Epilogue
Felix
After the cleaning company had finished, it was clear that the brownstone still needed work.
The floors gleamed in some places but were scuffed in others, paint and wallpaper peeled faintly in the corners, and a few fixtures were stubbornly outdated.
The smell of fresh cleaning products mingled with the lingering dust of old walls, a reminder that the place had a long, layered history.
So, we had temporarily moved out while a construction company tore into the walls, replaced outdated fixtures, and gave the place the kind of overhaul that soap and polish couldn’t touch.
We tried to keep it as original as possible—honoring the original wood floors, the ornate moldings that had survived decades, and the worn-but-sturdy banisters that led to the upper floors.
Every imperfection told a story, and slowly, we began to imagine how our own life might fit into these walls, weaving our present into the echoes of the past.
“I can’t believe it’s finished,” Tessa murmured.
“I think it flew by,” I said, sliding a hand gently over her rounded belly.
Tessa smiled softly, a warm, quiet glow in her eyes. “Yeah… it feels like just yesterday I was pulling expired food out of the cabinets.”
I chuckled and pressed a kiss to the side of her temple. “Sorry I had to fire you from the maid job,” I said, my voice low but laced with a crooked grin.
Tessa looked at me, half amused, half confused. “Fire me? I don’t recall it happening like that.”
“Yeah,” I drawled, running a thumb along her jaw. “Can’t have my pregnant fiancée scrubbing the floors like she’s on my payroll.”
Her brows shot up, her mouth parting in confusion. “…Fiancée?” she echoed. “Huh?”
I’d never knelt for anyone in my life—not my family, not the men who’d tried to kill me, not the bosses who thought they owned me.
But as I looked at Tessa, standing there with her hand resting on the curve of her belly, something shifted.
My usual cocky grin faded, and before I even thought twice, I went down on one knee.
The hardwood bit into me, but I didn’t care.
My fingers slid into my jacket, found the box I’d been carrying for weeks, and pulled it free.
When her eyes widened, I held her gaze, letting her see past the monster everyone else saw.
“Tessa,” I said, my voice low and rough, unwavering. “I’ve made my share of mistakes. Done things I can’t take back. But this… you… us… you’re everything to me, and I won’t let go. Be my wife. Not because you have to. Because you want to.”
For a heartbeat, the room went silent. Just her staring at me, wide-eyed, her lips parted but no sound coming out. My chest tightened like a fist was closing around it, the kind of pressure I only ever felt before a trigger pull.
Then her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes glossing over, and she let out a shaky laugh that broke into a sob. “Felix,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Yes.”
The word hit me like a shot straight to the chest. I didn’t hesitate. I slid the ring onto her finger, my fingers lingering, refusing to let go. I pulled her close, pressing my forehead to hers, breathing in the warmth of her hair, the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against mine.
“Welcome to the job, sweetheart,” I said, voice low and rough, letting a small smirk tug at my lips. “Don’t worry, this position comes with perks. Lifetime benefits, full-time protection and zero scrubbing required.”
Tessa blinked at me, half-laughing, half-trying to process what I’d just said. “Does that mean I’m rehired?”
“With a promotion,” I said, grinning at her. “Chief Operating Officer of my heart.”
“That’s so corny,” she said, gently swatting my arm, a laugh tugging at her lips.
I raised an eyebrow, mock-offended. “Corny? Me?”
She tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Cut the act. I know the scary mafia man is still in there.”
I chuckled, letting a darker, sharper edge creep into my voice, a smirk tugging at my lips. “You want the boss back, huh? Be careful what you wish for, sweetheart.”
She laughed, soft and warm, the sound curling around me like it had always belonged there. “I think I can handle him,” she murmured, resting her head against my chest.
I tightened my arms around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her hair. “Good,” I murmured back, voice low and steady. “Because you’re stuck with me now. All of me.”
Her fingers curled into my shirt, and I could feel her heartbeat against mine, steady and calm. For the first time, the world felt quiet, safe, and ours. Engaged. Together. Finally, completely.
And as I rested my hand over the curve of her belly, feeling the tiny life growing between us, I knew that our family—our future—had already begun. A new chapter, ours to write, and nothing could ever take it from us.
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