She nods slowly. “I see you’ve been making other changes too. The article about Rossi Developments was... surprising.”

“Good surprising or bad surprising?”

“Just surprising. I never thought I’d see the day when Dominic Rossi voluntarily gave up control of anything.”

“Neither did I,” I say quietly. “But I’ve realized that control is an illusion. One that’s cost me dearly.”

Our eyes meet, and for a moment, neither of us speaks. Then I reach down and retrieve the slim portfolio I brought with me.

“I have something for you,” I say, sliding it across the table. “It’s not what you think.”

She eyes it warily. “What is it?”

“A business proposal. A legitimate one.”

Her eyebrows raise as she opens it, scanning the first page. “Dominic, what is this?”

“Funding for your own independent consulting company,” I explain. “With a significant contract to oversee community engagement and sustainability verification for Serenity Shores.”

She looks up sharply. “My own company?”

“Yes. You’ve proven your capabilities beyond doubt, Tatiana. The way you handled the supplier crisis, your insights on the project... you’re exceptional. This recognizes that fact.”

She flips through the documents, her expression unreadable. “And what’s the catch?”

“There is no catch,” I say firmly. “This offer stands regardless of what happens between us personally. It’s not conditional on anything. It’s yours if you want it, period.”

I hope she sees it for what it is. That I’m acknowledging her true value without trying to buy her forgiveness.

She studies me for a long moment. “Why are you doing this?”

I take a deep breath. This is it. The moment of truth.

“Because I believe in you. Because you’ve more than earned it. And because I want to prove that I see you. The real you. Not just as my temporary wife or as an asset, but as the brilliant, capable woman you are.”

I lean forward slightly, holding her gaze. “I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness, Tatiana. What I did was unforgivable. But I needed you to know that I’m trying to change. Really change. Not just in words, but in actions.”

My voice drops lower, and I fight to keep it steady. “I also needed you to know that I love you. Not because of some contract or arrangement, but because of who you are. Your strength. Your intelligence. Your resilience.”

She starts blinking rapidly, and I continue before I lose my nerve.

“I know what it means to face physical danger for you, Tatiana. Even when you weren’t there, I fought because I thought I was protecting you. But at that dinner with Nico, I failed to protect you from me, from my past. That’s the real protection you deserve. That’s the promise I’m making now. To be the man who protects all of you, always, especially from the ghosts I carry.”

I pause, watching her face carefully for any reaction. She’s stopped blinking, but otherwise, I’m not getting anything from her. She always was good at throwing up her poker face at a moment’s notice.

Like me, I suppose.

“I understand you were left at the altar before. That trust is something earned, not demanded. I know I’ve shattered any trust you might have had in me. But if you give me a chance, Tatiana, just a chance, I’ll spend every day earning back that trust.”

I sit back slightly, consciously giving her space. “I don’t expect an answer right now. I know you have another meeting soon. I just needed you to hear this face to face. To know how deeply sorry I am, and how much I love you.”

The silence between us stretches, full of everything unsaid. Her brown eyes are unreadable, her beautiful face still as she processes my words.

Whatever happens next, whatever she decides, I’ve laid my heart bare. For the first time in my life, I’ve been truly honest about my feelings without hiding behind control or manipulation. Or walls.

And as terrifying as it is, it also feels like freedom.

Yes, I’m free now.