Chapter 8 - The Shadow of the Past
The library was cleared within fifteen minutes. Matteo's body was removed through the rear service entrance, and a cleaning crew worked frantically to restore the room as if nothing had ever happened.
I sat on the velvet sofa in Alessandro's private study, wrapped in his thick cashmere sweater, shivering violently despite the roaring fire.
Alessandro knelt in front of me, taking my trembling hands in his. His hands were covered in minor cuts from the flying glass, but he didn't seem to notice or care.
"It's over, Elizabeth," he whispered gently, kissing the palms of my hands over and over again. "Matteo's men have been rounded up. The evidence proving his corruption has been handed over to the federal prosecutors. The trial against my shipping company is being dismissed tomorrow morning."
"My father..." I choked out, fresh tears flowing down my face. "He knew you were innocent, Alessandro. He wrote it in his letter. He wanted me to know that you weren't the monster who ruined our lives."
Alessandro closed his eyes, resting his forehead against my knees. A heavy, shuddering breath left his broad chest.
"I spent my entire life believing that love was a weakness in my world," he admitted, his voice raspy with emotion. "My father taught me that to rule, you must feel nothing. You must trust no one. But the moment you walked into my hotel room six weeks ago, Elizabeth... you broke every wall I spent thirty years building."
He looked up at me, his amber eyes shining with pure, undeniable devotion.
"I don't want to be the Don of Chicago anymore," Alessandro confessed quietly. "I'm stepping down. I am handing the legitimate business operations over to Caleb and Noah, and selling off the rest. I want to build a life with you. A real life. Free from the shadows."
I reached out, running my fingers through his dark hair, feeling the fast beat of his heart against my knee. The terrifying mafia prince was gone. In his place stood the man who had stayed up with me until dawn, talking about black coffee and quiet mornings.
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"Are you sure?" I asked softly. "Can you really leave it all behind?"
"Without a second thought," Alessandro swore, leaning up to press a soft, lingering kiss against my lips. "You and this baby are my only kingdom now."
