Chapter 18 - Dawn over the Harbor
The first rays of winter sunlight broke over the Boston harbor, painting the sky in brilliant strokes of amber, violet, and gold.
I woke up wrapped in the warmth of heavy woolen blankets, the steady, rhythmic breathing of Massimo beside me grounding the chaotic whirlwind of my life. For the first time in months, my phone didn't buzz with an emergency clinic alert or a threatening tuition notice.
My doctorate was paid for. My Institute was built. And the most feared man in Boston was holding me as if I were the only fragile thing in the world he couldn't bear to break.
Massimo shifted beside me, his dark eyes blinking open. A slow, genuine smile—free of the cynicism and danger that usually defined him—touched his lips.
“Good morning, Doctor,” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.
May you like
“Good morning, Mr. Pascale,” I replied, resting my head against his chest, listening to the steady, unbreakable beat of his heart. “Your morning physical therapy session starts in ten minutes. No excuses.”
A low laugh rumbled in his chest as he pulled me closer. “Only if you’re the one administering it.”
