She laughs, and it’s half sob, half genuine joy. "I'm in love with you too," she says, her voice shaking with emotion. "I've been trying not to be, but I can't help it."
We stay like that for a while, wrapped around each other in the front seat of my car, and slowly, carefully, we start to talk about everything that matters.
“I talked to your father a few days ago.”
She draws back to look at me, surprised. “What did he say?”
"He made it very clear that if you ever married, it would be your choice and yours alone. No alliance, no contract."
"You were okay with that?" she asks, searching my face.
"More than okay," I tell her honestly. "I don't want your business, Liana. I never should have agreed to take it in the firstplace." I brush hair back from her face tenderly. "You should run the Costa family. You were born to do it."
"And the Marcello family business?" she asks carefully.
"I'll run mine, you'll run yours," I say, laying out the future I've envisioned. "We'll figure out how to work together as equals."
"Equals," she repeats, testing the word on her tongue. "I like that."
“Will you marry me?” I ask her.
“Marry you? Are you serious? Is this a proposal?”
“Yes, of course, I want to marry you, Liana,” I say with absolute certainty.
She blinks at me in astonishment. "You do?"
"Yes, if you'll have me." I brush hair back from her face again, needing to touch her. "I know we should do this properly—date, take our time. But I don't want to wait. I know what I want. I want you as my wife, my partner, my equal. I want to be your husband and your protector. I’ll ask you again. Will you marry me? As soon as possible?"
“Let me think about this,” she says slowly, and I can see a smile starting to form on her lips. "Our mothers have already planned everything. The flowers, the dresses, the venue. It's all still ready and waiting."
"From the alliance wedding?" I ask, hope sparking in my chest.
"Yes. Mama kept everything, just in case." She laughs softly. "She had hope even when I didn't."
"We could get married soon," I say, the plan forming in my mind. "We wouldn't have to wait."
"Your Nonna is getting old," Liana says softly, her expression thoughtful. "She wants to see you married. Your mother told mine."
"Then let's not wait," I say with growing conviction. "Let's get married now. Make our families happy. Make ourselves happy."
She looks at me intently, searching my face for any doubt. "You're sure? You really want this?"
"I've never been more certain of anything in my life." I kiss her deeply, pouring everything I feel into it. "Will you marry me, Liana? I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Yes," she says, kissing me back hard. "Yes. Let's do it. Let's get married for real. And you're okay with me running my family business? Really okay with it? Not just saying you are?"
"I'm more than okay with it—I'm proud of you." I mean every word from the depths of my soul. "You're brilliant. Watching you work, seeing you in your element. You're incredible."
Tears shine in her eyes as she looks at me. "You really mean that."
"Every word," I confirm without hesitation.
She kisses me again, with a desperation that matches my own.
"I'm sorry," she says when we finally break apart. "For manipulating you. For playing games. For not trusting you enough to show you who I really was."
"You had every reason not to trust me," I remind her gently. "I was taking your birthright."
