Epilogue Savannah
The morning of my wedding, I woke up alone.
Romeo spent the night at his apartment in the city, leaving me in our house with Giulia and Aria. The bed feels too big without him, and I lie there for a moment, listening to the sounds of the house waking up around me.
Giulia's voice drifts up from downstairs, talking to someone—probably something to do with the wedding. Aria is in her nursery, making the soft cooing sounds through the baby monitor that mean she's awake but content.
I get up and go to her. She's four months old now, and she's more perfect than I ever imagined a baby could be. Her eyes—Romeo's eyes, dark and intense—track my movements as I enter the room. When she sees me, her face breaks into a smile that makes my heart ache.
"Good morning, baby girl," I whisper, lifting her from the crib. She's warm and solid in my arms, and I breathe in the scent of her—baby soap and milk and powder. "Today's a big day."
She makes a sound that might be agreement, and I carry her to the window.
The garden is already being transformed—white chairs arranged in neat rows, an arch covered in roses and ivy, tables set up for the reception.
It's going to be small and intimate—just family and a few close friends. Exactly what we wanted.
"Your daddy and I are getting married today," I tell Aria, and the words feel surreal. A little over a year ago, I was engaged to Thaddeus Whitmore, trapped in a life I didn't choose and desperate for a way out. Now I'm marrying Romeo Ciresa, and I've never been more certain of anything.
The journey from there to here has been brutal and violent. But it was all worth it in the end.
I think about the girl I was when I first arrived in New York, how I let my father dictate my choices, how I accepted Thad's engagement because it was what was expected. How I believed that love meant obedience, even if it made me miserable.
I was so wrong.
Love is choice and partnership. It's two people deciding, every single day, to build something together. And Romeo and I have built something extraordinary.
"Savannah?" Giulia's voice comes from the doorway. "The hair and makeup people are here."
I turn, still holding Aria. "Already?"
"It's almost nine. The ceremony starts at two." She comes in and reaches for Aria. "Let me take her. You need to eat something and start getting ready."
I hand over my daughter reluctantly, and Giulia smiles at my expression. "She'll be fine. And you'll see her again in a few hours, all dressed up in that ridiculous outfit I bought her."
The "ridiculous outfit" is a tiny white dress with lace and ribbons, and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I smile, handing her over, and take a breath.
It’s time to get ready to marry the man I love.
The next few hours pass in a blur of activity.
My hair and makeup are done, and I slip into my wedding dress—a gorgeous ivory silk that flows like water around me, with a neckline that dips low enough to be daring but not scandalous.
My emerald engagement ring glitters on my finger, above the delicate gold bracelet on my wrist that Romeo gave me last night, a single tiny book charm hanging from it.
When I come down to the garden, looking out at the assembled guests, I feel my breath catch.
There aren't many people—maybe forty in total.
Dante Ciresa sits in the front row, looking distinguished in a dark suit.
Beside him is Romeo's mother, Isabella, who flew in from Italy for the wedding.
She's elegant and warm, and when she met me for the first time last week, she pulled me into a hug immediately.
It seemed fairly clear to me why the two of them are separated—from what Romeo has told me, she lives in Italy and gets to do as she pleases, while Dante lives here and does the same.
Luca is standing beside Romeo at the altar, serving as best man.
Marco and Tony are in the back, trying to look like guests but obviously on security detail.
A few of Romeo's business associates are scattered throughout the crowd, along with some of my classmates from the archaeology program.
Dr. Kouris is here too, sitting near the back.
When she found out I was getting married, she pulled me aside and said, "Don't let anyone tell you that you can't have both—a career and a family.
You're brilliant, Savannah. Don't forget that. "
I have no intention of it. And Romeo has no intention of getting between me and all of my dreams.
It’s one of the things I love most about him.
The music starts, and Giulia appears beside me, holding Aria. "Ready?" she asks.
I look down at my daughter, who's staring up at me with wide, curious eyes. She's wearing the white lace dress, and she looks like a tiny angel.
"Yes.” I smile at them both. "I'm ready."
We walk together—Giulia, Aria, and I—down the makeshift aisle between the white chairs. I can feel everyone watching, but I only have eyes for Romeo.
He's standing at the altar in a black suit, and when he sees me, his expression transforms into something so full of love and awe that it makes my chest hurt. I’m the only person in the world he looks at like that—and he’s the only one I ever want to look at me.
When I reach the altar, Giulia steps to the side, still holding Aria. Romeo takes my hands, and I can feel them trembling slightly. "Hi," he whispers.
"Hi," I whisper back.
The priest begins the ceremony, bribed with a large donation to the church to have the ceremony here in the garden rather than in the cathedral, where it should be.
He talks about love and partnership and commitment, and about choosing each other every day, even when it's hard. I hear it, but mostly I’m focused on Romeo, and the feeling of his hands wrapped around mine.
We repeat the vows, and I feel my heart soar when I hear him say I do. I say it back, and his smile grows even wider. When the priest pronounces us man and wife, and Romeo leans in to kiss me, I feel myself leaning toward him with anticipation.
His lips touch mine, and it’s the most tender kiss we’ve ever shared. There’s a promise in it, even more so than the vows we spoke, and I close my eyes, savoring every second.
We break apart, and Romeo reaches for our daughter. Giulia hands her over, and suddenly we're standing there together, the three of us.
This is my family. This is my life.
And it's perfect.
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Chapter One: Giulia
The Ciresa house smells like roses tonight.
There are white ones everywhere, scattered through the entryway and hall leading to the dining room in crystal vases.
I could smell them earlier mingling with the scent of expensive wine being decanted in the kitchen, and the rich smell of the osso buco our chef has been preparing since this morning.
I swear I can even smell it up here, in my bedroom, while I get ready for the party that’s being held in my honor tonight.
Tonight, I'm being prepared to be sold.
It’s never been said in those words, of course.
My father would never be so crude. But that's what this dinner party is, stripped of all the elegant pretense and expensive trappings. Tonight’s event is going to be full of eligible men of varying ages, all suitors for me, coming to our home tonight to look at me and evaluate me, then decide if I'm worth the investment.
And I'm expected to smile and be gracious and show them exactly why Dante Ciresa’s daughter would make an excellent addition to their lives.
I smooth down the fabric of my dress for the third time in as many minutes, trying to smooth away my nerves at the same time.
I picked the dress out myself, at least, a rich emerald green silk gown that slides over my curves like water and is elegant without being flashy.
The neckline is a modest v, the straps just wide enough to show off my toned shoulders and sharp collarbones, and I’ve kept my jewelry simple, too.
I picked out a pair of emerald and yellow gold drop earrings and a thin gold chain to go around my neck, which right now, as I clasp it, feels more like a potential collar.
Carefully, I pin back the front waves of my long, black hair, and take one more look at my reflection.
A muted smoky eye, a nude lip, and nude Louboutin heels to finish it all off.
I look like exactly what I am—an Italian-American heiress, the prize of the Ciresa family, polished until every bit of me gives off a smooth, expensive sheen.
The girl in the mirror looks calm and composed, accepting of her fate. But inwardly, it feels like a lie. I don’t feel calm at all. And a part of me wonders if I can ever fully accept that this is just… what my life will be now.
I belonged to my father, and soon I’ll belong to some other man. I’ve never really belonged to myself. Not even when I was at boarding school, hundreds of miles away. If I’d ever stepped out of line, someone would have found out. I’ve never been free.
A knock on my door makes me turn away from my reflection. "Giulia?" My father's voice carries through the heavy wood. "I need to speak with you before our guests arrive."