Chapter 10 - The New Terms
Three months later.
The spring sun shone brightly over the Manhattan skyline, a stark contrast to the freezing rain of the night that had changed everything.
Sophia stood on the balcony of Dante’s penthouse—their penthouse. She wore a sleek, white sundress, holding a glass of champagne. Her ribs had fully healed, and her business had rebounded beautifully. Dante had fully funded the rebuilding of her warehouse, doubling its size, using completely legitimate logistics companies.
The door slid open, and Dante stepped out onto the terrace. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“Enzo says the final transition is complete,” Dante murmured, his voice rumbling against her back.
“The transition?” Sophia asked, leaning back against his solid chest.
“The Moretti family is no longer in the underworld,” Dante said quietly. “I sold off the illegal ports. I dismantled the gambling rings. The men who wanted to stay legitimate are now running our real estate and shipping divisions. The ones who didn't are gone.”
Sophia turned around, her eyes wide. “Dante... you gave up the syndicate?”
“I gave up the shadows,” he corrected, cupping her face, his thumb tracing her cheekbone. “Eighteen months ago, I let you go because I thought I couldn't be both a mob boss and a husband. I was right. So, I killed the mob boss.”
Tears pricked Sophia’s eyes. He had burned down his entire dark empire, an empire his family had built over generations, simply so he could hold her hand in the daylight.
“You didn't have to do that,” she whispered.
“I had to,” Dante said fiercely. “Because I am never risking your life again. I am never letting you go again.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He didn't drop to one knee—that wasn't who he was. But he opened it to reveal a new ring. A flawless, emerald-cut diamond, flanked by sapphires.
“I don't want to go back to how we were, Sophia,” Dante said, his dark eyes burning with absolute devotion. “I want a new marriage. Built on truth. Built in the light. Marry me again, Sophia.”
Sophia looked at the man who had torn apart the city to save her, the man who had let himself bleed for her, and the man who had finally chosen her over his crown.
May you like
“Yes,” she smiled, a tear spilling over her lashes. “Yes, Dante.”
He slid the ring onto her finger, sealing the promise with a kiss that tasted of sunlight and forever. The monsters of the city were gone, and the king was finally, permanently, hers.
