Chapter 10 - THE ONLY MAN WHO NEVER OWNED HER
One year later.
The summer sun was setting over the Hudson River, painting the New York sky in brilliant strokes of gold, crimson, and deep violet.
On the rooftop terrace of the Bennett Architectural Designs building, a private celebration was underway.
The firm had just won its first major city contract—a fifty-million-dollar sustainable housing initiative designed by Avery to transform obsolete port warehouses into low-income residential spaces for families across Brooklyn and Queens.
Avery stood near the glass railing, wearing a simple, elegant dark red silk dress. Her dark hair fell in long, soft waves over her shoulders. She held a glass of chilled white wine, looking out at the city she had conquered on her own terms.
Behind her, footsteps sounded against the teak decking.
Luca walked out onto the terrace. He had dropped his suit jacket onto a chair inside, wearing a crisp white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing the strong, tattooed forearms of a man who still ruled the city's underworld with an iron, protective hand.
He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms gently around her waist, pulling her back against his broad, warm chest. Avery leaned her head back against his shoulder, letting out a soft, contented sigh.
"You look tired," Luca murmured into her ear, kissing the soft spot just beneath her jaw. "You’ve been working sixteen-hour days for three weeks."
"I'm exhausted," Avery admitted with a smile, turning in his arms to face him. "And I've never been happier in my entire life."
Luca looked down at her, his grey eyes filled with a deep, endless warmth that only she ever saw.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet-lined mahogany box.
Avery’s breath hitched slightly. She looked at the box, then up at his face.
Luca didn't get down on one knee. He didn't offer a theatrical speech about family obligations, mergers, or social standing. He simply opened the box.
Inside sat a stunning, unheated raw green emerald ring, set in a minimalist band of hand-forged dark titanium—a design that was bold, modern, and completely unique.
"I didn't buy a diamond," Luca said softly, his voice low and rich. "Diamonds are cold. They're bought by men who want to show off their wealth. Emeralds are strong. They endure."
He looked directly into her hazel eyes, his grip on the box firm but gentle.
"I'm not asking you to take my name, Avery," Luca said quietly. "I'm not asking you to step into my darkness or give up a single inch of the empire you built right here. I’m asking if you’ll let me stand beside you, as your husband, for as long as we both live."
Avery stared at the ring, then looked up into the face of the man who had stopped his car in the middle of a storm, who had erased her tracks, fought her battles, supported her dreams, and never once tried to make her his property.
The first man who had ever truly given her a choice.
A slow, radiant smile lit up her entire face. She reached out, took the ring from the box, and slipped it onto her own finger. It fit perfectly.
"You don't have to ask, Luca," Avery whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck, resting her forehead against his. "My answer was 'yes' the second I got into your car."
May you like
Luca smiled, a deep, victorious sound rumbling in his chest, and pulled her into a long, passionate kiss as the golden sun dipped below the horizon, lighting up the New York skyline in a blaze of permanent, unbreakable light.
THE END
