Chapter 16 - A Night Under the StarsTo celebrate the foundation's milestone anniversary, Matteo had arranged something entirely unexpected.
Instead of a high-profile charity gala or a crowded restaurant, the Duca family helicopter touched down on a private, secluded cliffside overlooking the rugged coast of Maine as twilight began to paint the sky in shades of violet and gold.
A private chef had set up a candlelit table right at the edge of the cliff, surrounded by thousands of flickering fairy lights strung through the branches of ancient pine trees.
Leo was fast asleep in a plush travel cot inside a heated luxury cabin nearby, looked after by their most trusted guards.
Sophie stood at the edge of the cliff, the cool ocean breeze catching the hem of her emerald silk dress. Matteo walked up behind her, draping a heavy cashmere shawl over her shoulders.
"You spoil me," Sophie whispered, leaning back into his warm chest as his arms came around her waist.
"Never enough," Matteo replied softly against her ear. "You spent years surviving on scraps, hiding in corners, and carrying the weight of a world that tried to crush you. The rest of your life will be nothing less than extraordinary."
Sophie turned in his arms, looking up at him with eyes full of fierce, unbreakable love.
"I used to think love was something you had to bargain for," she confessed quietly, her voice trembling slightly with emotion. "Something you had to earn by being small, quiet, and obedient."
Matteo’s dark eyes darkened with an intense, fierce devotion. He took her left hand, lifting it up to the starlight, his thumb tracing the sparkling diamonds and the black pearl.
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"You never had to bargain with me, Sophie," he said, his voice ringing with absolute truth. "I would have torn the earth apart the second I saw you hurting. You were my wife the moment you looked at me without fear."
"And I will be your wife until my last breath," she answered, pulling his head down to hers for a deep, passionate kiss that made the stars above them feel entirely within reach.
