“Never. That boy is the center of my universe.”
As if summoned, Dante comes barreling back through the living room, now carrying three toy cars. “Dada! Dada, play!”
“After the party, buddy. Right now we have guests coming.”
“No guests. Play now.”
“Dante.” Ledger crouches down to his level. “Remember what we talked about? We’re having a special party tonight. And you’re going to be a very good boy and play quietly, right?”
Dante considers this. “Cake?”
“Yes. There will be cake.”
“Okay. I be good.” He runs off again, presumably to find more cars.
“He’s bribing our son with sugar,” I tell Elena.
“Whatever works.”
Guests start arriving around seven. Business associates from the hotels. Friends of Alexi and Elena from law school. A few familymembers from Elena’s side—her mother, her sister, and an aunt who keeps commenting on how beautiful the penthouse is.
Antoine has outdone himself with the food. Appetizers that disappear almost as fast as the servers can circulate them. A full bar in the corner manned by two bartenders.
This is what Ledger does now. Legitimate businessman. Hotel magnate. Real estate developer. Tech investor.
All the dark operations are gone. Shut down or transferred to other families during his two years in prison. The Bratva connections severed. The illegal shipments stopped.
We’re clean now. Completely, totally clean.
And the Kozlov threat? Ended. Dmitri disappeared after escaping that warehouse two and a half years ago. His organization crumbled without him. His remaining associates are either dead or scattered.
The war is over. We won.
“Speech time,” Alexi announces, tapping his glass with a fork.
The room quiets. Everyone turns toward where he’s standing in the center of the living room, Elena beside him, looking beautiful and completely unaware of what’s about to happen.
“Thank you all for coming tonight,” Alexi begins. His voice is steady, but I can see the nerves underneath. “I wanted to gather our closest friends and family to celebrate something important. Something that’s been a long time coming.”
Elena looks confused. “Alexi, what?—”
He takes her hand. “Six months ago, my father came home. And in that time, I’ve watched him rebuild his life. Rebuildhis marriage. Become the father he always wanted to be.” He glances at Ledger, who’s watching with pride. “And I realized something. I realized that family isn’t just blood. It’s the people you choose to stand beside. The people who show up when life gets hard. The people who make you want to be better.”
“Alexi.”
“Elena, you’ve been that person for me. For over three years, you’ve stood beside me. You became part of this family without hesitation. You made me believe in the future.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box. “So I’m asking you, in front of everyone who matters, to make that official.” He drops to one knee.
Elena gasps, hands flying to her mouth.
“Elena Rodriguez—” Alexi opens the box, revealing a ring that catches the light beautifully. “Will you marry me?”
She stares for a moment, then she’s nodding, tears streaming down her face. “Yes. Yes, of course, yes! Oh my God, yes!”
Alexi slides the ring onto her finger and stands, pulling her into his arms. The room erupts in applause and cheers. Dante, not understanding what’s happening but sensing excitement, starts clapping too and shouting, “Yay!”
Ledger’s arm tightens around my waist. “That’s my boy.”
“He did well. That was a beautiful proposal.”
