Chapter 10 - The Empire We Built
The reception lasted long into the warm summer night.
Lanterns hung from the ancient oak trees around the estate, casting a golden glow over hundreds of guests who had gathered to celebrate the union of the Costa family. Music floated through the air, mixing with the sound of ocean waves crashing against the cliffs below.
I sat beside Masimo at the head table, watching Leo run across the manicured lawn with a group of children, his laughter ringing out like music.
Carlo sat nearby, keeping a watchful, protective eye on him, a soft smile on his usually stoic face.
Masimo reached under the white linen tablecloth, finding my hand and lacing his fingers through mine.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked softly.
I looked out over the gardens, then back at the man holding my hand.
“I was thinking about the night I walked into the Continental,” I said with a soft smile. “My shoe was split. My coat was soaked. I had forty-three dollars in my pocket, a flash drive in my bag, and I was terrified that I wouldn't live to see the next sunrise.”
“And now?” Masimo asked, leaning closer, his dark eyes fixed on mine.
I squeezed his hand tightly, feeling the solid, unshakeable weight of his presence, the ring on my finger, and the bright, endless future stretching out before us.
“Now,” I whispered, leaning up to kiss his cheek, “I’m sitting at the table where I belong.”
Masimo turned his face, meeting my lips with his own—a slow, deep, promises-kept kiss under the starlit sky of Long Island.
Around us, the empire we had built together stood strong, impenetrable, and quiet.
May you like
The hunted mother was gone.
The Queen had taken her throne.
