Darkest Deception (Deception Series)

Epilogue

“She looks just like you,” I comment.

Aurora smiles at Lavinia, who yawns with her eyes closed.

“She’s got our nose, don’t you think?” she asks, and I nod.

“She does. Oh my God. She does!” Aurora laughs.

She gave birth just three weeks ago. I didn’t want to bombard her with me being there, but I did visit after her delivery, gifting her flowers, and today I brought many little hampers with baby clothes, cute bottles, little bows, and dresses for her.

“I got her really cute little dresses. I will be her favourite aunt, I know it already.”

Aurora lifts a brow, then looks over at Kamari, who rolls her eyes.

“I already took the title, thank you,” Kamari counters playfully.

I shrug.

“She can tell who her favourite aunt is, can’t you?” I softly rub a finger on Lavinia’s cheek.

She twist, a small frown on her face that kind of, sort of looks like a smile.

“See? She smiled at me!”

Kamari rushes over from where she was standing behind me.

“Come on, Lavinia. I got you different flavoured foods. Don’t you think you should say it’s me?”

The poor girl doesn’t even know what’s happening with Kamari and me arguing over who her favourite aunt is.

I really like Kamari. She was there for Aurora when I wasn’t, and I don’t take that lightly. I will forever cherish her for supporting for my little sister. She has given a lot to Aurora and vice versa. Their friendship is truly heartwarming.

“I have to go now, but if you need anything, let me know, okay?” I get up and kiss Aurora on the cheek, then Lavinia, departing after a hug from Kamari.

I head downstairs and see Remo making his way towards the staircase with Venezia behind him, holding some files in her hand.

“Venezia,” I say with a smile.

She looks up at me and smiles, too.

“Hi, leaving already?”

I hug her and nod.

“Yes, I have some work to get done before tomorrow’s board meeting. It’s getting hectic.”

Remo nods at me and walks past me.

“Don’t mind him. He has been on edge since Aurora gave birth. He cares a lot, and seeing him as a father and husband really set some bars high for me.” Her eyes soften, making me smirk.

“Why? Have someone in mind?”

She bursts out laughing. “I have no time right now. I just turned twenty and want so many things from life. I am so grateful for my brother to have given me this new life, away from what I had in Edinburgh, and I love it. He isn’t overbearing, giving me my personal space and wanting the best for me. Aurora, she’s been my rock in this, there for me when I felt down. Those two have been my angels.”

Tears pool in her eyes, and she fiddles with the papers in her hand.

“Focus on yourself. You are doing amazing Venezia. The right man will find you in the most unexpected place.”

She nods, wiping away the tears and giving me a tight hug. “Won’t keep you now. Go ahead. I want to meet Lavinia, too.”

I nod and walk out, finding Helia talking to one of the guards to my left. When he spots me, he walks over, winking at me. I blush like a teenager in love, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“What do you say? Want one for yourself?” He grins.

I huff, shaking my head. I lift my left hand in front of him and wiggle my fingers in front of his face. “With no rings? I don’t think so.”

He frowns for just a moment. “Right.” He chuckles, opening the passenger door of his Porsche for me, then walks around and climbs behind the wheel.

Once we are on the road, Helia’s hand drops to my thigh. But that’s no surprise; he does that quite often. When his hand climbs higher, my heart rate spikes.

“What are you doing?” I breathlessly mutter.

He removes his hand instantly. When I look over, he seems to be smiling like it was some kind of joke. I shake my head. It seems the sleepless nights have been getting to me. Working for this board meeting is creating dark circles under my eyes, but it’s only a couple of days away.

They will be impressed, I am sure.

Since Helia resigned from Glamorous, he has taken over another smaller magazine business. It isn’t a direct rival of Glamorous because it’s smaller, but it works for him.

Twenty minutes into the ride, I realise we aren’t going to the Torre mansion but to his house. I settle into the seat for the hour-long drive. When we emerge through the thick trees and arrive in front of his house, my heart jumps out of my chest at what is in front of me.

I hastily climb out of the car, my mouth dropping open at the mansion in front of me.

“You made it bigger?”

Helia walks towards the front door with me following behind.

He has extended the house with another level on top.

“Is this what you have been doing?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“So you can live with me. You love it here, but one bedroom isn’t enough for both of us. You need a bigger closet, a bigger bathroom, another couple of rooms, and an elevator.”

He takes me on a tour me around the new floor of the house, pointing out the elevator to the left of me, in front of the staircase.

“But why?”

He doesn’t answer and keeps walking until we reach the rooftop with clear glass railings.

The wind is a little stronger up here, it being November doesn’t help.

“Helia, why?” I blink, then blink again.

A plane flies right over us through the cloudy sky, emitting green smoke and leaving behind a cloudy shape of a green heart. Before me, Helia kneels on one knee, white flower petals under him, decorating the ground. There are two tall lamps on either side of me, emitting a soft golden hue with a white cloth connecting them.

“Helia.” I take a step closer, and another, and another, until I am in front of him.

And this bastard is smirking.

“So you can have babies with me now.”

I burst out laughing.

“That’s not how you ask.” I slap his shoulder, making him chuckle.

“I have lost my everything to you, Ambrose. Everything I hated, everything I despise, feels a lot sweeter and a lot more bearable with you by my side. I have found myself wanting to give you everything I own, to lay myself at your feet, to hand you the knife if killing me is what you want. It’s impossible to think of a future without you. Whether you want it or not, you are stuck with me. There is no me without you, my emerald.”

Drop by drop, tears fall down my cheeks, my heart throbbing with only one word.

Helia.

Helia.

“Will you marry me?”

I nod.

Helia takes the ring out of the box, one I didn’t even notice, and slides it on my finger. An emerald diamond stone is surrounded by smaller circle-cut diamonds; there has been nothing more perfect for me.

Helia stands up, grabs my face, and gives me a kiss that seals our fate.

When he pulls away, we both are breathing heavily as rain pours down above us once more, as if in celebration of us becoming one.

I softly run my hands all over his face, over the scar across his eye, over his midnight hair, his nose, his cheeks, and his lips.

“I also kind of bought you an emerald mine.”

“A mine?”

He nods cheekily.

“An actual mine?”

“But for emeralds,” he murmurs against my lips.

“This was why you extended the house, right? So you can fill it with babies?”

He shrugs with a proud smile.

A laugh spills out of me, and Helia watches me with a grin under the rain.