didn't lose me," Isabella said, looking into his eyes with absolute, unwavering trust. "You found me."
Adrien pulled her close, his arms wrapping around his wife and their growing family as the sun dipped below the Boston skyline, painting the horizon in shades of gold and amber.
May you like
The empire was secure. The shadows were gone. And their story was finally, perfectly, at peace.
THE END
