EPILOGUE
The morning light in Italy had a different kind of warmth.It wasn't harsh or proud like the sun back home,it was soft,golden,almost shy,the kind of light that whispered against your skin instead of burning it.
I woke up to it spilling across the sheets,tracing its way up my arm until it kissed my face.The silk curtains danced lightly in the sea breeze,carrying the scent of roses from the balcony.
For a second,I didn't know where I was.
Then I turned and saw Massilo.
Still asleep beside me,one arm lazily stretched across the bed,his hair was a soft mess,his breathing slow and deep.The same man who once spoke with only power in his tone now slept like a boy who had finally found peace.
It felt unreal.That I was the one lying next to him.That the same man who had once built walls of marble around his heart had let me in so completely.
Carefully,I reached out and brushed my fingertips over his cheek.He stirred a little with his eyes fluttering open and when they met mine,he smiled,sleepy and soft.
"Morning,amore mio" He whispered,his voice still husky from sleep.
"Morning,workaholic" I teased gently,smiling back.
He chuckled,leaning closer until his forehead rested against mine. "No work today" He murmured. "Not even a single email"
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow,pretending to doubt him.
He nodded,eyes gleaming. "I gave everything to Damel Investment…but you—" He paused,his fingers tracing a lock of my hair, "—you're the only investment that never fails me"
I laughed softly,my cheeks warming. "That's the worst romantic line I've ever heard"
He grinned. "And yet it worked"
I swatted him playfully,but he caught my hand midair,holding it against his chest where I could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
"Do you feel that?" He whispered. "It's yours from now on,Briann.I admit it"
For a moment,neither of us spoke.The silence between us was tender and full of everything words couldn't carry.
I looked out toward the balcony,where the waves crashed softly below,glittering like diamonds under the morning sun. "You know" I said quietly, "sometimes I still think about how everything started…me walking into your mansion as a cook, terrified, clueless....thinking you were just another boss who wouldn't notice I existed"
He smiled faintly. "And look where we are now"
"Yeah" I breathed. "Italy"
He rolled over,pulling me into his arms until I was pressed against his chest. "Not Italy" He corrected softly. "Home"
That word lingered in my mind. Home.
It wasn't the mansion,or the luxury,or the view of the sea.It was this—his warmth, his voice,his heartbeat against my ear.
All the chaos,the heartbreak,the distance,Michelle's anger,Miss Zady's betrayal,my own doubts—all of it had led us here.
And for the first time in years,I didn't feel like a maid,or a stranger,or a survivor.
I felt loved.
Truly,deeply,irrevocably loved.
Massilo pressed a kiss to my forehead,then my nose,then my lips,soft,unhurried. "Let's stay like this a little longer" He whispered against my skin. "No board meetings,no calls.Just us"
I smiled,resting my head on his chest. "Just us" I echoed.
Outside,the ocean kept its rhythm,as if it too knew how much we'd fought to get here.And as the morning faded into day,I closed my eyes,knowing that this time,when I woke again,love would still be waiting beside me.
Forever.
In the end,love didn't arrive wrapped in perfection,it came broken,trembling and scarred,just like us.But somehow, through every storm,every heartbreak and every sleepless night,we found something worth keeping. Because love was never about being chosen by fate,it was about choosing each other even when the world turned away.And though life had taken so much from me,it still bestowed one thing I'd never lose again.
Him.
I turned to look at Massilo as the sunset melted through the window,painting his smile in gold.He reached out,brushing a stray curl from my face,his touch was warm and steady,the kind that made me believe in peace after pain.For the first time in forever,I didn't feel haunted by what I'd lost.I only felt blessed by what had stayed.
And as his fingers intertwined with mine,I whispered softly against his palm,the words that would stay with me long after every tomorrow —
"Even if tomorrow never comes,I've already lived my forever"