Chapter 10 - The Master of the Romano Empire
Six months after the fateful night a maid shattered a decanter of bourbon in Lorenzo Romano’s study, the estate on the Atlantic cliff was completely restored.
The snow had melted, replaced by the brilliant green of early spring. The shattered glass in the master suite had been replaced, the traitors purged, and the Romano syndicate stood stronger, richer, and more united than ever before under Lorenzo’s absolute rule.
On a sunny Saturday morning, the estate hosted a grand celebration—not a business meeting or a syndicate gathering, but a genuine anniversary party.
The grand courtyard was decorated with fresh white roses and crystal chandeliers hanging from the stone arches. The remaining capos, along with Harper's brother Liam—who was now sober, employed in a legitimate logistics firm in upstate New York, and completely free of debt—gathered around the grand banquet tables.
Harper stood on the terrace overlooking the ocean, wearing an exquisite white silk gown that draped gracefully around her figure.
Lorenzo stepped out onto the terrace behind her, wrapping his broad arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. He rested his chin on her shoulder, breathing in the scent of jasmine in her hair.
"What are you thinking about, Mrs. Romano?" he murmured softly against her ear.
Harper rested her hands over his on her stomach, smiling as she looked out at the ocean waves.
"I was thinking about the rulebook Mrs. Gable gave me on my first day," Harper giggled softly. "Rule number one: never make eye contact with Mr. Romano. Rule number two: become invisible when he enters a room."
Lorenzo chuckled softly—a low, warm sound that no longer carried any trace of the cold ice that had once defined him.
"You failed every single rule," Lorenzo whispered, turning her around in his arms to look down into her shining brown eyes.
"And rule number three," Harper continued, her eyes sparkling with love. "Never call the mafia boss your husband."
Lorenzo smiled—a radiant, genuine smile that transformed his dark, handsome face—and leaned down, pressing a deep, passionate kiss against her lips.
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"That was the only rule I'm glad you broke," Lorenzo murmured against her mouth.
Hand in hand, the ruthless mafia boss and the maid who had stolen his heart walked back into the sunlit mansion together—no longer bound by a contract of fear, but united forever as the true king and queen of the Romano empire.
