Chapter 7 - The Birthday Gift
A month later, on a crisp November afternoon, the Greenwich estate was decorated with hundreds of colorful balloons, pastel ribbons, and a giant banner stretched across the patio that read: HAPPY 9TH BIRTHDAY, LUCY!
It was the first real birthday party Lucy had ever had.
Dominic had rented an entire traveling pony zoo, a chocolate fountain, and hired a team of entertainers to transform the backyard into a wonderland. Children from Lucy’s new private school filled the lawn, playing tag and laughing under the bright autumn sun.
Lucy ran across the grass in a beautiful yellow dress, her cheeks flushed with happiness, holding a giant cloud of pink cotton candy.
Elena stood on the terrace, wearing a chic beige sweater and jeans, watching her daughter play. She looked radiant, her health fully restored, her dark hair glowing in the sunlight.
Dominic walked up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and resting his chin softly on her shoulder.
“Is the birthday girl happy?” he asked, kissing the side of her neck.
“She’s floating on air,” Elena smiled, turning around in his arms to wrap her hands around his neck. “She told me this morning that she thinks she’s dreaming.”
“She’ll never have to wake up from this,” Dominic vowed, looking deep into her green eyes. “Neither will you.”
“Dominic...” Elena murmured softly, touching his cheek. “You’ve given us everything. You transferred your entire empire into legal businesses. You bought us this home. You saved my life. How can I ever repay you?”
Dominic reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, navy-blue velvet box.
Elena’s breath hitched.
Dominic stepped back, taking a slow, deliberate breath, and dropped down onto one knee right there on the terrace, beneath the clear blue autumn sky.
Across the lawn, Lucy stopped playing. She nudged her little friends and pointed toward the terrace, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Elena,” Dominic said, his baritone voice filled with profound emotion. “Eight years ago, I let my own foolish pride break my heart and push you away. I wasted eight years that I should have spent worshipping you, protecting you, and loving you. I promise to spend the next eighty years making up for every single second we lost.”
He opened the box.
Inside sat a breathtaking, flawless seven-carat emerald-cut diamond ring, sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight.
“Will you do me the absolute honor of becoming my wife?” Dominic asked, his voice trembling slightly with vulnerability. “Will you let me love you for the rest of my life?”
Elena covered her mouth, tears of pure joy spilling down her cheeks. She looked at the man who had once been the most feared titan in New York, now kneeling before her with his entire heart exposed in his eyes.
“Yes!” Elena cried out softly. “Yes, Dominic! A thousand times yes!”
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Dominic stood up, slipping the diamond ring onto her finger, and pulled her into a passionate, breathtaking kiss.
Across the yard, Lucy cheered loudly, jumping up and down with her friends, clapping her hands in pure delight.
