Chapter 15 - Where You Belong
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The afternoon sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the Boston skyline in breathtaking shades of violet, gold, and crimson.
Dominic led Emma toward the far edge of the cliffside terrace, where a private candlelit table had been prepared for two.
A bottle of vintage champagne rested in a silver ice bucket, beside a single velvet box sitting on the white linen tablecloth.
Emma looked at the table, then turned her gaze toward Dominic, her breath catching in her throat.
The man who had once terrified an entire city stood before her with an expression of quiet, humble vulnerability.
"When you first arrived at this house, Emma, you asked Mrs. Alvarez if I was dangerous," Dominic began, his voice deep and steady.
"She told you that depended on whether I remembered the difference between loyalty and betrayal."
Dominic stepped closer, his dark eyes shining with an emotion that no amount of wealth or power could ever purchase.
"The truth is, before you knocked on my library door, I had forgotten how to live at all."
"I was a ghost wandering through an empty museum of my own making."
He reached onto the table and picked up the small velvet box, turning it toward her in his strong, steady hands.
"You taught me that strength isn't about how many enemies fear your name."
"It's about having the courage to protect the people who bring light into your darkness."
Dominic sank slowly onto one knee against the stone terrace floor, looking up at her with raw, unfiltered devotion.
He opened the box, revealing a magnificent emerald cut diamond ring flanked by two deep green baguettes that matched her eyes.
Emma pressed both hands against her mouth, tears of overwhelming joy spilling over her eyelashes.
"Emma Collins, you came into my house as a maid and conquered the kingdom without firing a single shot."
"Will you do me the greatest honor of my life and become my wife?"
The wind seemed to hold its breath over the harbor as Emma looked down at the man who had shielded her with his own blood.
She did not hesitate for even a fraction of a second.
"Yes," Emma sobbed through her happy tears, throwing her arms around his neck as he rose to his feet.
"Yes, Dominic, a thousand times yes!"
Dominic let out a breathless, joyful laugh, lifting her completely off the ground and spinning her around the terrace.
He slid the flawless diamond ring onto her finger, sealing their future together under the open Boston sky.
From the second-floor windows above, Mrs. Alvarez and the household staff applauded, cheering with unbridled celebration.
Dominic cupped Emma’s face in his hands, wiping away her happy tears with his thumb before kissing her with passionate finality.
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"No more hiding in the shadows, Emma," he promised, his forehead resting against hers as the stars began to appear above the water.
"From this day forward, you stand right beside me, where you have always belonged."
