Page 9

EPILOGUE

ALESSANDRO

One Year Later

M y office has changed. It had to. There are touches of warmth where there once was nothing but coldness—a soft blanket thrown over the back of the leather couch, houseplants vining their way towards the sunlight on nearly every surface, and most importantly of all, a bassinet tucked into the corner next to my desk.

I'm quiet as I walk in, but even more than a year after her kidnapping, Emmy's shoulders still tense until she turns around and sees that it's me. I take my suit jacket off as I stride over to my wife, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, rocking our infant daughter, Olivia, in her arms.

“She finally asleep?” I ask as softly as I can, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her close to me.

Emmy nods, leaning her head against my shoulder, her dark hair loose and falling in waves down her back. "I fed her about an hour ago, and she hasn't been awake since."

I smile, pressing my lips to her temple. "Good. I want to take you somewhere tonight."

"Tonight?" Her voice is incredulous. "Sandro, I don't think I can."

"You can," I assure her, brushing her hair behind her ear. "You need to get out somewhere besides the office and the penthouse."

She doesn't seem convinced. "I still haven't finished interviewing the nannies and?—"

"I flew your mother in. She's here for a week."

Emmy turns in my arms to look at me. "What?"

"She wanted to see you and the baby, and I figured that would be an incentive for you to get out of the house with me tonight."

Her smile grows, her eyes lighting up, and I know I've won her over. "Fine. Where are we going?"

I lift a brow. "That's a surprise."

"And if I don't like it?"

"Then I'll take you somewhere else."

She shakes her head, laughing, but I can see her excitement. It wasn't long after my proposal that we found out she was pregnant, and a beach wedding close enough for her mother to attend came not long after. We waited until the pregnancy was further along to tell anyone, but the birth of our daughter only increased the amount of work we had to do.

I've always worked hard, but I've had to delegate more recently. Lorenzo is fully capable of taking on more duties, and I'm not afraid to admit that he's a better Underboss than Marco ever was. He's got a mind for the business and a heart for the family, and I'm grateful to have him.

The family is also coming around to the idea of Emilia being the true second-in-command. She's stepped out of the shadows she'd been hiding in for years, and it's been a thing of beauty to see. They were resistant at first, but now they listen to her. In fact, I've caught some of the men trying to get her advice. My Emmy is quite a sight to behold when she's taking control. She might be sweet and shy sometimes, but she's got a backbone of steel.

I lean down to kiss her, and she returns it eagerly. Our relationship has only grown stronger, our love deeper. "Go get your things, tesoro ."

She hums in agreement, handing me the sleepy bundle of Olivia as she gathers her purse and phone. I look down at the round, angelic face, and warmth rises in my previously frozen heart. "I'm a lucky bastard, you know that, Olivia?"

My daughter gives a small snore and nothing more. It's the perfect answer.