Epilogue 1
Five years.
Five years since Lenora walked into my life and ruined me for anyone else.
Five years since she cracked open my cold, ruthless heart and made it hers.
I had spent every single one of those years worshiping her, pushing her beyond the broken pieces of her past, watching her grow, bloom, flourish into the confident, stunning, fearless woman I always knew she was.
And now?
Now she stood in the center of our estate, glowing under the golden hues of the setting sun, one hand resting on the tiny swell of her stomach, the other holding our son's hand.
My wife. My son. My entire fucking world.
And to think—there was a time she believed she would never have this. Never deserve this.
I step out onto the balcony, drinking in the sight of everything that was mine.
The estate stretched over acres of land, complete with a sprawling mansion built entirely to her tastes—light stone, grand windows, a garden filled with the flowers she loved.I had bought this for her right after our wedding.A place where she could breathe, where she could feel safe.
Because she was safe.
Forever.
Even now, I still never let her out of my sight for too long.
Especially with her carrying our baby girl.
Our miracle.
Lenora had spent years convinced she'd never be able to get pregnant, that the damage from her past had stolen that from her.
But I never let her lose hope.
We had tried, waited, held onto faith.
And now, finally, after years of thinking she would never carry a child, she was six months along with our daughter.
I would give her everything.
Anything she ever wanted.
Just like I had given her our son.
Dario.
I glance down at him now—a little version of me, his sharp gray eyes and jet-black hair, his fierce scowl as he tugs at his mother's dress, demanding attention.
I smirk.
He was only three, and yet, the boy already carried himself like he owned the damn world.
And he did.
Because he was ours.
We had adopted Dario when he was only a few weeks old, abandoned outside of a church, left to fate.
But fate had always belonged to me.
The moment I saw him, I knew—he was meant to be ours.
Lenora had cradled him in her arms, tears slipping down her face as she looked up at me, silent, hopeful, afraid to ask—
And I had nodded, no hesitation, no second thoughts.
That was it.
Dario was ours.
And now, years later, he had grown into a bold, stubborn, and reckless little shit—one who tested his mother's patience and made my blood pressure rise daily.
But fuck, I loved that kid.
"Papaa!" His little voice rings through the estate, breaking through my thoughts. "Mama won't let me climb the tree!"
Lenora huffs, glaring at me with exasperation. "Luca, tell your son he's not a monkey."
I smirk, strolling over and scooping Nico up into my arms. "What did I tell you about giving your mother a hard time, little man?"
He pouts. "But I wanna climb!"
"Climb the wall in the gym," I say, flicking his forehead. "Not the trees."
He grumbles but nods, already knowing better than to disobey me.
Lenora exhales in relief, pressing a kiss to his forehead before her sharp gaze turns to me.
"You encouraged this, didn't you?"
I lift a brow, feigning innocence. "Me?"
She narrows her eyes.
I grin.
Fuck, I love when she glares at me like that.
Defiant. Unyielding.
She's not the broken girl I met five years ago.
She's stronger now, confident, and one of the most well known interior designer in the city. She wasunafraid to stand up to me.
But she still knows who's in charge.
I step closer, caging her against me, my hands sliding over the curve of her ass, gripping hard.
She sucks in a breath.
"You gonna keep glaring at me, baby?" I murmur against her ear.
Her fingers twitch against my chest. "Maybe."
I chuckle, low and deep, my lips grazing the sensitive spot behind her ear.
"Careful, stellina. You know what happens when you act out."
Her breath catches, and I see the way her legs press together, see the way her pupils dilate.
Fuck.
Even pregnant, she was still so fucking perfect for me.
And I had spent the last five years ruining her in every way possible.
Dario groans. "Ew, Papa, stop kissing Mama!"
I smirk, unbothered, tightening my grip on her. "Get used to it, kid."
Lenora laughs, shaking her head as she gently pulls away, her hand slipping into mine.
And for a moment, I just look at her, taking in the woman she's become.
Happy. Safe. Loved.
I grip her chin, forcing her eyes to mine.
"Do you believe it now?" I ask, my voice rough, raw.
She swallows. "Believe what?"
"That you deserve all of this."
She stares at me, silent, before her lips tremble into a soft, beautiful smile.
"I do," she whispers. "Because you made me believe it, Luca."
And fuck, that was it.
The final crack, the last piece of my frozen, blackened heart shattering under the weight of her love.
I lift her, kissing her hard, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other pressing against her belly.
"I love you," I murmur against her lips.
She smiles. "I know. I love you"
Damn right she does.
And I will spend every day, for the rest of my goddamn life, making sure she never forgets it.
Because Lenora?
She wasn't just my wife.
She's my everything. Forever.
Later that night carry Lenora into our bedroom the second Dario is tucked in.
She squeals, slapping my shoulder. "Luca! I'm pregnant, not made of glass!"
I smirk. "No, but you are my delicate little thing."
Her eyes narrow. "I could bite you right now."
I chuckle darkly, setting her down on the bed before pinning her beneath me, my arms caging her in, my body hovering inches from hers.
"Bite me then, baby." My voice is low, rough. Daring.
She huffs in frustration, knowing damn well she can't win this battle.
I kiss her softly, deeply, before my mouth trails lower—down her jaw, the slope of her neck, the swell of her breasts. My hand palms her stomach, feeling the tiny bump beneath my palm, and fuck—my chest aches.
She's so goddamn beautiful like this. Carrying our child.
When she was told she wouldn't be able to conceive, I could see it in her eyes—the grief, the self-hatred, the silent fear that I'd eventually want someone else.
As if I could ever fucking want anyone else.
Now, here she is—proving fate wrong.
I shift lower, pressing a kiss just below her navel. "You're so perfect like this."
She exhales shakily, her fingers threading through my hair. "Luca..."
"I spent years watching you doubt yourself, thinking you weren't meant for this, that you wouldn't be enough." My fingers press against her inner thighs, spreading them apart. "I never once doubted you, baby."
Her breath catches as my lips trail lower.
"You were always meant to be a mother, Lenora."
She shudders as my tongue flicks against her pussy, her hips twitching beneath my grip. "L-Luca..."
"You're so fucking perfect for me," I growl, sucking at her clit, feeling her thighs tremble.
She cries out, her hands clutching the sheets, already too sensitive from the pregnancy hormones making her body extra receptive to my touch.
And I'm going to take full advantage of that.
"Ahh—fuck!" she gasps as I grip her thighs and devour her, my tongue lapping at her like I'm a starved man.
She's soaking, her taste addictive, and fuck, I could spend hours here, drowning in her.
I push two fingers inside her pussy, feeling how tight and hot she is, how she clenches around me, her body already pushing toward the edge.
"Cum for me, baby," I growl, my voice pure filth, my fingers curling inside her.
She shatters, her entire body trembling, her moans obscene as she writhes beneath me.
I groan against her as she comes undone, drinking in every last drop of her pleasure.
When I finally pull back, my chin wet with her, I look down at her ruined state—her flushed cheeks, her glassy eyes, her chest heaving.
And fuck.
She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
I smirk, wiping my chin with my thumb before licking it off. "You taste divine, love."
She whimpers, her body still twitching, her pupils blown with need.
But I'm not done with her.
Not by a long shot.
I push her onto her hands and knees, her breath hitching when she realizes.
"Luca—"
My hand slides up her back, my body pressing against hers from behind. "Shh, let me take care of you."
And when I finally slide inside her, her tight, soaking cunt gripping me like she was made for me—
I growl, burying my face in her hair.
She was made for me.
And I'd spend the rest of my life reminding her of that.
I carry Lenora to the bathroom afterward, cradling her as she melts against my chest.
Her body is exhausted, her limbs weak, and fuck—I love it.
She always falls apart so perfectly for me.
I gently lower her into the warm bath, kneeling beside the tub as I wash her off, running a soft cloth over her skin, careful, tender.
Her eyes flutter open, soft and full of love, and my chest aches at how much I adore this woman.
"I love you," she murmurs.
My jaw tightens.
Every time she says it, it's like I fall even deeper.
"Say it again."
She smiles lazily. "I love you."
I lean in, pressing a deep, slow kiss against her lips.
"I love you more."
She rolls her eyes but smiles, sighing in contentment as I continue taking care of her.
Once she's clean, I lift her into my arms, carrying her back to bed, tucking her close against my chest.
She nuzzles into me, her fingers tracing my skin, her belly pressing against me.
"Luca?" she murmurs sleepily.
"Mm?"
"Do you think... I'm a good mum?"
I stiffen.
I grip her chin, tilting her face up until her eyes meet mine.
"You're the best mom."
Her lips tremble. And I knew she was recalling upon all the moments when Dario used to say that to her everyday. A smile twitching on her lips. Then she nods, burrowing deeper into me.
I kiss the top of her head, my arms tightening around her.
I shouldn't be panicking.
I've handled multi-billion-dollar deals, ruthlessly crushed my enemies, and taken down entire empires without breaking a sweat.
But this?
Watching Lenora scream as she pushes our daughter into the world?
Yeah, I'm losing my goddamn mind.
"Fucking hell," I breathe, gripping her hand, watching her fight through the pain.
Then, finally—
A cry.
A small, tiny, perfect cry.
And my world stops.
The nurse places our daughter in Lenora's arms, and fuck—
She's so small, so delicate, so perfect.
My throat closes.
I reach out, gently tracing her tiny fingers, feeling the tiniest, softest grip around my own.
And for the first time in years, my eyes burn.
I look at Lenora, at the way she gazes down at our daughter, love and exhaustion pouring from her.
She looks up at me, tears slipping down her face.
"She's ours," she whispers.
And fuck.
I'm done for.
Because yeah—she is.
Just like her mother. Brown hair and mismatched eyes, blue-green.
And I would kill, burn, and destroy anyone who dared to touch what's mine.
Forever.
"I don't think Dario's going to be patient any longer, you better tell Mariana to bring him in." Lenora smiles.
Of course. Our son had been the most eager one to meet his little sister. We had been a little worried about announcing him that a new member would be joining us, but Dario had been bouncing since the news excited to meet his little sister.
As I let Mom and Dario in they immediately went towards Lenora. Mom looking concerned and happy while Dario was already seated next to Lenora gently caressing his sister.
Nico was overseas for business and would be only meeting his niece next week and Arlo was on the way after picking up Mia from school.
I looked at Lenora who was having a huge grin despite a tough labor, her eyes met mine as they held mixture of emotions.
I simply let her cherish the moment as I watched my little family.
The world could be in chaos but I'd be damned if I let anything happen to them