She chokes back a sob, her smile radiant through the tears. “Yes! A million times yes!”
With trembling hands, I slide the ring onto her finger. She throws her arms around me and our lips meet in a kiss—deep and full of promise.
Annalise isn’t just the love of my life. She is mygame changer. The moment she walked into my life, everything shifted. With her, the world made sense in a way it never had before. In her, I found my soulmate, and the truest love I’ve ever known.
epilogue
ANNALISE
SEVEN YEARS LATER
A flutterof joy dances in my chest as I spot it—a dreamy little boutique painted in pastel green, with rose vines tumbling down its walls. Then I see it—the name glinting in gold-plated letters: Thorny Roses.My boutique. In Paris. On the iconic Champs-Élysées, nestled among the world’s most prestigious brands.
When I told Veronica I was quitting so I could put all of my focus on my shop, she laughed in my face. She told me I would fail. That I would amount to nothing.
Normally her words would’ve affected me, but I wasn’t the same weak girl I had been when she hired me. Her words didn’t break me. They fueled me to keep going and prove her wrong.
I opened my first boutique in San Francisco six years ago, and since then, Thorny Roses has blossomed beyond my wildest dreams. Shops have sprung up across the country, and now I’ve made my mark in the fashion capital of the world. Celebrities grace the red carpet in my gowns, and my designs have been spotlighted in top fashion magazines everywhere.
Little five-year-old me would’ve been so proud. I stopped letting my doubts destroy my dreams.
Maddox wraps his arms around my waist, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head. “You have changed the world of fashion, Rosie. I’m so proud of you. I know your abuelo would be, too.”
A soft smile tugs at my lips as my fingers trace the ink etched into my skin—Abuelo’s favorite Bible verse wrapped around a dagger, framed with blooming flowers:No weapon formed against you shall prosper.
I miss him every single day. And although he isn’t physically with me, I can feel his presence. Protecting me. Guiding me through life.
Taking Maddox’s hand, I push open the door to the shop and step inside.
I am filled with bliss upon seeing customers admiring my clothing—the clothes that once only existed in my sketchbooks.
A woman with long raven hair smiles at her reflection in the mirror as she holds an emerald-green satin gown against her body.
“Pierre, what do you think?” she asks the man next to her.
He smiles at her, pure adoration in his eyes. “You would look beautiful in it, my darling.”
“I agree,” I say. “It brings out your eyes.”
The woman spins around, her eyes widening in shock when she sees me. “Oh my goodness! You’re Annalise Rose Kamado!”
Heads turn at the sound of my name, and customers stop browsing the clothes to approach me.
“I absolutely love your designs,” one of them gushes. “They’re so chic and beautifully made.”
“I would buy the entire store if I could,” another customer chimes in.
“Oh, thank you so much,” I reply, placing my hand over my heart. “I’m so happy that you all love my clothes.”
I point to a pale-blue chiffon gown with pearls on the bodice that’s displayed on a mannequin. “This gown here was inspired by a design I created when I was thirteen.”
“Gosh, you are so talented,” a young woman says while beaming at me.
After chatting with the customers and sharing stories about my designs, I wave goodbye to them and leave the shop with Maddox.
A wide grin stretches across his face. “My wife is so famous.”
“Oh, shut up.” I laugh, blush spreading across my cheeks. “You know I hate being called that.”
