Epilogue #3
His eyes lock onto mine, and the absolute, unshakeable devotion in his face takes my breath away.
I stop three feet from him, holding his gaze, my pulse racing in a quiet, beautiful rhythm.
"You conspired with my best friend, Dr. Sartori," I say softly, my voice carrying a quiet warmth that mirrors his own.
A small smile touches the corner of Leander's mouth. "Maya was surprisingly cooperative once I promised her we wouldn't host the reception at a courthouse."
"She loves a free dinner," I reply, stepping closer to him.
Leander closes the distance between us. He reaches out, taking both of my hands in his, his large, warm palms wrapping firmly around mine, grounding me completely in the cool evening air.
"Eleven months ago, Kara," Leander begins, his raspy voice low, deep, and vibrating with emotion, "you walked into my life outside the hospital lobby, spilled dark roast on my shirt, and refused to apologize."
A quiet laugh escapes my lips. "You were walking too fast."
"I wasn’t," Leander corrects softly, looking dead into my eyes. "I spent fifteen years running from my past, running from my blood, and hiding behind sterile glass because I thought carrying my name meant I was condemned to destroy everything I touched."
He steps half an inch closer, his thumb gently tracing the back of my knuckles.
"And then you stood beside me," Leander says, his tone carrying a terrifying, absolute weight. "You didn't flinch when the guns came out. You didn't run when the blood hit the floor. You untangled the board, you fought alongside me as my equal, and you showed me what love truly is."
Leander slowly releases my right hand. He reaches into his coat pocket, pulling out a small, velvet box.
Leander drops to one knee on the cool stone tile of the terrace.
He opens the velvet box. Inside rests a breathtaking ring, a platinum band holding a flawless, radiant-cut emerald diamond, flanked by two subtle, sharp baguette side stones. Simple, elegant, structured, and entirely unique.
So beautiful.
Leander looks up into my face, his dark eyes wide, clear, and filled with a raw, unarmored love that strips away every wall he ever built.
"Kara Rossi," Leander says, his raspy voice steady and absolute. "You are my partner, my anchor, and the only woman I will ever love. I don't need a signet ring or a throne to know who I belong to. I belong to you. Will you marry me?"
Silence hangs over the quiet terrace for one beautiful second. The city lights below flicker like a million stars in the dark dusk.
Tears spill over my lashes, but the smile on my face is wide, real, and completely unreserved.
"Yes," I whisper, my voice clear and firm in the quiet garden. "Yes, Leander. Absolutely yes."
Leander lets out a slow, heavy breath, a sound of pure, unadulterated relief and joy.
He slides the platinum ring onto my finger. It fits perfectly.
He stands up from the stone tile, catching me by the waist with both arms, and lifts me completely off my feet. I wrap my arms tight around his neck, burying my face into the crook of his shoulder, laughing as he spins me once before setting my feet back down on the tile.
Leander catches my face in both of his large, warm hands, his eyes shining with intense warmth, and pulls me into a deep, passionate, possessive kiss.
His lips meet mine with hard, sweet certainty, tasting of cool night air and absolute victory. I wrap my arms around his broad shoulders, pulling him down to me, my fingers tangling in his dark hair as I kiss him back with everything in my soul.
When he finally pulls back half an inch, his forehead rests against mine, his thumbs tenderly wiping the tears from my cheeks.
"I love you, Kara," Leander whispers softly, his breath warm against my lips.
"I love you, Leander," I answer back, holding his face in my hands, looking into the eyes of the man who chose me over an empire.
We turn together, his arm wrapped tight around my waist, holding me flush against his side as we look out over the glowing city skyline.
We know what lies ahead in the years to come. We know that one day, when Don Roberto passes, the city will call for its heir, and we will step into the light to rule the Moretti family together as Don and Donna, ruthless to our enemies, and entirely unshakeable.
But standing on the terrace in the cool night air, with Leander holding my hand and the platinum ring gleaming on my finger, I know we aren't running from the future anymore.
We own it.
The end.
Thank you for reading Promised to the Wrong Brother. Your support means everything to me.
If you enjoyed Kara and Leander’s story, I would be incredibly grateful if you left a review. Every review helps this book reach more readers who love dark, obsessive mafia romance, and each one means the world to me as an author.
And if you’re not quite ready to step back into the light, turn the page and meet Vasilisa and Lev in The Pakhan’s Hidden Heiress.
Vasilisa expects the ruthless Russian Pakhan to see her wheelchair as a weakness.
Instead, he treats it like a throne and claims its queen for himself.