Chapter 20 - The Empire of UsThree years later.
The Tuscan sun beat down warmly on the stone courtyard of the Russo estate, painting the ancient olive trees in shades of gold and amber. Laughter echoed across the manicured lawns—the high, joyful giggle of a six-year-old boy chasing a golden retriever through the rose gardens.
Luca was growing up fast, running circles around the estate guards who looked after him with fiercely protective devotion.
I sat at a wrought-iron table shaded by a sprawling arbor of purple wisteria, wearing a simple white linen sundress. On my left ring finger rested a heavy, antique diamond ring—a piece that had belonged to Alessandro’s grandmother, symbolizing a dynasty built not just on power and blood, but on a choice made in the chaotic crowded heart of New York City.
Footsteps approached from behind, and strong, familiar arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back against a warm, solid chest. A chin rested gently on my shoulder.
"You're daydreaming, regina mia," Alessandro whispered, pressing a warm kiss against the crook of my neck.
"I was just thinking about Central Park," I murmured, leaning back into his embrace, resting my hands over his. "Thinking about how insane it was that I stopped to talk to a lost little boy."
Alessandro chuckled, a rich, vibrating sound that I felt all the way down to my soul. He turned me around in his arms, looking down at me with those dark, bottomless eyes that still held the power to steal my breath away.
"It wasn't insanity, Sophia," he said softly, his voice thick with a lifetime of fierce, unwavering devotion. "It was destiny. The best mistake you ever made."
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"Not a mistake," I smiled, reaching up to cup his sharp, handsome face. "The best beginning."
He pulled me against him, sealing our lips in a deep, absolute kiss as the Tuscan sun dipped below the horizon, casting our shared empire in a brilliant, unbreakable light.
