Chapter 9 - THE CROWN OF SUNLIGHTThat evening, a grand gala was held on the outdoor lawn of the Reyes Estate to celebrate the opening of the Caldwell Foundation.
Five hundred elite guests—diplomats, artists, community leaders, and reformed business partners—drank champagne under twinkling fairy lights strung through ancient oak trees.
A live string quartet played softly near the central fountain.
Elise stood near the terrace, wearing a breathtaking floor-length golden satin dress that draped over her curves like liquid sun.
She looked out over the crowd. There were no gray-suited assassins hiding by the doors. There were no hidden threats in the dark. The city that had once felt like a cage of violent secrets was now a place of purpose and peace.
"A penny for your thoughts, Donnessa?" a deep voice whispered behind her.
Elise turned to see Mateo standing there, looking impossibly handsome in a black tuxedo.
"I was just thinking about the last time a string quartet played while you walked toward me," Elise smiled, her eyes sparkling.
"Ah," Mateo chuckled, taking her champagne glass and setting it on a tray. He took her hand, pulling her into his arms right in the middle of the crowded terrace. "The night I detonated your life."
"The night you saved my life," Elise corrected softly.
"Do you trust your instincts, Ms. Caldwell?" Mateo asked, echoing his famous words from four months ago.
"Usually," Elise replied with a radiant smile.
Mateo leaned down, his hazel eyes burning with an endless, unshakeable devotion.
"Then trust me when I say this," Mateo whispered into her ear. "You are never escaping me, Elise Reyes."
May you like
"I don't plan on it," she murmured.
And right there, in front of five hundred guests, beneath the starlit sky of Long Island, the Mafia King kissed his Queen—not as leverage, but for eternity.
