Page 24 of Mafia Daddy's Girl

I exhale shakily. When he said he was going to give me the world, he meant it. “Because of you.”

His gaze doesn't leave mine, but when he speaks again, it's to the gathered men. "I'm trusting all of you with my wife. Don't make me regret it."

There are shocked murmurs, but my gasp is the loudest of them all. "Your what?!"

Sandro reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small, red velvet box. He opens it, revealing a shining diamond solitaire ring. "My wife," he repeats, smiling at me. "Emilia Moretti, I love you. Will you marry me?"

I don't even hesitate. "I love you, too! Yes, oh my God. Yes, Sandro!"

I should be shocked, should be stunned, but instead, tears of joy are freely flowing down my face, joy blooming in my chest like a rose garden.

There's a murmur around the table, but Alessandro doesn't seem to care. He slips the ring onto my finger and pulls me into a deep kiss, sealing the deal. I lean into him, feeling the eyes of all the men on me, but this time, I want them to look. Hell, I want the entire world to witness this moment.

I'm marrying Alessandro DeLuca. The future is ours.

EPILOGUE

ALESSANDRO

One Year Later

My office has changed. It had to. There are touches of warmth where there once was nothing but coldness—a soft blanket thrown over the back of the leather couch, houseplants vining their way towards the sunlight on nearly every surface, and most importantly of all, a bassinet tucked into the corner next to my desk.

I'm quiet as I walk in, but even more than a year after her kidnapping, Emmy's shoulders still tense until she turns around and sees that it's me. I take my suit jacket off as I stride over to my wife, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, rocking our infant daughter, Olivia, in her arms.

“She finally asleep?” I ask as softly as I can, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her close to me.

Emmy nods, leaning her head against my shoulder, her dark hair loose and falling in waves down her back. "I fed her about an hour ago, and she hasn't been awake since."

I smile, pressing my lips to her temple. "Good. I want to take you somewhere tonight."

"Tonight?" Her voice is incredulous. "Sandro, I don't think I can."

"You can," I assure her, brushing her hair behind her ear. "You need to get out somewhere besides the office and the penthouse."

She doesn't seem convinced. "I still haven't finished interviewing the nannies and?—"

"I flew your mother in. She's here for a week."

Emmy turns in my arms to look at me. "What?"

"She wanted to see you and the baby, and I figured that would be an incentive for you to get out of the house with me tonight."

Her smile grows, her eyes lighting up, and I know I've won her over. "Fine. Where are we going?"

I lift a brow. "That's a surprise."

"And if I don't like it?"

"Then I'll take you somewhere else."

She shakes her head, laughing, but I can see her excitement. It wasn't long after my proposal that we found out she was pregnant, and a beach wedding close enough for her mother to attend came not long after. We waited until the pregnancy was further along to tell anyone, but the birth of our daughter only increased the amount of work we had to do.

I've always worked hard, but I've had to delegate more recently. Lorenzo is fully capable of taking on more duties, and I'm notafraid to admit that he's a better Underboss than Marco ever was. He's got a mind for the business and a heart for the family, and I'm grateful to have him.

The family is also coming around to the idea of Emilia being the true second-in-command. She's stepped out of the shadows she'd been hiding in for years, and it's been a thing of beauty to see. They were resistant at first, but now they listen to her. In fact, I've caught some of the men trying to get her advice. My Emmy is quite a sight to behold when she's taking control. She might be sweet and shy sometimes, but she's got a backbone of steel.

I lean down to kiss her, and she returns it eagerly. Our relationship has only grown stronger, our love deeper. "Go get your things,tesoro."

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