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He tugs at my hand, pulling me to sit beside him on the bed. “Before you, it was all about control. But you’ve shown me there’s more to life. You’ve given me something worth more than any territory or respect on the streets.”
I’m touched by his words. “Alessandro, I don’t know if I’ve changed you that much. I just love you, that’s all.”
There’s a knock on the bedroom door. I go to answer it. The maid is there. “Visitors,” she says.
I turn to Alessandro. “You up for guests yet?”
“Shoot them if they outstay their welcome.”
“Better not, you never showed me how to shoot straight. Might hit you.”
The first to arrive isn’t someone from the shadowy corners of Alessandro’s world, but from the polished halls of politics. Senator Rivera, a man whose influence stretches far beyond the city’s limits, enters with a presence that commands the room.
He approaches Alessandro with a respectful nod, acknowledging me with a warm smile.
“The city owes you a great debt.” His words are sincere, laden with the gravity of someone used to wielding power for the greater good. “Garibaldi was bleeding us all dry.”
“Not anymore.”
More people follow, an unending chain as the day unfolds. TV stars, politicians, mobsters, even the mayor.
Perhaps the most poignant visit of the day is from Dr. Elizabeth Moreno, a respected historian and a colleague of my late mother.
Her eyes meet mine with a depth of understanding, a shared connection through my mother’s legacy. “Your mother would have been so proud of you, Jess. Proud of the strength you’ve shown, the alliance you’ve formed with Alessandro.
“Come and see me sometime if you’re ever interested in following in her footsteps. I’ve places on my upcoming course. Medieval France, a visitor’s guide.”
“That would suit her perfectly,” Alessandro says. “She’s already been my tour guide to Carcassone and Chateaudun.”
“Wonderful places,” Elizabeth says with a smile. “Your mother’s favorites, as I recall.”
In the quiet that follows after she leaves, we sit together, the significance of today’s visits settling around us like a cloak. Alessandro’s gaze meets mine, a silent conversation of love and shared futures. “See, tesoro? We’re woven into the city’s story, you and me together.”
I find myself swelling with pride, not for the danger he’s faced or the fearsome reputation he carries, but for the respect he earns simply by being himself.
These moments of acknowledgment from the city’s most formidable figures only deepen my love for him, my admiration for his capacity to lead, to inspire loyalty, to protect what is his.
After the day’s last visitor departs, leaving a silence that feels almost sacred, Alessandro and I find ourselves alone, the weight of the day’s events settling around us like a cloak.
The air between us is charged with a quiet intensity, a shared understanding of the strength and respect that binds us together, not just to each other, but to the wider world outside our door.
Alessandro catches me staring, a knowing look in his eyes. “What’s on your mind?” he asks, his voice gentle, inviting me to share my swirling thoughts.
“It’s just seeing all those people today, the way they look at you with such respect and fear,” I start, my words hesitant as I try to articulate the whirlwind inside me. “It’s like there are two versions of you. One here, with me, gentle and vulnerable. And the other, out there, commanding and strong.”
He chuckles softly, the sound rich with warmth. “And which one do you prefer?” he teases, though his eyes are serious, searching for my truth.
I consider his question, feeling the depth of my answer. “I don’t have to choose, do I? Because both are you, and I love you—all of you. It’s just overwhelming sometimes, to see the influence you wield.”
Alessandro’s expression softens, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Jess, that influence, that power, it’s nothing without you by my side. You ground me, remind me of what’s truly important. You see beyond the leader, the boss, to the man I am with you.”
He leans in, his forehead resting gently against mine, a connection that speaks louder than words. “Together, we’re unstoppable. You’ve changed me for the better, Jess. Made me realize there’s more to life than power. With you, I’ve found my peace, my home.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
Alessandro
One year later…
