Page 91 of His to Destroy

Living.

Loving.

And this time, I know — there’s no storm that can tear us apart.

Not anymore.

We are unbreakable.

Chapter 19 – Gaspare

The ocean stretches out before us, a massive sheet of glittering silver under the late afternoon sun.

Waves kiss the sand with rhythmic gentleness, the salty breeze lifting the hair off my forehead.

The beach is ours—secluded, private, untouched by the chaos of the world we left behind.

Just a small slice of heaven tucked along the Italian coast.

We were long overdue for a vacation. And Almeria thought it right to show him where his mother came from.

Luca runs ahead of me, barefoot and laughing, his small feet kicking up sand as he waves a plastic shovel in the air like a sword.

Almeria follows at a slower pace, wearing a sundress that flutters around her legs like something out of a dream, her smile soft and full of quiet wonder.

I watch them, my chest tightening almost painfully.

This...

This is what I fought for.

Not power.

Not titles.

Not blood.

Them.

"Come on, Gaspare!" Luca calls over his shoulder, grinning wide, a missing front tooth only making him look more mischievous. "You’re too slow!"

I chuckle, tossing the beach bag down near a set of loungers before jogging after him.

"I’ll show you slow!" I call back, scooping him up under his arms and spinning him in a wide circle.

He shrieks with delighted laughter, his head tipping back, face turned up to the sun.

The sound is pure.

Unbroken.

I hug him closer to my chest for a moment longer than necessary before setting him down gently on the sand.

"Alright, champ," I say, crouching beside him. "You ready for the next big lesson?"

He nods fiercely, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Swimming," I say with mock seriousness. "Lesson one: Don't drown."

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