Chapter 10 - The Vow
One year later.
The sprawling Romano estate was unrecognizable. The heavy, oppressive drapes had been pulled back to let the sunlight in. The sterile, quiet halls were filled with the sound of laughter and the chaotic patter of toddler feet.
Fourteen-month-old Luca was a force of nature. He was currently sprinting across the back patio, chasing Dante, who was intentionally jogging slow enough to let the toddler catch his leg.
Clara sat on a plush outdoor sofa, sipping iced tea, a medical textbook resting on her lap. Matteo had built her a state-of-the-art pediatric clinic downtown, funded entirely by legitimate businesses, where she treated children from low-income neighborhoods for free. She had found her way back to medicine, on her own terms.
Matteo walked out onto the patio, dressed casually in dark jeans and a fitted black shirt. The tension that used to line his face was gone, replaced by a quiet, grounded strength.
He sat down next to Clara, slipping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.
"He's fast," Matteo noted, watching his son tackle the hulking enforcer onto the grass.
"He takes after his father," Clara smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Matteo turned his head, kissing the top of her hair. On Clara’s left hand, a massive, flawless diamond caught the afternoon sun—a promise they had solidified in a private ceremony three months prior.
"Mr. Sterling called my office today," Matteo said casually, a wicked glint in his eye. "He wanted to know if we would be honoring Lumière with a reservation for our anniversary."
Clara laughed out loud. "Did you tell him that the last time we were there, you nearly had him executed over a crying baby?"
"I reminded him," Matteo smirked. "He assured me he has a private, soundproof room prepared, just in case."
Clara looked out at the lawn. Luca had abandoned Dante and was now running as fast as his little legs could carry him back toward the patio, his arms outstretched.
"Mama! Dada!" the boy shrieked happily.
Matteo caught his son, hoisting him high into the air, earning a chorus of bright, uninhibited giggles.
May you like
Clara watched them, feeling a profound, overwhelming sense of peace. She had walked into a restaurant as a broken woman hiding from the world. She had crossed a line no one dared touch. And in doing so, she hadn't just saved a crying baby—she had saved herself.
"We don't need a soundproof room anymore," Clara said softly, smiling at her husband and her son. "We have everything we need right here."
