Chapter 7 - The Sky AheadSix months later.
The ocean air was sweet and cool as it swept across the veranda of the Moretti estate.
I stood by the white marble railing, holding a cup of warm tea, looking out over the sparkling blue waters of the Long Island Sound. My left arm was completely healed, the physical therapy completed, the strength returned fully to my fingers.
The scars on my cheek had faded into barely visible silver lines, easily hidden under a light touch of makeup. But more importantly, the invisible scars inside my chest had finally healed.
The heavy front doors opened, and Vincent walked out onto the veranda.
He was wearing a simple white shirt with the top buttons undone, looking relaxed and strikingly handsome in the afternoon light. He walked up behind me, wrapping his arms securely around my waist, pulling me back against his broad chest.
I leaned back against him with a deep, peaceful sigh, covering his hands with mine.
"What are you thinking about?" Vincent whispered, kissing the crown of my head.
"I was thinking about the diner," I smiled, turning around in his arms to look up into his dark, warm eyes. "About the night I spilled coffee on your table."
Vincent chuckled softly, a rare, genuine sound that made my heart leap. "You were so terrified. You thought I was going to yell at you."
"You looked terrifying," I teased, reaching up to adjust the collar of his shirt. "Everyone in the diner stopped breathing when you walked in."
"And now?" Vincent asked, his eyes softening as he looked down at me with an intensity that made my breath catch. "Am I still terrifying?"
"No," I whispered, reaching up to rest my hand against his cheek. "You're my home, Vincent."
Vincent pulled a small velvet box from his pocket, setting it gently into my hand.
I looked down, my heart pounding against my ribs, and opened it.
Inside sat a delicate platinum ring holding an exquisite emerald-cut diamond that caught the sunlight in a dazzling splash of green and brilliant white fire. On the inside band, engraved in fine script, were four simple words:
You are safe now.
"I know the world thinks I am a dangerous man, Lena," Vincent said, his voice thick with a raw, profound emotion he rarely allowed the world to see. "And to my enemies, I am. But to you... I will spend the rest of my life being your shield, your comfort, and your partner. Will you marry me?"
Tears of pure, overwhelming happiness spilled down my cheeks as I looked at the man who had answered a late-night phone call from a stranger and brought down an empire to save her.
"Yes," I whispered, throwing my arms around his neck. "Yes, Vincent! Absolutely yes."
Vincent lifted me off my feet, pulling me into a deep, fierce, and breathless kiss while the warm ocean breeze danced around us on the veranda.
Five years of pain, fear, and silence were gone forever.
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I was no longer the broken waitress hiding in the dark.
I was Lena Moretti—loved, protected, and standing in the full, brilliant light of a brand new life.
