Page 171 of Modern Romance June 2025 1-4

There had been an engagement announcement, but the marriage hadn’t happened yet. When he saw the date set for the wedding, he cursed yet again. Well, that would explain why she had been drinking alone that night at the club.

He had seen enough. He tossed the file on his desk, picked up the results and left his office. He knew exactly what he needed to do and how to propose it.

***

‘Wait here,’ Emilio instructed his driver as he exited his Maybach. It had been a short drive from the financial district to downtown Manhattan. Now he stood outside an older, somewhat industrial building that had seen some careful modern restoration. He went inside, taking the lift up to a loft-style work space with whitewashed walls that exposed the brickwork. Open work stations stood in careful, practical clumps, with only a few enclosed spaces dotted around the floor—and, even then, the walls were made of glass, with black metal frames. On one wall in large black letters were the words ‘Style on Point’.

Jasmine, as she had been this morning, fit in here perfectly. The woman from the club? He couldn’t see her at all.

Emilio walked through the darkened work space—here too, everyone had clearly already left for the day—towards the only office still brightly lit. Within it sat Jasmine, frowning at her screen.

It would take all his charm and power for his plan to work, because this woman was not afraid to challenge him. But Emilio was okay with that. So far nothing in his life worth having had come without a fight. He wouldn’t be swayed.

He knocked on the open door, obviously startling her. Perhaps she’d thought he wouldn’t come. He watched as the surprise faded and she quickly put up her guard.

‘Can we talk?’ he asked.

‘If you’re going to act like a civilised human, then yes.’

It took a great deal of restraint not to smile at her tone. Damn this woman! The pull she had on him was frustrating. And he couldn’t help but admire how completely immune she was to his name. When she had arrived at his officer earlier, there’d been no hint of intimidation. It took a brave soul to barge into a De Luca’s office like that. When he looked at her now, he could see all that strength.

He took the available seat at her table, arranging his thoughts before he began. ‘I apologise for my behaviour earlier,’ he said. It would be best to get her attitude towards him to soften before they talked further. ‘The news came as a shock.’

‘Yes, because I was fully prepared for it,’ Jasmine sniped.

‘That’s fair.’ Emilio placed the test result on her table. ‘But we need to get past this unpleasantness. We are going to have a child and I plan on being part of their life.’

‘I’m glad to hear it,’ she said. ‘And I agree, maybe we should start over—honestly, this time.’

There it was again, a cryptic hint about trust and honesty that unsettled Emilio. He had broken trust before. Destroyed it absolutely, in fact. But he wasn’t going to think about Enzo and Gia when he was here to do the right thing for his child and his family.

‘I’d like that.’ He extended his hand. ‘I’m Emilio De Luca.’

‘Jasmine Hall,’ she said, shaking it. It was as if her touch burned. Scalded him to his marrow. He wanted to let go and keep holding on at the same time. Judging from the way she looked at him, she felt it too—and quickly let go, not giving him the choice.

Emilio shut down the disappointment; he still had to achieve what he came here to do.

‘About the baby…’ he said. ‘You’re carrying a De Luca heir.’

‘What does that mean?’ He could hear the apprehension in her tone.

‘It means they will have the De Luca name,’ Emilio said plainly. Jasmine was an impressive woman, a self-made entrepreneur, but her heritage didn’t bring with it any power. His did. His child would inherit centuries’ worth of history and prestige. His name would open doors that Jasmine couldn’t imagine in her wildest dreams. Most importantly, this child washis. They would be denied nothing.

Including the vineyards.

The realisation hit him like a physical blow. The vineyards meant twice as much now: not only had his mother loved them, but one day his child would inherit them. Emilio was willing to fight for both those causes. For everything his child deserved.

‘I have no reason to trust you,’ Jasmine said. ‘If you stick around, we can hyphenate.’

‘Not happening.’ He wasn’t about to relinquish the De Luca name to Enzo by hyphenating.Hischild would be the next De Luca heir. ‘Theywillhave my name; it’s not negotiable. But that’s not all—you will have my name too. We will be getting married.’

‘What?’Jasmine was on her feet in an instant.

‘You heard me.’

‘No, no, I’m certain I heard wrong.’ Emilio could see her using that tone in a boardroom. He was certain anyone else would have been back-tracking right about now, but he wasn’t just anyone.

‘I said, we will be getting married.’ He could tell his calm tone was further inciting her anger.

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