Chapter 8 - The Crown and the Promise
An hour after the gala was secured and the traitors purged, Matteo’s private vehicle returned to the Lake Forest estate.
The heavy front doors flew open, and Matteo stepped into the grand hall.
Elena was waiting near the fireplace, wearing a long ivory dress, her hands clasped nervously together. The moment her eyes met his, a sob of pure relief escaped her lips.
Matteo didn't say a word. He closed the distance between them in long, powerful strides, wrapping his arms around her waist, lifting her completely off her feet, and pulling her into a fierce, desperate embrace.
"You're safe," Elena wept, pressing her face into the crook of his neck, breathing in his familiar scent. "You came back."
"I told you I would," Matteo murmured, burying his face in her soft hair, holding her like she was the most precious treasure in the world. "It's over, Elena. Dante is gone. The traitors are handled. No one will ever threaten us again."
He set her feet back on the floor, but kept his hands gently resting on her hips.
"I made a decision tonight, Elena," Matteo said, looking down at her with a soft, gentle smile that he reserved only for her. "I am stepping away from the illegal operations of the family."
Elena blinked in surprise. "What?"
"I turned over the dock operations and shipping lines to legitimate corporate entities," Matteo explained softly. "I have enough wealth for ten lifetimes. I don't want a life of shadows anymore, Elena. I want a life with you. A quiet life. A real life."
Elena looked into his steel-gray eyes, seeing the complete sincerity, the deep peace that had finally replaced the storm inside him.
"You did that... for us?" she asked, tears brimming in her eyes.
"I did it because you showed me that life is too precious to waste in the dark," Matteo whispered.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box. He opened it to reveal a magnificent, cushion-cut diamond ring that caught the firelight, sparkling with a brilliant, blinding light.
Matteo sank down onto one knee on the marble floor. The powerful king of Chicago knelt before the sweet night-shift nurse who had saved his soul.
"Elena Rios," Matteo said, his deep voice thick with emotion. "You sat by my side in the dark. You gave me your heart when I had nothing to give you in return. Will you give me the honor of being your husband? Will you be my Queen?"
Elena covered her mouth, happy tears spilling over her lashes. She dropped to her knees right beside him, throwing her arms around his neck.
May you like
"Yes!" she cried softly. "Yes, Matteo! A thousand times yes!"
Matteo laughed—a warm, beautiful sound—and slipped the ring onto her finger, pulling her into a kiss that tasted of sweet promise and new beginnings.
