Chapter 10 - The Unbroken Dawn
Six months later.
The sun rose over the quiet, snow-covered grounds of Lake Como, Italy.
The private Villano-Duca Villa sat high on a cliffside overlooking the crystal-clear, blue waters of the lake, surrounded by olive groves and ancient stone walls.
Amelia stood on the private stone balcony of the master suite, wearing a warm, cream wool sweater, holding a mug of steaming hot coffee. The morning air was crisp, clean, and filled with the scent of pine and fresh alpine snow.
Behind her, the balcony doors opened softly.
Roman stepped out, wearing a dark gray sweater and trousers. He wrapped his broad arms around her waist from behind, pulling her back against his chest, burying his face in the soft crook of her neck, pressing a warm kiss against her skin.
“The morning reports from Chicago just came through, Mrs. Duca,” Roman whispered smoothly into her ear. “The new shipping terminals at the port are operational. Revenues are up forty percent.”
Amelia leaned her head back against his shoulder, letting out a long, peaceful breath that turned to white mist in the cool air.
“I don't care about the shipping terminals today, Roman,” she murmured softly, turning around in his arms to face him.
Roman smiled—a rare, breathtaking expression that lit up his handsome face. “Oh? What does the queen of Chicago care about today?”
Amelia reached into her sweater pocket.
She pulled out a small piece of dark gray limestone—a stone she had picked up from the floor of the Chicago warehouse on the night he had rescued her.
She walked over to the stone railing of the balcony, looked down at the deep, crystal-clear waters of Lake Como three hundred feet below, and tossed the stone out into the abyss.
It fell cleanly, disappearing into the cold, blue water without leaving a trace.
She turned back to Roman, walking straight into his broad, welcoming arms.
May you like
“I care about the next seven hundred and thirty days,” Amelia whispered, her pale blue-gray eyes shining with absolute joy, love, and peace. “And every year after that.”
Roman wrapped his arms around her, lifting her in his embrace, pressing his lips against hers in a long, passionate kiss that sealed their eternal bond under the bright, golden Italian sun—unbroken, invincible, and sovereign forever.
