Chapter 9 - The New Foundation
Six months later.
The grand ballroom of the Chicago Cultural Center was filled with bright flowers, sparkling ice sculptures, and hundreds of guests.
Tonight was the launch gala for the Bennett-Moretti Child Protection Fund—a non-profit organization founded by Natalie and me, fully backed by the Moretti enterprise, dedicated to providing emergency housing, legal representation, and financial support for single mothers and families targeted by financial abuse.
I stood on the main stage wearing a stunning champagne-colored gown, holding a microphone.
"Seven months ago," I spoke into the mic, my voice carrying clearly through the pristine hall, "I stood at a supermarket customer-service counter with a crying baby in my arms and eleven dollars in my checking account. I was terrified, exhausted, and completely convinced that the world had forgotten about me."
The room was deathly quiet, every eye fixed on me.
"I learned that night that cruelty thrives when good people look away," I continued. "But I also learned that courage isn't about having a million dollars in the bank. Courage is holding onto the people you love when everything else is burning around you."
The room erupted into thunderous, standing applause.
As I stepped down the stage stairs, Dante was waiting for me at the bottom. He looked impossibly striking in a black tuxedo, offering his hand to guide me down.
"You were breathtaking, my love," Dante whispered, pressing a kiss against my knuckles.
"We did this together," I smiled, wrapping my arm securely through his.
Natalie walked over, holding a healthy, chubby nine-month-old Lily in her arms. Lily was wearing a tiny white dress with a yellow ribbon, giggling happily as she reached her small hands out toward Dante.
Dante immediately took Lily into his arms, lifting her up effortlessly, letting her pat his cheek. Seeing the most powerful man in Chicago softened completely by a baby made my heart overflow with contentment.
Marco walked up to us, wearing a sharp suit, holding a silver tray with three champagne glasses.
"Everything is secure, Boss," Marco reported with a warm smile. "The city council just approved the land permit for the new shelter in West Loop."
"Excellent work, Marco," Dante nodded, taking a glass of champagne and handing one to me and one to Natalie.
Dante raised his glass. "To family. The ones we're born with, and the ones we fight to protect."
"To family," we echoed, clinking our glasses under the warm chandelier light.
As the music began to play, Dante handed Lily back to Natalie, then turned to me, offering his hand for a dance. I took it happily, letting him lead me out onto the center of the dance floor.
He pulled me close against his chest, his arms wrapping around my waist as we swayed smoothly to the soft waltz.
"Have I told you tonight how much I love you?" Dante whispered into my hair.
May you like
"You haven't told me in at least twenty minutes," I teased softly, looking up into his grey eyes.
Dante smiled—a bright, genuine smile that lit up his entire face. "Then I'll have to make sure I remind you every twenty minutes for the rest of our lives."
