Chapter 8
The winter snow was falling softly once again, casting a peaceful, glittering blanket over the private courtyard of the Romano estate exactly one year after the night my life changed forever.
Standing on the expansive stone balcony outside our penthouse suite, I wrapped a heavy cashmere shawl tightly around my shoulders as I watched the snowflakes drift past the glowing courtyard lamps.
Footsteps echoed softly behind me, followed by the familiar, comforting warmth of strong arms wrapping around my waist from behind.
A large, calloused hand rested gently across my stomach, exactly as it had on that first unforgettable morning.
"You’ll catch a cold out here," Ethan murmured against my neck, his breath warm against my skin. "I’m fine,"
I smiled, leaning back into his embrace and looking out over the sparkling city lights. "I was just thinking about how crazy it is that a broken-down car in the middle of a thunderstorm led me right here."
Ethan rested his chin on my shoulder, his gray eyes reflecting the glittering lights of Manhattan below.
"It wasn't bad luck, Hannah.
Fate has a very specific way of putting people exactly where they belong, even if it has to drag them kicking and screaming through a mafia conspiracy to do it."
I laughed softly, turning around in his arms to face him. I reached up, my fingers tracing the familiar scar across his jawline—tracing the man who had protected me, claimed me, and loved me with every fiber of his being.
"Do you ever miss the quiet days?"
I asked playfully. "Before syndicates, before corporate takeovers, before headline-making weddings?" Ethan looked down at me, a slow, breathtaking smile spreading across his face as he tightened his grip on my waist, pulling me flush against his chest.
"Quiet days were overrated, Mrs. Romano," he whispered huskily.
"I prefer my life chaotic, dangerous, and completely consumed by you." "Good," I smiled, standing on my tiptoes to pull his lips down to mine.
May you like
"Because I have no intention of going anywhere." As our lips met in a deep, passionate kiss beneath the falling snow, I knew our story didn't end here—it was only just beginning.
We had survived the shadows, conquered the danger, and found our forever in the most unexpected place imaginable.
