Chapter 4
Kitty leaned toward her friend.
“You are completely in love with him.”
“I know.”
Ayla no longer saw a reason to deny it.
“It should frighten me more than it does.”
The rest of breakfast became relaxed. Kitty told embarrassing stories from Ayla’s college years, and Matteo responded with stories about Kyle’s mistakes during assignments.
Before leaving to sleep after her hospital shift, Kitty embraced Matteo and whispered something Ayla could not hear. He answered with a serious nod.
Then Kitty held Ayla tightly.
“He is good for you. I approve. Call me immediately if anything changes.”
After Kitty entered a taxi, Matteo and Ayla walked hand in hand.
“She is protective because she loves you.”
“She is the only real family I have.”
Matteo stopped and held Ayla’s face.
“Your people, ambitions, happiness, and grief are now part of my life.”
He kissed her forehead.
“I will prove that daily.”
Ayla’s telephone vibrated.
Kitty had written that Kyle already called and they would meet for coffee the next day. The message included approximately 15 heart symbols.
Matteo looked pleased.
“Our lives are becoming connected from every direction.”
“Did you plan that?”
“I would never manipulate our closest friends into a relationship merely to make ours more secure.”
His innocence was transparently false.
“Liar.”
“Completely.”
He kissed her in the middle of the sidewalk.
The following Monday, Ayla returned to work.
The office itself had not changed, but every person inside it looked at her differently. Whispers stopped when she passed, and courtesy appeared where disdain had existed.
Jean approached with an exaggerated smile.
“Ayla, how wonderful to have you back. Matteo Cipriani. Extraordinary. Why did you never mention the relationship?”
“My personal life is private. You never showed interest in knowing me beyond criticizing my clothing and appearance.”
Jean’s smile weakened.
“That was a misunderstanding. I wanted you to present your best professional image.”
He lowered his voice.
“Your new connections could benefit the company. You might introduce Matteo to our primary clients. His influence could open markets we have never accessed.”
Greed entered his expression.
“Naturally, it would also benefit your career. Promotion, increased salary, everything you deserve.”
Ayla felt anger settle coldly inside her.
“You want me to turn the man I love into a networking resource for your benefit.”
“It is not exploitation. It is strategy.”
Jean had begun sweating.
“This could give you everything you wanted here.”
A dominant presence entered the space behind her.
“Give her what?”
Matteo’s voice cut through the office.
Every conversation stopped, and hands paused over keyboards.
He stood behind Ayla in a dark-gray suit, carrying the focused danger that changed the atmosphere of every room he entered.
Jean stepped back.
“Mr. Cipriani. I did not know you were visiting.”
Matteo ignored him and looked at Ayla.
“Amore, you forgot our lunch.”
His voice softened.
“I brought Italian food.”
He handed her a bag from a restaurant known for prices beyond the reach of most employees.
“Thank you. I truly forgot.”
Only then did Matteo look at Jean.
“You are her employer.”
“Yes. Jean Dubois, marketing manager of Laurent Inc. It is an honor.”
Jean nearly bowed.
“I admire your—”
“You criticized her at the gala.”
Matteo interrupted.
“You examined her clothing with contempt and said she represented the company poorly.”
He advanced, forcing Jean backward.
“Now, after learning who she is to me, you want access to my influence through her.”
“It was misunderstood.”
“Allow me to prevent further misunderstanding.”
Matteo’s voice became quieter and more dangerous.
“Ayla works here because she chooses to work. She does not require this company.”
He held Jean’s eyes.
“If she leaves tomorrow, I will create a company for her to manage and provide every resource necessary.”
He moved another step closer.
“If you demean her, exploit her, or make her uncomfortable again, I will purchase Laurent Inc. solely to fire you on my 1st day as owner.”
Jean appeared close to collapse.
“Understood. It will never happen again.”
“Good.”
Matteo turned to Ayla, the coldness leaving his face.
“Come. We will eat in the park.”
She collected her bag while the entire office watched them leave.
In the empty elevator corridor, she finally stopped him.
“You did not have to do that.”
“I did.”
He placed both hands on her shoulders.
“Nobody belittles or uses you while I remain alive.”
His gaze burned with conviction.
“If this employment makes you unhappy, I will solve the matter today.”
Ayla’s eyes filled.
“I will consider leaving seriously.”
She touched his arm.
“Thank you for protecting me and caring.”
He wiped away a tear and pulled her into his chest.
“I will always care. You are mine, and I take care of what is mine.”
For the 1st time, Ayla fully believed the statement.
One week later, she was in Matteo’s penthouse while he worked through documents.
Kyle entered with a tense expression.
Matteo looked up at once.
“What happened?”
“Boss, this requires privacy.”
“Speak in front of Ayla. If it affects security, she has a right to know.”
Kyle held up his telephone.
“The Rossi family learned about her. They sent a message saying your wife is vulnerable and that it would be unfortunate if something happened to her.”
Matteo became completely still.
His silence was more frightening than open rage.
“When?”
“Twenty minutes ago. Anonymous, but the language identifies them.”
Kyle’s voice remained professional.
“They are using her to provoke you.”
Matteo stood, dialed his telephone, and began issuing rapid instructions in Italian.
“Kyle, maximum security. Ayla does not leave without at least 2 armed guards, 24 hours a day.”
Panic grew in her chest.
“Who are the Rossis?”
Matteo ended the call, crossed to her, and knelt.
“They are a rival organization attempting to obtain territory. They discovered you matter to me.”
His hands held her face urgently.
“You are safe. I will place my best men around you and address the threat personally.”
“How?”
“In the only language they understand. I will make clear that you are a boundary they cannot cross.”
She gripped his wrist.
“What if they hurt you?”
His expression softened.
“I always return, particularly now that you wait for me.”
He pulled her close.
“You must cooperate. Accept the guards and move into this penthouse today.”
“Move here?”
“You can and will. I will not risk your life.”
His firmness left little room for argument.
“This building has military-level security, cameras, Kyle, and armed men.”
His tone softened.
“Please. Allow me to protect you properly.”
Ayla agreed because the thought of something happening to her and causing him pain was unbearable.
“All right. I will move.”
She held his face.
“Promise you will return alive and whole. Do not perform some unnecessary act of heroism.”
He kissed her with desperate intensity.
“I always return to you.”
His forehead rested against hers.
“There is something you need to know.”
“What?”
“I love you.”
He spoke directly.
“I know it is too soon, but you became the most important person in my life within weeks. I cannot imagine my existence without you.”
Her answer came before caution.
“I love you too. It is insane and too fast, but I love you.”
Relief and happiness transformed him.
“After I remove the Rossi threat, I intend to ask you something officially.”
“What?”
“You will learn later.”
Kyle organized Ayla’s move with military speed.
A team entered her apartment and packed her belongings. Kitty arrived in a panic, alternating between holding Ayla and threatening Matteo with physical consequences if anything happened.
Matteo dressed in black and carried weapons Ayla preferred not to examine.
At the door, she ran to him.
“Come back.”
He kissed her forehead and mouth.
“I always return. You are my reason to fight, win, and continue breathing.”
Then he left.
The hours that followed were among the longest of Ayla’s life.
She waited inside the penthouse, surrounded by security that provided no comfort because the only person she wanted was facing armed rivals.
Kyle offered conversation and a film, but she could focus only on the clock.
Kitty called 3 times in 2 hours, alternating between reassurance and panic. During the final call, she threatened to break into the penthouse unless Matteo returned.
Ayla promised to call the instant he appeared.
The private elevator eventually reached the floor.
Kyle’s hand moved toward his weapon before he recognized Matteo.
Ayla ran forward and stopped.
Blood covered the sleeve of his black shirt.
“You are hurt.”
“It is superficial.”
He drew her into his uninjured arm.
“The Rossis withdrew completely. You are safe.”
Ayla pulled back his sleeve and examined the cut.
“This requires cleaning.”
The tenderness in his face stopped her.
“You are worried.”
“You faced dangerous men because of me. You are bleeding.”
He held her face.
“I will always stand between you and danger. That is what I do for the person I love.”
He kissed her forehead.
“Now that the threat is gone, I will do what I promised.”
He stepped back and knelt in the middle of the living room while his injured arm continued to bleed.
From his jacket, he removed a velvet box.
Inside was a large diamond surrounded by smaller stones.
“Ayla Morris, I have known you only weeks, but it feels like years.”
His voice carried emotion without concealment.
“You entered unexpectedly and changed everything. You made me want to become better and taught me to love in a manner I believed was no longer possible.”
Tears moved freely down Ayla’s face.
“The night I called you my wife, it was improvisation intended to protect you.”
He took her hand.
“Every day since has made me want that lie to become absolute truth.”
He looked directly at her.
“This is not performance or strategy. It is love.”
His hand tightened around hers.
“Will you marry me? Will you become my wife legally, genuinely, and forever?”
Ayla knelt before him and held his face.
“You are completely unreasonable, too intense, possessive, and dangerous in almost every sense.”
Her voice broke through tears.
“You are also perfect for me in every way that matters.”
She smiled.
“Yes. I will marry you. A thousand times yes.”
For the 1st time since she met him, Matteo’s hands trembled as he placed the ring on her finger.
He kissed her with all the relief and certainty of a man whose life had just been restored.
Near the entrance, Kyle called Kitty.
“He did it. The boss proposed, and she accepted.”
Kitty’s scream could be heard through the telephone.
“I knew it. We should have a double wedding.”
“Katherine, we are not officially together. We have had approximately 3 dates.”
“That is an irrelevant detail. They became engaged within weeks.”
Ayla and Matteo laughed while still kneeling together.
“Our friends are as irrational as we are,” Ayla said.
“Completely.”
Matteo kissed each remaining tear.
He examined the ring with satisfaction.
“You are mine officially. My fiancée, my future wife, and my entire life.”
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“And you are mine.”
She kissed him again.
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