Chapter 7 - The Final Evaluation
Three weeks after the night at the Grand Regency Hotel.
The sun shone brightly over the autumn gardens of the Pascale estate, casting golden light across the manicured lawns and stone fountains.
Inside the glass sunroom, the air was warm and quiet.
I sat at the mahogany table, my leather binder open in front of me. I held my pen over the final evaluation sheet—the official document required by the university to sign off on my clinical rotation.
Today was Day 90.
The three months were over.
The door opened softly.
Massimo walked into the room.
He didn't use a wheelchair. He didn't use a cane. He walked with a smooth, effortless, powerful stride, wearing a simple white linen shirt and dark trousers. He looked healthy, vital, and impossibly handsome.
He walked over to the table, stopping beside my chair.
"What are you writing?" he asked softly.
"Your final discharge report," I said, offering a small, sad smile as I looked up at him. "Patient demonstrates 95% return of motor function in lower extremities. Gait pattern is steady. Balance is optimal. Medical recommendation: Full release to normal activities."
Massimo looked down at the paper. Then his gray eyes shifted to my face.
"So..." Massimo murmured, his voice dropping into that low, velvety tone that always made my heart race. "Your contract is complete."
"Yes," I whispered, my throat feeling tight. "The university received your final tuition payment yesterday. My doctoral program is fully paid for. I... I pack my things this afternoon."
Silence fell over the room.
It was the very thing we had agreed upon three months ago. Three months of care. Fifty thousand dollars. Clean separation. No attachments.
I stood up slowly, picking up my binder.
"I should go pack," I said, turning toward the door.
Massimo reached out. His long, warm fingers gently wrapped around my wrist, stopping me in my tracks.
I turned back to look at him.
Massimo pulled me toward him. He took the binder from my hands, setting it down onto the table without taking his eyes off mine. Then, he brought both of his broad hands up, gently cupping my face.
"Massimo..." I gasped softly.
"Do you really think you can just walk out of my life, Tessa?" Massimo asked, his voice thick with an emotion so deep, so profound, it took my breath away.
"That... that was the agreement," I stammered, tears shimmering in my eyes. "I'm a physical therapist. You're... you're a powerful man. Our worlds—"
"My world was cold, dark, and dead before you walked through those gates!" Massimo cut me off softly, his thumbs gently wiping away two tears that spilled down my cheeks. "You didn't just teach my legs how to walk again, Tessa. You taught my heart how to beat."
He stepped closer, pressing his forehead against mine.
"I built an empire out of fear and stone," Massimo whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "But none of it means anything if I don't have you beside me to share it."
"Massimo..." I sobbed happily, throwing my arms around his broad neck. "I love you. I've loved you since the night you stood up in the gym."
Massimo let out a choked, joyful sound, pulling me tight against his body and lifting me right off my feet!
He tilted my face up and kissed me.
It was a deep, passionate, breathtaking kiss—a promise of protection, devotion, and a love that had conquered darkness, pain, and fear. I wrapped my fingers in his dark hair, kissing him back with all the love that had been building inside my soul for ninety days.
When he finally pulled back, he smiled down at me—a radiant, breathtaking smile that lit up the entire room.
May you like
"Stay with me, Tessa," Massimo begged softly. "Be my partner. Be my home."
"Yes," I laughed through my tears. "Yes, Massimo! I'll stay!"
