Chapter 15 - TRUTHS AND PROMISES
That evening, after the twins had fallen asleep in their rooms upstairs, Luca and I sat on the blanketed lounger on the back patio, watching the stars glimmer above the treeline.
A cool autumn breeze rustled the maple trees, but the outdoor stone fireplace kept us warm. I leaned against Luca’s chest, wrapped in his arms, listening to his steady heartbeat.
"I called my lawyers this afternoon, Nia," Luca said softly into the quiet night.
"Oh? Is there another legal issue?" I asked, looking up at him.
"No," he replied, smoothing a strand of hair from my face. "I had them rewrite my estate structure and the global succession plan for Moretti Global."
I sat up slightly. "Luca, you don't need to—"
"Listen to me," he cut in gently, taking both of my hands in his. "Fifty percent of my shares have been placed into an irrevocable trust divided equally between Leo and Maya. The remaining fifty percent, along with total voting control of the board, has been transferred directly into your name."
My breath hitched in my throat. "Luca, that's... that's billions of dollars. That's control of your entire empire."
"I built that empire while running away from the mistake of losing you," Luca said, his dark eyes burning with absolute sincerity. "Everything I own means nothing if it isn't securing your future and our children's future. You are the moral compass of this family, Nia. You always were."
"I never cared about your money, Luca," I whispered, tears brimming in my eyes. "I only ever wanted you. The real you."
"I know," he murmured, pulling me closer and kissing away a stray tear on my cheek. "And that is why you are the only person on this earth I trust with everything I am."
He shifted, reaching into his pocket, and pulled out a small black velvet box.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
Luca opened the box. Inside sat a simple, elegant ring—not the massive diamond he had bought me for our first marriage to show off to high society, but a delicate band of rose gold, set with a brilliant oval-cut sapphire surrounded by two small diamonds.
"The sapphire represents us," Luca said softly, his voice trembling slightly with a vulnerability he only ever showed me. "And the two diamonds represent Leo and Maya. Seven years ago, I failed you as a husband because I let pride and poison come between us. I can't undo the past, Nia... but I want to spend every remaining day of my life earning the right to be your partner."
He looked into my eyes, his soul laid bare.
"Will you marry me again, Nia? Not for the cameras, not for an empire... but for us?"
May you like
I looked at the ring, then up at the man who had torn down his own world to build a sanctuary for me and my children.
"Yes," I whispered, tears overflowing and spilling down my cheeks. "Yes, Luca. A thousand times yes."
