Chapter 6 - The Reborn Don
Over the next two days, the Lake Forest estate operated like a war room.
Capos and loyal enforcers arrived at all hours, kneeling before Matteo in his library, swearing their allegiance to the resurrected Don. Matteo’s strength returned with terrifying speed, fueled by an iron will and the relentless physical therapy he endured without shedding a single tear.
Through it all, Elena remained by his side. She was no longer wearing her blue hospital scrubs; the estate tailors had provided her with elegant silk dresses and cashmere sweaters. But her care for Matteo never changed. She personally changed his bandages, checked his blood pressure, and ensured he rested between strategy sessions.
The men in the house treated her with absolute reverence. They called her Donna Elena, treating her not as a guest, but as the lady of the estate.
One evening, as the sunset cast orange and pink light across the private gardens, Elena stood on the balcony of the master suite, looking out over the trees.
A pair of strong, warm arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Matteo pulled her gently back against his broad chest, resting his chin on her shoulder. The clean scent of cedar and expensive cologne engulfed her senses.
"You're quiet tonight, my sweet nurse," Matteo murmured into her ear, his deep voice sending a shiver of warmth straight down her spine.
"I'm thinking about how much everything has changed," Elena said softly, leaning her head back against his shoulder. "A week ago, I was worried about my rent and a broken vending machine. Now... I'm living in a castle with a man who rules a city."
Matteo turned her around gently in his arms so she was facing him. He looked down into her dark, beautiful eyes with an expression of fierce, unyielding devotion.
"I spent six months trapped in a dark prison inside my own head, Elena," Matteo said, his voice dropping into a rough, passionate whisper. "I had every reason to hate the world. But then I heard your voice. You spoke to me like I was a human being when everyone else saw a corpse. You brought me back."
He cupped her face in his large, scarred hands, his thumbs gently stroking her cheekbones.
"I don't just rule a city, Elena. My heart, my life, my entire empire... it belongs to you."
Elena’s heart swelled with an emotion so powerful it took her breath away. She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling his head down to hers.
"Then don't lose yourself to vengeance tomorrow, Matteo," she whispered against his lips. "Come back to me."
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"I will always come back to you," Matteo vowed.
Then his lips met hers in a deep, desperate, passionate kiss that sealed their unspoken promise in the quiet of the setting sun.
