Epilogue
Matteo
L ife in Ellory’s house has settled into a rhythm I never knew I craved.
Mornings with Amelia padding into our bedroom clutching her favorite doll, nights with Ellory curled into my side while we plan and dream.
It’s been a whirlwind these past few months, working side by side with her, raising Amelia together, juggling the madness of the Marino clan, but I wouldn’t trade a second of it.
And today, everything changes again. The launch of Fire and Ice Diamonds.
The venue hums with energy, reporters spilling across the floor, lights and cameras set up in every direction.
Banners with the Olivier logo gleam under spotlights.
I stand just offstage, Amelia perched on my hip, her eyes wide as she takes in the spectacle.
She waves her doll like she’s blessing the whole event.
Ellory is front and center, poised and radiant, fielding questions from news outlets that seem to multiply by the minute. She’s calm, confident, exactly where she’s meant to be. And, I think her father knows it too.
The first photos of the Fire and Ice designs hit the press last week, and the reaction is already explosive.
Social media is flooded with reposts and comments, influencers dissecting every angle of the shots.
Preorders are pouring in faster than the system can track, some customers securing pieces before they’ve even seen the full collection.
The buzz is undeniable. Fire and Ice isn’t just a launch. It’s already a phenomenon.
Earlier this week, Olivier told me quietly—without ceremony—that he’s retiring. “It’s her time,” he’d said. “My daughter is more than capable of steering this ship. Better than I ever was.” I’ve never respected him more than in that moment.
Onstage, Dante joins Ellory, the perfect counterbalance with his flair and charm.
Flanked by twenty-foot- tall photos of Ellory in her dress and the jewelry designs.
Together, in the Four Season’s grand ballroom, they reveal the line to the press—stones that shimmer like captured fire, set against icy brilliance.
The crowd gasps, the flash of cameras going off like fireworks.
Then the roar begins. Applause. Cheers. Voices overlapping in excitement.
Ellory meets my eyes across the room. Even with a hundred people clamoring for her attention, her gaze finds mine. And for a second, it’s just us—her smile, her steady confidence, her heart that somehow made room for me and Amelia both.
I kiss the top of Amelia’s head, whispering against her soft hair, “Look at Ellory, sweetheart. She’s changing the world.”
The cameras keep flashing, reporters keep shouting, the crowd keeps buzzing. And all I can think is how damn lucky I am.
When we started this journey, I was an empty shell who found out a twenty-minute encounter created my daughter. I wasn’t sure I could raise her alone, with brothers who never stop driving me insane. But tonight, watching Ellory own the stage, I know exactly what I have.
A family. A future. And the love of a woman who turned both into something extraordinary.
The launch of Fire and Ice Diamonds is nothing short of electric.
The press floods the room—cameras flashing, reporters shouting questions, every lens fixed on Ellory and the collection we’ve poured ourselves into.
I can feel the energy rolling off the crowd, a hum that only grows louder with each new piece unveiled.
Within hours, headlines are everywhere, social feeds exploding, the first run is completely sold out. The reaction isn’t just good. It’s explosive. Olivier isn’t just launching a line today. They’re making history, and I’m standing here watching the woman I love at the center of it all.
By the time we get home, Amelia is out cold in her car seat, clutching her doll like it’s the crown jewel of the night. I carry her upstairs and lay her gently in the crib Ellory created for her, brushing a kiss across her forehead. She stirs, sighs, and snuggles deeper into the blanket.
Downstairs, the house is quiet, almost impossibly so after the chaos of the launch. I sink onto the couch, loosening my tie, letting the silence settle. Tonight was huge. Monumental. And she was flawless. My chest swells just thinking about her on that stage.
When Ellory comes out of the bathroom, she’s already changed into one of my shirts, bare legs peeking out from the hem. She looks soft, undone, but there’s something in her eyes I don’t recognize. Nervous.
She hesitates by the arm of the couch. “Matteo?”
“Yeah?” I reach for her hand, tugging her gently into my lap. She doesn’t relax the way she usually does. My stomach tightens. “What is it?”
Her fingers twist in the fabric of my shirt. “I just…I need to ask you something. Are you ready to give Amelia a little brother or sister?”
I blink, thrown. My brain scrambles. “What? You mean…someday?”
Her lips curve, nervous but certain. “No. I mean…soon.” She lifts her eyes to mine, shining with something fierce and vulnerable all at once. “In all the commotion of the last few months, I missed my shot. Matteo…” Her breath catches. “I’m pregnant.”
For a second, everything stops. The house, the night, even my own heartbeat.
“Pregnant?” I repeat, half stunned, half terrified that I misheard.
She nods quickly, her grip on my shirt tightening. “I didn’t want to spring it on you tonight, but I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I’m nervous. I know this is a lot, especially with Amelia, and—”
I cut her off with a kiss, fierce and sure, my hands framing her face. She gasps, and when I pull back, I rest my forehead against hers.
“A lot?” My voice is rough, choked with everything I feel. “Ellory, this is everything I never thought I’d get. You. Amelia. And now this?”
Her eyes fill, her smile trembling. “So you’re okay with it?”
“Okay with it?” I laugh, the sound breaking. “I’m the happiest man alive. You’ve given me more than I ever dreamed I deserved.”
She exhales a shaky breath and melts into my arms, her body soft against mine. I hold her close, kissing her temple, already imagining Amelia’s giggles when she learns she’ll be a big sister.
The launch was the start of something new for the world. But here, in the quiet of this house, this—us—is the start of everything I’ll ever need.
Ellory curls against me, still trembling from her confession. I kiss her hair, holding her tight, but something inside me won’t sit still. The moment is here—clear, undeniable.
Carefully, I ease her off my lap and stand. She blinks up at me, confused. “Is everything okay?”
“Don’t move,” I murmur, my chest tight with nerves and certainty all at once. I cross the room, into the bedroom, and pull open the sock drawer I’ve been avoiding for weeks. From the back, I take out a small velvet pouch that’s burned a hole in my pocket every day I didn’t use it.
When I turn back, she’s on her feet, eyes wide, her hands clutching the hem of my shirt.
I walk toward her, my throat thick. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment,” I say, voice low.
“I didn’t want to overshadow your day, about everything you’ve built.
But…” I draw a breath, pulling the pouch open and sliding the ring into my palm.
“Amelia and I were wondering if you’d like to make it official.
If you’d like to be part of our family. Forever.
” I hold out a simple three stone ring that symbolizes yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Her hand flies to her mouth, her eyes filling instantly. “Matteo…”
I take her hand, slipping the ring onto her finger. It glitters in the low light, but nothing compares to the way her face glows when she looks up at me.
“Yes,” she whispers, her voice breaking. “Yes, of course.”
I pull her into my arms, holding her as tight as I dare. She’s shaking. I’m shaking, but in the middle of it we’re laughing, kissing, whispering through tears.
Amelia stirs upstairs, letting out a soft babble through the monitor. Ellory glances toward it, then back at me, her smile trembling but certain. “She’s going to be so happy.”
I kiss her again, slow and deep, my hand resting over the new life growing inside her.
In one night, I got everything I never thought I’d have—my daughter, my woman, my family. My forever.
“Thank you so much for reading Allure . I loved sharing Ellory and Matteo’s journey with you—wasn’t Amelia a scene-stealer? Now it’s time to look ahead. Below is a special teaser from the next book in the series, Glimmer . Take a peek!”
Alyssa
S team hisses from the wand like I’m conjuring weather.
If I angle the pitcher just right, the milk sings—a high, steady note that cuts through the city’s roar and steadies me.
My morning lives and dies by that sound.
It’s the one thing I control from first light, a thread of music I can tune until the day slips into key.
The cart is a stainless-steel shoebox with a temper.
The awning snaps whenever a bus exhales nearby, rattling the cups I lined up like a parade.
The chalkboard, tilted just enough to look careless, advertises my lies in looping chalk.
World peace with every cappuccino and Free therapy with drip.
People laugh. They always laugh at what they’ll never get.
Coffee scents cling to me no matter how much I shower.
The dusky sweetness of fresh grounds, the caramel bite of scorched sugar, the butter-ghost of yesterday’s croissants.
Beneath that, the city adds its own perfume.
Exhaust, asphalt, the metallic dust of a construction site that refuses to finish.
I breathe through it until espresso is the only scent left, the only one that feels like it belongs to me.