Epilogue
T he snow is relentless, casting a dense white blanket over Bellini Lodge as I step to the window, watching it pile higher and thicker with each passing hour. Christmas Day should feel like a break from the battles and shadows, but this storm—something about it brings a knot to my chest. The storm itself, I know, will pass. But I can’t shake the sen se that it’s a warning, the calm that builds before the strike.
Behind me, laughter rings out as Bella, never one to sit still, dances around the room. She’s still bouncing between calling Vera “Pretty V” and “Vera,” with the occasional slip of “Mama” finding its way through. It’s a small but steady reminder of just how far we’ve come to rebuild this family, despite everything it took to get here.
“Pritty V! Come see!” Bella exclaims, practically pulling Vera off the couch to show her the Christmas village Uncle Marzio helped her set up yesterday. A simple task for most, but I saw how proud it made Bella. And it’s brought something new to Mateo, too. There’s still a guarded nature to him, but he’s coming alive in a way I’d only hoped for until now.
Vera kneels down beside Bella, her hand resting protectively on Mateo’s shoulder as he watches his sister with a mix of awe and quiet curiosity. Even in her careful tenderness, she has this way of moving that says she’s both guard and guide to them now, a role I know she’d feared she’d never hold again. My chest tightens, a feeling of fierce pride welling up inside me. I’ve seen her strength through some of our darkest hours but seeing her like this—her gentle steadiness with Bella and patience with Mateo—is something new entirely.
“They’re perfect, aren’t they?” Vera whispers as I join her by the window, her hand finding mine. I nod, holding her gaze. It’s a quiet moment, and I want to say more, to tell her how grateful I am, but before I can, my phone buzzes.
It’s a text from Adrian, his third check-in since sunrise. I’m relieved to hear from him, though my unease grows with each message. He’s updating me constantly, as planned, but knowing he’s out there, somewhere in the storm, on the front lines of our family’s strike against the Vitales, gnaws at me. I shake my head slightly, brushing it off when Vera glances over in question, and slip the phone back in my pocket. I don’t want to disrupt today with those concerns, not when my family is here in front of me.
Vera senses it, though. She gives me a searching look. “Adrian?”
“He’s checking in,” I reply. “But this storm…it’s hitting everything in its path, including him.”
“I know you trust him,” she says softly, her fingers lacing through mine, grounding me back in the present.
“I do,” I admit, “but I don’t like that he’s out there in this. With the Vitales. In the middle of…well, whatever comes next.” My voice lowers so only she can hear. “It’s an uneasy feeling. Hard to shake.”
Just then, Bella’s voice breaks through, asking for my help with something Mateo’s building. I set the concerns for Adrian aside for now, giving Vera a reassuring squeeze. I join Bella and Mateo, kneeling down to help them piece together their new puzzle. Mateo hesitates, watching me carefully, and then, he offers me a shy smile as I hand him a piece. It’s small, but it’s trust.
“You’re getting good at this, Mateo,” I say, catching his quiet pride as he straightens up, chin lifting just a fraction. Bella chimes in, boasting about her own “masterpieces” from earlier, and they fall into a natural sibling banter that fills the room with laughter. Vera moves to sit beside me, her warmth and presence steadying me.
Moments like these make me remember why I’m here, why I’ve fought as hard as I have. Whatever is waiting for us outside these walls—whether it’s the storm or the battles we still have to fight—I know we’ll face it together.
Today, I focus on the here and now. And for the first time in a long time, I feel ready for whatever comes next.
THE END
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Silent Night with Adrian
Dive into Adrian and Mia’s love story today!
Here’s a sneak peak of Silent Night with Adrian ~ Book 3 of the Winter Haven Holiday Mafia Series :
Kidnapping my enemy’s daughter just before Christmas? Just another day in the life of a mafia prince.
But locking her up in a cabin during a snowstorm... and watching her tremble, not from the cold but from the way I make her burn? Now that’s my kind of holiday cheer.
She was supposed to be a bargaining chip, nothing more.
Too bad for her, every time she defies me, all I can think about is how hard I get.
I want to press her against the wall and feel her body melt under mine.
She fights like fire, her lips begging for things her mouth will never say.
She thinks she can resist me. That she can win her freedom.
She’s wrong.
By the time Christmas morning comes, she won’t just surrender.
She’ll be on her knees, begging for everything I want to give her.
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