Page 125 of The Proposal

I give Lina the biggest hug, thanking her for all her help tonight. I’ve only known her for a few days, but already adore her. She reminds me a lot of my mother, and her presence has unknowingly filled a tiny void deep inside me. Her warmth, kindness, and quiet strength bring me a sense of comfort I didn’t realise I was craving until now.

All the women pitched in earlier, helping clean up and pack away the leftover food, so there’s nothing more to do.

When we finally turn off the lights and head to bed, the exhaustion takes hold. We barely make it halfway down the hallway before Dante pauses, effortlessly sweeping me into his arms and carrying me the rest of the way.

There are moments when I still struggle to adjust to the intensity of his care, to the way he seems to anticipate my every need and tend to it without hesitation. It’s overwhelming, but in the most comforting way.

I snake my arms around his neck and lay my head on hisshoulder. “You’re going to be the best Papa,” I say over a yawn.

He doesn’t reply, but when he places his lips against my forehead, I feel them curve into a smile.

Once we reach our bed, Dante puts me back on my feet. He moves behind me and drags down the zipper of my dress, pushing it off my shoulders and guiding it down my body until it pools at my feet.

My bra is next to go, and once it’s removed, he grasps my elbow to steady me as I step out of my shoes.

He tosses the throw pillows on the floor, but I’m too tired to care. Once he drags back the covers, he says, “Lie down,Bellezza.”

I do as he asks, sighing as my eyelids flutter closed and my body snuggles down into the mattress. Dante pulls the sheets up to my chin, tucking me in before kissing my cheek softly.

I can hear him undressing, but I don’t even have the energy to open my eyes and watch the show. A minute later, I feel him climb in behind me, spooning my body and wrapping me in his arms.

I wait for him to instigate something, but he doesn’t. He places his mouth on my hair and whispers, “Get some rest.”

This is just another example of how he cares for me, by putting my needs before his own.

Chapter 29

Dante

It’s the second day of the new year, and my brother and his family returned to Sydney earlier this morning. Arabella and her sister have gone into town shopping—since Lucia arrived with only the clothes on her back—and I’m sitting here impatiently waiting for a package to arrive after getting a text from Spencer Prescott.

Spencer: Happy New Year. I’ve finished reviewing the items you sent. A courier should arrive sometime today with the contents and a detailed report of everything I found. I hope you get what you are searching for.

Me: Happy New Year to you and your family, too. Thank you. I look forward to reading your report. Did you find much?

Spencer: I found a treasure trove of information, but none of it means much to me, but I’m sure it will to you.

Romeo is with me, and his pacing back and forth isstarting to make me feel uneasy. “Will you sit the fuck down? You’re starting to leave an indent in my marble floor.”

When he pauses and glances at the floor, I chuckle at the gullible fool.

We don’t have to wait much longer before I get a call from the gatehouse saying the parcel has arrived.

Once it’s brought to the house, I grab a letter opener from the top drawer and rip the package open. Inside, I find Edoardo’s laptop, two phones, and three binders—one for each item sent. I’m impressed with Spencer Prescott’s attention to detail and professionalism.

“Let’s start with the phones,” I tell Romeo, handing him one of the folders.

The first few messages I read turn my stomach. They are what I presume were supposed to be flirty texts to his mistress but come across creepy as fuck. Honestly, it sends a shiver down my spine, but not in a good way.

I could ask what she even saw in him, but I know from reading these that the money and notoriety drew her in. It certainly wasn’t his charismatic charm.

I’ve heard him say some dodgy shit in the past, but this is next level. I flick past the following few pages because I can’t stomach any more. I’m not interested in learning about his sick depravities. It’s enough to give me nightmares.

I’m about ten pages in before I find something that has my blood boiling. It’s a text exchange with Stefano Rossi.

Edoardo: To follow up on our conversation last week, we need to discuss the shipment I seized. I’ve got the pallets stashed in a secure storage facility, but I’m concerned they will eventually become a problem. Giovanni is already looking into it, and although I was meticulous and made sure to cover my tracks by taking out the men I hired to help me pull this off, if it somehow gets back to him that I was in any way involved, I’m a dead man. I have a plan, though.

Stefano: I’m listening. What’s your plan?

---