Chapter 10 - The Warmth of Forever
The wedding of Lorenzo Moretti and Hannah Bell was the event the New York underworld whispered about for generations—not because of violence or retaliation, but because of what it represented.
There were no hitmen in the pews, no hidden weapons beneath the floral arrangements, and no whispered threats in the corners of the reception hall. Instead, the stone courtyard of the Tarrytown estate was filled with laughter, music, and light.
Dr. Harrison Caldwell sat at the front table, sipping champagne and shaking his head in quiet amazement every time he looked at the groom. Dante Voss served as the best man, delivering a surprisingly emotional speech about loyalty, resilience, and the day a kitchen maid taught the most dangerous man in America how to live.
As the sun began to dip below the Hudson River, casting a brilliant golden glow across the hills, Lorenzo and Hannah stood together on the dance floor.
The string quartet played a slow, elegant waltz. Lorenzo held her close, his strong arms wrapping around her waist, his cheek resting gently against her hair.
“You know,” Lorenzo whispered into the evening air, “Dr. Caldwell still calls it a medical miracle. He wrote a paper about it for a cardiology journal in Boston. He still can’t explain how my heart started beating again after flatlining for four hours.”
Hannah smiled, looking up into his dark, loving eyes. She reached up and placed her hand flat against his chest, feeling the strong, steady, rhythmic thud of his heart beneath her palm.
“He doesn’t need to explain it,” Hannah whispered, leaning her head against his shoulder as they swayed to the music. “Some things science just isn't meant to measure.”
“What is that?” Lorenzo asked, smiling softly.
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“Body heat,” Hannah murmured, closing her eyes as the stars began to emerge in the spring sky. “And a little bit of stubbornness.”
Lorenzo laughed—a rich, genuine sound that echoed across the estate—and pulled her closer still, knowing that no matter how cold the world outside might ever get, he would never be cold again.
