Chapter 10 - Wear Red for Me
Six months later.
The autumn leaves were turning bright shade of crimson and gold across the Hudson River valley.
The Rossi estate had been completely renovated. The dark, oppressive oil paintings of old tyrants were gone, replaced by bright, open glass windows, modern art, and thousands of historical manuscripts that I had brought in from archives across the country.
The syndicate was quiet. The Chicago conflict was over, settled through a mixture of Stefano's lethal strategy and my diplomatic management of the family's legitimate corporate assets.
I stood on the grand stone balcony overlooking the river, wearing an elegant red silk evening gown that brushed the floorboards.
A pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind.
I leaned back into Stefano's broad chest, feeling the steady, powerful beat of his heart against my spine.
"The council meeting starts in ten minutes," Stefano whispered against my neck, his lips pressing a soft kiss against my skin. "The capos from Miami are waiting downstairs."
"Let them wait," I murmured, turning around in his arms to face him.
Stefano looked handsome beyond words—his dark hair neatly combed, his tuxedo immaculate, the silver at his temples catching the amber afternoon light.
He looked down at my red dress, a slow, breathtaking smile spreading across his face.
"You know," he murmured, his hands resting gently on my hips, "when I replied to that wrong number six months ago... I thought I was going to rescue a frightened archivist."
I smiled, reaching up to adjust his black bow tie. "And what did you find instead?"
"My queen," Stefano whispered softly.
He leaned down, his lips taking mine in a slow, deep, possessive kiss that made the rest of the world melt away. There was no terror, no blood, no shadow of the past—only the absolute, unshakeable warmth of two souls that had found each other through a twist of fate.
When he finally pulled back, his dark eyes were shining with devotion.
"Happy thirty-eighth birthday, Elena," Stefano murmured, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket and snapping it open to reveal a dazzling diamond ring surrounded by deep red rubies.
I looked at the ring, then looked up into the eyes of the man who had answered a dead number just to save my life.
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"Wear red," I whispered with a smile, holding out my hand. "You're coming with me."
