Page 96

“Yes.” I meet his gaze unflinchingly. “I love her. It was worth it. It always would be.”

Estella gasps. “No,” she breathes. “Please… Dad. Please.” Estella doesn’t waver. “I won’t marry someone else. And if Sebastian is dead, I have nothing to live for.”

My heart twists in my chest. “Estella, no?—”

Antony holds up a hand to silence me, his gaze fixed on his daughter. “If you have something to say, say it now,” he says slowly. “I will hear you out once, Estella, and no more after that.”

Her eyes widen. She takes a step forward, her chin up, eyes blazing. “You think I can’t inherit because I’m a woman,” she whispers. “Because I’m not smart enough, or strong enough, or wise enough. Or maybe it’s just because tradition demands it, and even if you believe that Iamall of those things, you just can’t break away. But the truth is—” She takes a deep breath. “Iamsmart, and strong, and I can learn your wisdom, if you would just teach me.” She reaches down, raising the edge of her shirt to show the bandage on her side. “I had the courage to run, because I couldn’t give myself to someone else when I loved Sebastian, because I couldn’t live life in a cage. I made a choice to be his. I was hungry, and tired, and wounded, and I still fought.”

She holds her father’s gaze, speaking quickly, but firmly. “I can learn anything you need to teach me. I can be brutal if I need to be—I’ve proven that today. I can stand my ground—I’ve proven that, too. And I can be the heir that the Gallo family deserves. But I won’t do it without Sebastian. And I promise you, if you take him from me and try to give me to someone else, I will make sure that your name dies with me, forever.”

I’ve never been more proud of her than I am in that moment. I look at her, as fierce as a warrior, as a queen, and I know that there’s no woman in the world who can match her. There’s no woman I could ever love as much as I love Estella Gallo.

Antony turns, ever so slightly, and glances at me. “Sinclair,” he says slowly. "If I were to release you right now, what would you do?"

The question catches me off guard. I glance at Estella, then back at her father. "I'd protect her," I answer honestly. "With my life."

Antony nods, as if I've confirmed something for him. "And if I were to give you my blessing to be with my daughter, what then?"

Estella gasps, but Antony doesn’t look at her. He looks at me, and I try to answer as truthfully as I possibly can. I straighten, meeting Antony's gaze directly. "I'd still protect her. I'd love her. I'd spend every day making sure she never regrets choosing me."

“Hm.” Antony regards me for another moment. “Even after what I did to you? You’d marry my daughter, become a part ofthis family, share a table and a bloodline with me? I could live, not thinking I’d have to watch my back every moment?”

“Estella’s happiness is more important to me than any vengeance,” I tell him truthfully. “And a life with her is more important to me than revenge. You hurt me, and it’s not something I can forgive. But I can forget it, for the sake of our future. If that’s an option… sir.”

Antony chuckles. “Sir. I like that you still have some respect in you, boy.” He turns back to look at Estella. “And you? He’s truly what you want? You would come home, learn to run the family, and accept all the responsibility that comes with it, if he were the one at your side?”

Estella nods. “Yes. I—” She swallows hard. “I would always have stepped into Luis’ shoes. He was my brother, and I love him. I would always have tried to make him proud. But I need to be the one to inherit, not some man who wants to shackle me and make me his possession. With Sebastian—yes. Yes to all of it. If I can have the man I love.”

Antony lets out a long, slow breath. “It seems, daughter, that you can turn fantasy into reality after all.” He looks at me, his expression contemplative. “You came to her rescue with no promise of gaining anything for yourself. I told you that I would still kill you, after, and you came to save her anyway. You kept your word, Sinclair.”

“There’s nothing more important to me than her. Not my life—nothing.” I swallow hard. “I needed to see her safe. That’s all that matters.”

Antony gives a slow nod. “Men, let him be,” he says finally, taking a step back. “He can stay with her. He’ll come back with us.”

The men retreat from around me, so quickly that I’m momentarily stunned. It lasts for only a second, and then I’m moving to Estella, almost running in my haste to get to her. Igrab her, pulling her into my arms as I press a kiss to her hair, feeling her tremble against me.

“Are you okay?” I whisper, and she nods, her hands curling into the front of my shirt.

“I am now.” She rests her head against my chest. “I am now.”

I look at Antony, who is watching us both, narrow-eyed. “You’ve put me in a difficult position,” he says finally, looking at me. “My daughter says that she’ll die without you, and I’m inclined to believe her. But I’m not in the habit of allowing men who steal from me to live.”

I take a slow breath. “As Estella’s husband, I will spend my life giving back to the Gallo family,” I say calmly. “I will support her, and love her, and give the family name my service for as long as I live. I will repay this debt, sir. So long as I can stay by her side.”

Antony raises an eyebrow. “You’ll take her last name?”

“I’ll do whatever I have to,” I assure him. “A name is nothing, compared to what I would do for your daughter.”

Antony looks at Estella, and he lets out a long breath. “You should have told me Vito tried to hurt you,” he says slowly. “And I should have seen what kind of man he was.” He looks toward his men, still standing ready for their orders. “Clean up the mess. All of you. Brick, make sure there’s nothing here that ties us back to this.”

Brick nods. “On it, sir.”

Antony looks at the two of us. “Let’s go,” he says calmly. “There should be a car downstairs waiting. We need to get back to the mansion and get medical attention for Estella. We have plenty to discuss, and this isn’t the place for it.”

Estella looks at her father, and then back at me. “Are you willing to go back?” she whispers. “I’d go anywhere with you, Sebastian. I’d rather be free of it all, honestly. But I think this is the price.”

“And I’ll pay it.” I touch her cheek gently. “I’ll go anywhere with you, princess.”