Chapter 10 - The Proposal
Chloe stared down at Lorenzo Rossy.
The man who once terrified the entire Midwestern underworld was kneeling on a Persian rug (a new one, since she had ruined the last one with coffee).
He opened the box. Inside rested a flawless, emerald-cut diamond set in platinum. It was elegant, precise, and caught the city lights perfectly.
“Chloe Bennett,” Lorenzo said, his voice completely steady. “Before you arrived, my life was a fortress. It was cold, it was dark, and it was empty. You tripped through my doors, spilled my secrets, and forced me to become a man worthy of you.”
Tears spilled over Chloe’s eyelashes. “Lorenzo…”
“I promise you transparency,” he continued, echoing their previous agreements. “No secrets. No violence. I promise to catch you every time you fall, which, statistics indicate, will be often.”
Chloe gave a watery laugh.
“Will you marry me?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whispered, dropping to her knees in front of him, heedless of her silk dress. “Yes, absolutely.”
Lorenzo slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. He framed her face with his hands and kissed her, pouring every ounce of his love, relief, and devotion into it.
When they finally broke apart, Chloe looked at the ring, mesmerized.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed. “But you know I’m going to snag it on sweaters, right?”
“I have already insured it,” Lorenzo said dryly. “And I bought you six new sweaters.”
They stood up together.
“So,” Chloe said, wiping her eyes. “What’s next? Do we have a normal life now? Do we just… go to the grocery store and pay taxes?”
“We do,” Lorenzo smiled. “Though I might still have Matteo drive us to the grocery store.”
May you like
“Acceptable compromise.”
They looked out over the city. The Rossy Corporation was no longer a front for crime; it was a beacon of legitimate success. The blood was washed from the ledgers. The future was unwritten, but for the first time, it belonged entirely to them.
