Chapter 20 - The Final Sunset
The sun dipped slowly below the horizon of the Hudson River, painting the sky in brilliant shades of violet, gold, and deep crimson.
Mateo stood beside Genevieve at the edge of the stone balcony, holding her close against his side as they watched the fading light wash over the water.
The journey had begun with a shattered ballroom, a pool of blood on white marble, and a lie told to a police captain under the flashing lights of emergency sirens. It had survived betrayal, international vendettas, and the heavy ghosts of a criminal empire.
“Do you ever miss the simple days?” Mateo asked quietly, a rare hint of playfulness in his voice. “Planning weddings and arguing with catering directors about gluten-free canapés?”
Genevieve let out a soft, melodic laugh, looking up at him with absolute devotion in her eyes.
May you like
“Never,” she said, resting her hand over his heart, feeling its steady, powerful rhythm beat in time with her own. “Why settle for planning a party when you can own the entire kingdom?”
Mateo smiled—a warm, brilliant smile that belonged to her alone—and pulled her closer as the stars began to emerge across the night sky, sealing their fate in a silence built on absolute, unbreakable love.
