Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Leila’s POV
SIX MONTHS LATER
“Move that centerpiece just a little to the left,” I instructed my assistant, Julia, who was adjusting a vase of white orchids on the dining table. “No, not too much.”
She nudged the vase closer to the rows of neatly arranged plates and turned back to me for feedback.
“Perfect. Thank you.” I ticked an item off my iPad. “When last did you speak with the caterers?”
“Just a few minutes ago,” Julia said. “They’re caught in a little traffic, but they should be here in twenty.”
“Good. And the names on the table?” I asked, scanning the cream and gold place cards.
“All accounted for. There’s Valerie, Mrs. Tilda Bloom, Charles, Isabella Vaughn, Luca, Declan, and his wife, as well as Ethan.”
Ethan was my neighbor who had moved in across the street about four months ago with his wife.
They were the sweetest couple, always dropping off cookies or offering to water my plants when I was away.
Declan was my colleague and current business partner, the one I’d just signed a million-dollar deal with as independent contractors with Bain it was a reclamation.
Every coat of paint, every board replaced, felt like laying down roots in the future instead of hiding from the past. I wanted the walls to hold laughter, the air to carry warmth, the rooms to echo with the life Ollie and I were building—with Luca at our side.
He’d been of great help over the months—steadily present for both Ollie and me.
On nights when my work or the project demanded I stay up late, he was the one who made sure Ollie was fed, tucked in, and kissed goodnight.
When exhaustion caught up with me, he was simply there, a quiet anchor, stepping in where I fell short without ever making me feel like I was failing.
It wasn’t grand gestures that made the difference, but the constancy of him—his patience, his steadiness—showing me day after day that I didn’t have to carry everything alone anymore.
And today, after six months of pouring myself into it, we were finally here. The unveiling. My home’s rebirth. The housewarming party that would mark not just a new chapter for me, but the start of something permanent.
“Thank you, Julia,” I said, letting out a small breath of relief. Since hiring her four months ago, she’d been a real lifesaver. I had far fewer things to worry about because she always had them handled. “Please go check on the decorators outside—make sure they’re not mowing down my entire lawn.”
She chuckled. “Got it.”
As she left, Valerie swept into the room with Ollie trailing after her, the two of them mid-argument about dinosaurs versus giraffes, or something along those lines. I was too amused to concentrate.
She groaned dramatically as she stopped in front of me. “Oliver Carter, Esquire. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
I laughed, catching her implication about Ollie’s endless debates with her over animals and how he’d do really well as a lawyer.
“Mommy, can I put my name next to Daddy’s at the table?” Ollie asked.
“Sure, baby,” I said, watching him scurry away. His little fingers brushed over name cards until he landed on Luca’s. A wide grin spread across his face, and he began folding napkins carefully on the plate.
“So…” Valerie drawled, and I knew immediately where this was heading. “I see you put out a plate for Charles. Did he confirm he’s coming?” She glanced at her manicured nails, feigning nonchalance.
I grinned. Valerie and Charles had become something of an item over the last six months—not official, not yet, but enough that everyone could see the sparks.
“He confirmed. Which means you can go ahead and wear that dress you bought yesterday.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I didn’t buy it to impress him! I bought it because it’s pretty and makes me look hot.”
I laughed. “Whatever you say, Val.”
Three hours later, the house buzzed with chatter and soft music as guests arrived.
I stood near the center, smiling as I took it all in.
The place was warm, alive, filled with laughter.
My father would be proud—I knew it. He’d written that letter urging me to find joy again, and for a long time, I hadn’t thought it possible.
But here it was. Here I was. I had the people I loved around me, and I had never felt happier.
I only wished he could see it. A pang of longing tightened in my chest, turning my smile bittersweet.
“Got it!” Ollie’s triumphant voice rang out from the game he was playing with Ethan and Greta’s six-year-old nephew. The two boys high-fived, celebrating as they handed Ethan and Greta a thorough defeat.
I chuckled into my wine as my gaze drifted to a far more entertaining sight—Valerie and Charles.
She had, of course, slipped into the dress she swore wasn’t for him, and now she lingered at the dining table, casually picking up a plate.
From the sofa behind her, Charles watched with dark, heated eyes, jaw clenched as though he were furious at her for daring to look that good. A pillow sat strategically in his lap.
Valerie glanced over her shoulder, caught him staring, and smirked before sashaying away.
Charles noticed me staring at them, and he gave me a small, strained nod. I returned it with a deliberately oblivious smile.
The doorbell rang. I went to answer it and found Isabella on the step, balancing a foil bowl of her signature chicken wings.
“Oh, I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said, offering the dish. “It was visiting day at the correctional facility.”
I nodded, knowing what—or rather, who—she was talking about. Victor.
He’d been sentenced to twenty years in prison just last month.
Under pack law, his crimes—attempting to kill the Alpha and kidnapping the Alpha’s son—were seen as capital offenses.
Both were considered direct threats to the stability of the pack’s future.
And because he was blood, it wasn’t just treason. It was blood treason.
The law would have demanded his death. But Luca couldn’t kill his own brother. So, instead, he decided to hand him over to the human courts, where he’d been tried and sentenced.
“I shouldn’t have brought him up,” Isabella said quickly, her eyes flicking apologetically. “I know it’s a sore subject.”
I shook my head with a smile. “It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re here. You were such a big part of this renovation. It wouldn’t feel right without you.”
Her smile softened. She touched my shoulder. “Congratulations, Leila. You deserve this moment. I know how hard you’ve worked.”
“Thank you, Isabella.”
“Is Luca here yet?” she asked, peering inside.
“No, not yet. He texted me earlier and said his meeting at the office was running long,” I replied. “Come on in.”
As she stepped inside, Ollie’s squeal cut through the hum of conversation. “Grandma!” He bolted straight into Isabella’s arms.
I laughed, carrying the chicken wings toward the dining table, my heart full in ways I hadn’t thought possible.
Luca arrived just in time for dinner. When the doorbell rang a few minutes before, I’d practically jumped to my feet, already knowing it was him. Warmth spread through me when I opened the door and found him standing there with flowers.
“Sorry, I’m late,” he said, pressing a kiss to my cheek as he handed them over.
“It’s all right. We were just about to eat,” I said. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
After dinner and a toast, the guests trickled out one by one. Ollie headed upstairs to prepare for bed, but Luca remained.
He had just finished seeing off his mother when I felt a hand snake around me from behind in the kitchen, his thighs pressing against my back.
My eyes fluttered shut as I melted into the warmth of his arms.
“I’ve been wanting to hold you like this all night,” he whispered, his lips brushing along the curve of my neck.
He breathed me in, his voice low against my skin. “You should see yourself in this house, Leila. It’s beautiful. You made it beautiful.”
A chuckle slipped from me. We’d already christened every room, which meant he’d seen everything at least twice, and each time he marveled at what a wonderful job I was doing. “Thank you, Luca.”
In the small space between us, he managed to turn me so I was facing him. His eyes searched mine with a look that was both tender and weighted.
“My father came by the office today,” Luca said. “He announced he’s stepping down completely from the Alpha position while I assume the full role as Alpha of the Manhattan Pack.”