Chapter 8 - The Gift of Tomorrow
At 11:45 p.m., the sound of heavy tires crunching over gravel echoed through the quiet estate grounds.
Mara was pacing back and forth inside Dominic’s private study, her hands folded tightly together in prayer, Barnaby lying near the cold fireplace watching her anxiously.
When the oak doors swung open, Mara spun around.
Dominic stood in the doorway. His coat was gone, his dark hair slightly rumpled, but he was completely uninjured. There was no blood on his shirt, no sign of violence on his hands. He looked calm, peaceful, and extraordinarily handsome.
Mara let out a loud gasp, flying across the room and throwing her arms around his waist, burying her face in his broad chest.
Dominic’s arms locked around her instantly, lifting her off her feet slightly as he held her tight against his heart, burying his face in her sweet-scented dark curls.
“You’re okay,” Mara sobbed happily into his neck. “You’re okay.”
“I am fine, Mara,” Dominic murmured, his deep voice vibrating through her chest. “I promised you I would come back.”
He gently set her feet back on the floor, keeping his hands resting on her waist as he looked down into her tear-streaked, beautiful face.
Reach into his inner jacket pocket, Dominic pulled out a thick manila envelope and held it out to her.
Mara looked at the envelope, then at him. “What is this?”
“Open it,” he said softly.
Mara carefully opened the clasp and pulled out the documents inside.
As her eyes swept over the official legal seals, her breath caught in her throat. It was the original deed to the O’Leary Family Bakery, fully registered under her name, alongside a signed legal cancellation of every cent of debt her family had owed to Vance Vance.
Attached to the deed was a cashier's check made out to Mara O’Leary for fifty thousand dollars—enough money to buy new commercial ovens, hire staff, and renovate the shop.
Mara stared at the paper, her body trembling violently as tears spilled over her lashes, splashing onto the blue ink of the deed.
“He... he gave it back?” she whispered, unable to comprehend the miracle in her hands. “How... how did you do this?”
“I bought it from him,” Dominic said softly, his thumb reaching out to wipe her tears. “And I made him an offer he couldn't refuse. You own your bakery again, Mara. Your brother can come home from Ohio. Your mother can move back into her house. Your family is free.”
Mara looked up from the papers into his dark gray eyes, her chest heaving with overwhelming, unspeakable gratitude and love.
“Dominic...” she sobbed, throwing her arms around his neck again. “Thank you... thank you so much... I don't know how I can ever repay you...”
Dominic held her tight, his hand resting on the back of her head.
“You don't owe me anything, Mara,” Dominic whispered rasply into her hair. “You gave me back my life six weeks ago when you crashed into my chair. This is just me trying to match your gift.”
He pulled back slightly, looking down into her eyes with an intensity that made her pulse race.
“The bakery is yours,” Dominic continued softly. “You can leave tomorrow if you want. You can go back to your old life, rebuild your business, and never see this dark house again.”
Mara froze, looking into his eyes. “Do... do you want me to leave?”
Dominic’s jaw tightened. The dark, vulnerable pain that flickered across his sharp features shattered her heart.
“I want you to be happy,” Dominic said, his voice trembling with a rare, terrifying honesty. “I am a man with a dangerous past, Mara. I live in shadows. You deserve light. You deserve a normal, peaceful life.”
Mara smiled through her tears. She raised her hands, cupping his sharp, handsome jaw in her warm palms, forcing him to look directly into her eyes.
“Dominic Castellano,” Mara said firmly, her voice clear and absolute. “You are the most incredible, generous, protective man I have ever met. I’m going to reopen my bakery... but I am not leaving this house. And I am certainly not leaving you.”
Dominic stared at her, stunned. “Mara...”
“I love you, Dominic,” she confessed softly, stepping closer until her body was pressed flush against his. “I love your cold office, I love your silly dog, and I love the man who saved my family. If you think you’re getting rid of me that easily, you’re out of your mind.”
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A slow, breathtaking smile spread across Dominic’s face—a smile so warm and radiant that it completely transformed him, erasing nine years of dark sorrow in a single, magnificent second.
He cupped her face in his big hands and leaned down, kissing her with an overwhelming, intoxicating passion that claimed her heart forever.
