Chapter 6 - The Bloodlines of ManhattanThat night was the longest night of my life.
I sat in the nursery, holding Leo against my chest, watching the rain strike the reinforced glass windows of the estate. Outside, seventy armed guards patrolled the perimeter, their flashlights cutting through the mist.
At 3:15 a.m., my phone chimed on the nightstand.
I snatched it up instantly. "Adrian?!"
"It's over, Lena," Adrian's calm, tired voice came through the speaker.
A gasp of relief escaped my throat. "Are you hurt?"
"Not a scratch," he replied. "Moretti and his entire network have been permanently dismantled. The federal authorities are seizing their assets as we speak. The threat is gone. Completely."
Tears of pure relief spilled over my cheeks. "When are you coming home?"
"Look out your window," he said softly.
I stood up, holding Leo, and walked to the grand bay window overlooking the front driveway.
A fleet of black SUVs pulled through the iron gates. The lead car stopped, and Adrian stepped out into the rain. He looked up at the nursery window, locking eyes with me, throwing his umbrella aside as he walked briskly into the house.
A minute later, the nursery door pushed open.
Adrian stepped inside, smelling of rain and fresh air. He didn't say a word. He walked straight across the room, pulling both me and Leo into his powerful embrace, holding us so tightly that I could feel the rhythmic, steady beat of his heart against my cheek.
"I'm home," he whispered, kissing my hair, my forehead, and finally my lips.
"We missed you," I whispered back, leaning into his strength.
Adrian pulled back slightly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small velvet box. He popped the latch open.
Inside rested my original wedding ring—a flawless five-carat oval diamond flanked by sapphire bands—alongside a new, delicate gold ring studded with Leo’s birthstone.
"I kept this in my pocket every single day since you left, Lena," Adrian said, his voice deep and thick with raw emotion. "I don't care about the divorce papers you signed. I tore them up the second I left the office three weeks ago."
He took my left hand, sliding the rings gently onto my finger.
"You are my wife, Lena. The mother of my child. The only woman I have ever loved or will ever love. Let me spend the rest of my life proving that to you."
May you like
I looked up into his eyes, seeing no darkness, no secrets—only pure, devotion and love.
"Yes, Adrian," I smiled, tears shining in my eyes. "Yes."
