Chapter 7 - The Dawn We BuiltSix months later, the spring sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of our Lake Forest master suite, warming the polished hardwood and turning the white roses outside into a brilliant sea of color.
The war with the Russos was nothing more than a memory—a dark chapter closed permanently when the remainder of their syndicate dissolved and folded into the DeLuca empire. But the true victory wasn't political. It was personal.
I stood by the window, wearing a soft silk robe, looking out over the gardens where Lucas and his men were peacefully checking the perimeter gates.
Strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind, and warm lips pressed softly against the crook of my neck.
"You're up early," Enzo murmured, his morning voice deep and rough against my skin.
"I couldn't sleep," I smiled, leaning back against his broad chest, feeling the solid, unbreakable anchor of his presence.
Enzo turned me around in his arms, his dark eyes filled with a fierce, unending devotion that had completely replaced the cold mask he used to wear. He didn't sleep in a chair anymore. Every night for the past six months, we had fallen asleep tangled together in the massive bed where our real marriage had finally begun.
"Thinking about the past?" he asked softly, his thumb tracing my lower lip.
"Thinking about how foolish we both were," I admitted, resting my hands against his chest. "You thought silence was protection, and I thought I was invisible."
Enzo shook his head, a genuine, rare smile breaking across his handsome face. "I was an idiot who thought he could control the most dangerous and beautiful thing in his life by ignoring it. But you survived my ice, Ava. And you brought me back to life."
May you like
He pulled me flush against him, lowering his lips to mine in a slow, deep, burning kiss that chased away every lingering shadow of the past.
Downstairs, the grandfather clock chimed the morning hour—not counting down the seconds of a lonely life anymore, but marking the beginning of an empire we had built together, hand in hand, heart to heart.
