Chapter 8 - The Ashes of Hallowmere
The following evening, a cold land breeze blew off the cliffs of Hallowmere Manor.
The grand stone mansion stood dark and silent against the twilight sky. The windows were boarded up, the heavy oak doors locked with heavy steel chains. The manor had been placed into a permanent historic trust, never to be lived in again.
On the rocky beach below the cliffs, a small iron brazier burned with a bright, crackling orange flame.
Corrie stood beside the fire, wearing a dark blue coat, holding the leather-bound Moretti ledger.
Beside her stood Domenico, resting his arm around her waist, supporting his healing shoulder against her side.
Corrie looked down at the gold crest on the cover—the book that had caused forty years of bloodshed, extortion, and fear. The book that had cost her parents their lives and had nearly destroyed her daughter’s future.
She opened the cover and tossed it into the center of the brazier.
The dry, century-old parchment caught fire instantly.
Bright yellow and blue flames licked across the pages, hungrily devouring the names, the dates, the bank accounts, and the dark secrets of New England’s most dangerous underworld syndicate.
The black ash rose into the night air, carried away by the cold sea wind over the dark Atlantic waters.
Corrie leaned her head against Domenico’s chest, listening to the steady, strong rhythm of his heartbeat beneath his coat.
“It’s gone,” she whispered.
“It’s gone,” Domenico repeated, kissing the top of her hair. “There is no Moretti syndicate anymore. There is only us.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.
He didn't get down on one knee—his healing body wouldn't allow it—but he took her hand in his, holding her gaze with an intensity that burned hotter than the fire at their feet.
He opened the box.
Inside rested a beautiful silver antique ring, set with a single, brilliant sapphire surrounded by tiny diamonds—the original engagement ring that had belonged to her mother, Elena.
“I’ve held this ring for five years, Corrie,” Domenico whispered, his voice thick with raw emotion. “I swore I would only give it to the woman who could heal this family. Will you marry me?”
Corrie looked from the glittering ring to the face of the man who had protected her, fought for her, and given up an empire for her daughter’s future.
Tears of pure joy filled her eyes as she smiled.
May you like
“Yes, Domenico,” she breathed, slipping her arms around his neck. “Yes.”
He pulled her close, his lips finding hers in a deep, desperate, passionate kiss that sealed their new life together, while the last embers of Hallowmere died out in the dark ocean breeze.
