She sniffed, sobs racking her body. “You don’t mean that.” Her head dipped. “Don’t lie to protect me.”
“I never really needed to protect you.” I smiled, tears sliding over my lips. “You did a hell of a job of protecting yourself.” Her smile was small but enough. “And believe me, I’m not lying.”
She sighed. “Marcus—”
Without thinking, I crashed my mouth to hers, kissing her tears, kissing her hard enough that she knew she was the only thing worth saving tonight. I kissed her again before pulling back, the wind nearly sweeping us away.
“It’s you, Cora.” I shook my head. “It’s always been you.”
Her eyes softened. Her head tilted. “But you love this company.”
I shook my head. “Not as much as I love you.”
Relief flooded her eyes. I’d been an idiot to wait this long to let her feel that. I’d been an idiot not screaming that I loved her from the rooftops. But now that I had, I never wanted to stop.
Her eyes batted. “You love me?”
“I’d be insane not to.” My hand slipped to her jaw. “I’ve loved you for a long time, and I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay—”
“No.” My hands clasped hers like she’d disappear if I didn’t. “It’s not. I let you think I didn’t care, and I’m so sorry. I promise, if you’ll let me, I’ll never let you feel like that again.”
For a heartbeat, she looked at me, memorising my face. Then, with a soft, trembling breath, she nodded. No words. Justthat tiny, devastating nod—handing me the part of her heart she’d kept barricaded for years.
With tears in my eyes, I whispered, “It’s you.”
She blinked, tears rolling down her cheeks. But this time, her eyes weren’t sad.
I pressed my mouth to her forehead, wishing the world would stop spinning, and slowly turned to face Arthur.
He was pacing. When I turned, he stopped, curiosity etched on his face.
“Well?”
I took a breath, thinking.
Romano was everything to me. We’d built it from nothing. No money, no clients, just a desire to protect. But we’d made it work. And without it, I wouldn’t be the man I am today.
And I wouldn’t have found the love I’d finally deserved.
Loving Cora was like the moon loving the tides. No matter the distance, she felt my pull. No matter how much I told myself she deserved calmer seas, she kept coming back, chasing the gravity between us like the only truth that mattered.
And maybe that’s why I never trusted it. The moon can’t touch the water without stirring it, raising it, risking a storm. I didn’t want to flood her world. But Cora… she braved the waves. She braved me. And now… I couldn’t imagine a world where I didn’t let her win every argument, where I didn’t finally crash into her, no matter the cost.
I nodded, stealing one final breath. “Where do I sign?”
Arthur’s face shifted into a toxic cocktail of relief and greed. “I knew I liked you.” He slid the paper forward, the scratch of the page deafening.
The pen clicked in my fingers, cold and metallic, heavier than it should have been.
I lowered it to the paper.
Then… I stopped.
Arthur’s gaze flickered, suspicion etched across his face.
“You going to write your name, or just admire the paper?” His tone was steel.
