Chapter 7 - The Unbroken Promise
Three weeks later.
The autumn air in Northern Virginia was crisp and clear, turning the sprawling forest surrounding the Tierney estate into a sea of fiery orange, red, and gold.
The marks of the storm and the intrusion were completely gone. The service door had been replaced with solid steel, the lawn was pristine, and the cream rug in the playroom had been replaced with a rich, dark navy carpet that Finn loved to race his cars across.
I stood on the back terrace overlooking the rolling hills, wearing an oversized gray cashmere sweater, a warm mug of coffee resting between my hands.
The past three weeks had been a whirlwind.
Hector Moreno and thirty-four high-ranking members of his cartel had been indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami. My name was officially cleared, my federal witness record sealed, and the eight-million-dollar bounty wiped off the dark web forever.
For the first time in three years, I wasn't running. I wasn't looking over my shoulder. I was just... Maya.
"Maya!"
A high-pitched yell echoed from the lawn.
I looked down. Oliver and Finn were running across the grass, wearing miniature leather jackets, chasing a golden retriever puppy Roman had bought them for Oliver’s ninth birthday.
"Look, Maya! Barnaby learned how to sit!" Finn shouted, pointing proudly at the panting puppy.
"That's amazing, Finn!" I called back, smiling warmly.
A pair of strong, familiar arms wrapped around my waist from behind. Roman pulled me back against his broad chest, resting his chin on my shoulder, his warm breath tickling my ear.
"You're thinking too loud," Roman murmured softly.
"I’m just... getting used to quiet," I admitted, leaning back against his solid warmth. "For three years, every time I heard a car door slam or a window creak, I thought it was the end. Now..."
"Now it’s just the beginning," Roman finished, his fingers intertwining with mine over my mug.
He turned me around in his arms until I was facing him. He looked magnificent in the crisp autumn sunlight—his dark hair slightly windblown, his deep eyes clear and filled with a peace I hadn't seen when I first walked into his house twenty-one days ago.
"I spoke with Mrs. Gable from the nanny agency this morning," Roman said, a tiny, teasing smirk touching his lips.
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Did she ask if I was keeping up with the boys?"
"She asked if I needed to renew your six-month contract," Roman said softly, his hands sliding down to rest gently on my hips.
"And what did you tell her?"
"I told her that your contract as a nanny was officially terminated," Roman said quietly.
My heart gave a sudden, nervous flutter. "Terminated?"
"Effective immediately," Roman murmured, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a small, navy velvet box.
My breath caught in my throat.
Roman dropped to one knee on the stone terrace.
The man who ruled a global empire, the man who had faced down assassins without blinking, looked up at me with raw, undisguised vulnerability shining in his dark eyes.
He opened the velvet box, revealing a flawless, emerald-cut diamond ring that caught the autumn sunlight like a flame.
"Maya Vance," Roman said, his voice deep, rough, and thick with emotion. "You came into my home when it was filled with grief and shadows. You protected my sons with your life, you fought beside me when the world tried to tear us apart, and you taught me how to love again."
He took my shaking hand in his, his large thumb brushing over my knuckles.
"I don't want a nanny for my boys, Maya. I want a partner. I want a mother for my children, and a wife for my soul. Will you marry me?"
Tears blurred my vision, spilling over my cheeks in warm, happy streaks.
"Yes," I gasped, my voice breaking with joy. "Yes, Roman! A thousand times yes!"
Roman stood up, slipped the sparkling diamond onto my finger, and pulled me into a fierce, passionate kiss that swept me completely off my feet!
"She said yes!" Oliver yelled from the lawn, jumping up and down!
May you like
"Yay!" Finn cheered, tossing a handful of autumn leaves into the air while the puppy barked happily!
Roman pulled back slightly, laughing as he wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb. "Looks like the vote was unanimous."
