Chapter 14 - THE PROPOSAL ON THE BLUFFS
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Christmas Eve arrived with a soft, magical snowfall that blanketed Chicago in a pristine coat of white.
The roaring wind off Lake Michigan carried the sweet fragrance of pine smoke and distant church bells ringing across the city.
After putting Maisie to bed with a reading of The Night Before Christmas, Dominic led me by the hand out onto the heated glass observatory on the bluffs of the estate.
The room was completely enclosed in floor-to-ceiling glass, offering a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of the frozen lake and the glittering skyline of downtown Chicago.
A stone fire pit burned brightly in the center, surrounded by plush leather sofas and sheepskin throws.
Two mugs of spiced mulled wine rested on a cedar table beside a small velvet box.
I stood near the glass wall, wrapped in a dark-gray cashmere shawl, watching the giant snowflakes drift silently onto the illuminated terrace below.
“It’s so peaceful tonight,” I murmured, leaning back slightly as Dominic stepped behind me.
His strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me securely against his broad chest.
He rested his chin gently against my temple, his breath warm against my cheek.
“This house was empty for thirty-four years, Claire,” Dominic confessed softly.
“My father died in that study downstairs.”
“My mother passed away when I was sixteen.”
“I spent ten years filling these rooms with bodyguards, lieutenants, and expensive art, trying to pretend that power was enough to keep a man warm.”
He turned me slowly in his arms until I was facing him completely.
His dark eyes were luminous in the glow of the fire pit, reflecting an ocean of deep, unshakeable tenderness.
“And then, four months ago, a little girl walked into my dining room asking for a piece of bread.”
“And behind her walked the most courageous, beautiful woman I have ever known.”
Dominic reached into his coat pocket and retrieved the small black velvet box.
He looked into my eyes, and for the first time since I had met him, the fearless Don of Chicago had a slight tremble in his hands.
Slowly, with absolute reverence, Dominic Moretti sank onto one knee before me on the cedar floor.
He clicked the velvet box open.
Resting inside on a bed of white silk was not Vanessa’s cold, commercial diamond.
It was a breathtaking, antique platinum ring featuring a brilliant, flawless emerald surrounded by a halo of delicate diamonds.
An emerald the exact color of the dress I had worn when we faced the Commission together.
“Claire Hayes,” Dominic said, his deep voice thick with raw, overwhelming emotion.
“You walked into my life and saved my daughter from abandonment and cruelty.”
“You taught me that true power is not found in fear, but in love, sacrifice, and family.”
“You are my heart, my peace, and the only Donna this house will ever answer to.”
Tears broke free from my eyes, streaming down my cheeks like warm rain.
Dominic looked up at me, his eyes shining with complete devotion.
“Will you do me the greatest honor of my life?”
“Will you marry me, Claire, and be my wife, my partner, and the mother of our future?”
I dropped to my knees on the cedar floor right in front of him, throwing both of my arms tightly around his neck.
“Yes!” I cried against his lips, laughing and weeping at the same time.
“Yes, Dominic! A thousand times, yes!”
Dominic let out a rich, joyous laugh that shook his chest.
He pulled me into his arms, lifting me off the ground as he stood, spinning me beneath the glass dome of the observatory.
He slid the emerald ring onto my finger; it fit perfectly, gleaming like a star in the winter night.
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He captured my lips in a kiss that was deep, passionate, and filled with a lifetime of sacred promises.
Outside the glass, the snow fell peacefully over Lake Michigan, sealing our love beneath the silent stars.
