Page 91 of Auctioned To Her Dad's Mafia Enemies

40

ANTONIO

THE MOON’S BLESSING

The night settles over the city like a velvetshroud, wrapping the penthouse in quiet warmth. From the kitchen, I watchAemelia move beside me, sleeves pushed up, flour dusting her fingertips as shefollows my every instruction. Her hands are steady, her focus unwavering.Tonight, she isn't a girl haunted by the blood on her hands. Tonight, she isjust Aemelia, learning to make my mother’s pasta recipe as if she’s alwaysbelonged in this kitchen, in this life, with us

Alexis leans against the counter, swirling aglass of whiskey, grinning as he critiques our work. “You're letting her kneadit too much. The dough’s going to be tough.”

“Shut up, Alexis,” I murmur, adjustingAemelia’s grip on the dough. She glances up at me, amusement flickering in herdark eyes, and I smirk. “You’re doing perfect,bella.”

She smiles, and it’s a real one. Not theforced, careful smiles she used to give us, but something deeper, somethingthat touches the part of me that has only been awake since she came into ourlives. Luca sits at the head of the table, his sharp gaze taking everything in.He doesn’t interfere. He doesn’t need to. He’s content, watching Aemelia foldinto our world.

Music hums from the speakers, something lowand warm, picked by Alexis, who, despite his antics, has a way of setting amood. The scent of garlic and simmering tomatoes fills the air, wrapping aroundus like an embrace. For the first time in what feels like forever, there is nothreat of violence, no desire for revenge, nothing clouding our thoughts—onlythe sound of laughter, the clinking of dishes, the quiet symphony of a homebeing built around a woman who was never meant to stay, but now, we hope will neverleave.

She said she wants to be with us. I offeredher our name, and she said yes. But it was done in front of her family, whenLuca and Alexis were absent. Our beautiful kitten deserves prettier words and aring she can be proud of. She deserves all the good we can extract from theworld to lay at her feet.

When dinner is ready, we take it out onto thebalcony. The night stretches above us, a sliver of moon hanging in the sky likea knowing smile. The city sprawls beneath us, lights blinking like fallenstars, and for a moment, it feels like we’re the only ones in the world.

Aemelia sits between me and Alexis, with Lucaacross from her, wine glass balanced in one hand and the other, her leftresting on the table. I stare at her naked finger, the final part we need toclaim, anticipation building. We eat, we talk, we breathe. It’s easy,effortless, and the ache in my chest that I’ve carried for so long eases withevery glance she steals, every time her knee brushes mine beneath the table.

Then Luca’s patience seems to falter. Hischair scrapes against the tile as he reaches into his pocket, pulling out asmall velvet box. He turns it over between his fingers thoughtfully beforesliding it across the table to her.

Aemelia stares at it, fingers tremblingslightly as she reaches for it. The box clicks open, revealing three interwovenrings, each set with a single diamond that nestles together to form one whole.

Her breath catches. “Luca…”

He leans forward, forearms braced against thetable, his gaze steady, unshakable. “Amoremio… I never thought I’d find someone like you.Never thought I deserved it. But you… you’re the piece of my heart I neverhoped to have. The love I never thought was meant for me.” His voice is low,reverent. “I have so much respect for you, Aemelia. For your strength, for yourfire. For the way you’ve taken a life that tried to break you and turned itinto something beautiful.”

Her eyes glisten under the moonlight, but Lucaisn’t finished.

“I want you to wear these rings,caramia, becauseyou don’t just belong to me. You belong to all of us. And if you’ll have us,we’ll spend our lives proving that you are, and always will be, ours.”

Aemelia parts her lips, breath unsteady, butbefore she can speak, I take her hand, bringing it to my lips, letting thesoftness of her skin settle something in me.

“He’s right,” I murmur. “From the moment youwalked back into our lives, I knew you were special. I knew you were meant tobe ours. I don’t care what the world thinks or what’s expected. I don’t care ifeveryone thinks we’re crazy for wanting one woman. I only care that you stay.That you let us love you the way you deserve. You’ll never want for anythingagain, Aemelia. Not safety. Not love. Not the sun on your face or peace in yourheart. I’ll give you everything—even if I have to burn the world down to doit.”

Alexis, always one to break the tension, grinsas he tucks a stray curl behind her ear, turning her gently. “I mean, how couldyou say no, princess? Three men to worship you at your feet. Three men toprovide everything your heart desires. Offers like that don’t come around twicein a lifetime.”

She laughs, sounding a little choked, shakingher head, and when she turns back to Luca, her voice is barely a whisper. “You’rereally asking me to marry all of you?”

Luca nods, and for the first time, I seeuncertainty flicker in his expression like he’s bracing for something he can’tcontrol. “Si, amore.I am. Of course,only one of us will be able to marry you in front of God and our families, butthe others will be your husbands in all the ways that count.”

Aemelia inhales sharply, staring at the rings,at us, at this life she never imagined for herself. Then she exhales, slow andsteady, her shoulders relaxing. “Yes.”

The word is barely out of her mouth beforeAlexis whoops, scooping her into his arms, tugging her to her feet, andembracing her so tightly she becomes breathless with laughter. I’m next,wrapping my arms around her from behind, my lips pressed to her neck, breathingher in. And then Luca, strong and sure, his hand at the back of her head as hekisses her, slow and deep, claiming her in a way that seals this momentforever.

She’s surrounded, touched by all of us, kissedbetween heated whispers and murmured promises.

The city fades. The world narrows. And under the sliver of a moon thatwatches like a silent witness, Aemelia Venturi commits to finally beingirrevocably ours.

41

AEMELIA

A MOTHER’S JUDGMENT

I’m nervous as we approach the Venturi estate.Itloomsahead, an elegant testament to power andlegacy, a place filled with happy, carefree childhood memories, now a placewhere I’ll have to prove myself. As the car pulls through the wrought-irongates, memories crash over me like waves against a cliff: a child'sperspective, running through these gardens and halls with Rosita, our laughterechoing through the grand corridors and getting lost amongst the tall trees. Ithad been a lifetime ago before my world was turned upside down.

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