Chapter 10 - Dawn on the Horizon
One year later.
The spring sun warmed the terrace of the Collins Gallery of Fine Art in the heart of SoHo.
The building—a gorgeous, historic cast-iron structure—had been completely restored. Inside, high ceilings and polished pine floors showcased masterpieces of classical and contemporary restoration, managed by Harper Collins.
She stood near the front window, wearing an elegant white silk blouse and tailored slacks, holding a clipboard as patrons murmured admiringly around a newly restored 18th-century landscape.
“Auntie Harper! Auntie Harper, look!”
A high, cheerful voice echoed through the gallery.
Four-year-old Mia came running across the hardwood, clutching a paper cup filled with gelato, followed closely by Chloe and eight-year-old Lily.
Harper knelt down, catching Mia in a warm hug, laughing as a dab of chocolate touched her collar. “Mia! Did your mother let you have gelato before lunch?”
“Gianni did!” Mia declared proudly, pointing a tiny finger toward the entrance.
Standing discreetly near the door in a crisp charcoal suit was Gianni, looking completely out of place among the art patrons, pretending not to hear while holding a pink purse and an umbrella.
Chloe walked over, radiant and healthy, her eyes bright with peace. She hugged Harper tightly. “Don’t scold him, Harp. He’s been following us through the park like an overgrown sheepdog. The girls have him completely wrapped around their fingers.”
“He takes his job very seriously,” Harper smiled, hugging her sister back. “How’s the clinic?”
“Wonderful,” Chloe sighed, looking around the breathtaking gallery. “We’re opening the pediatric wing next month. None of this... none of our lives would exist without him, Harper. You know that, right?”
Harper looked toward the entrance.
The street outside was quiet. A sleek black Maybach pulled up to the curb.
The driver stepped out, opening the rear door, and Luca Moretti emerged into the afternoon sunlight.
He wore a tailored navy three-piece suit, looking every inch the powerful titan of industry. Over the past twelve months, Luca had systematically dismantled the city’s violent underground, transitioning the Moretti empire into legitimate shipping, real estate, and municipal infrastructure. The street wars were over; peace had been bought with iron and maintained with wisdom.
When Luca walked into the gallery, the room fell into a quiet, respectful hush.
He didn't look at the art. He didn't look at the patrons.
His dark eyes found Harper immediately, and the severe, aristocratic lines of his face softened into an expression of absolute, unguarded warmth.
“Uncle Luca!” Lily cheered, running toward him.
Luca crouched smoothly, catching the little girl with one arm and lifting her up onto his hip with effortless strength, tapping her nose with a playful finger. “Did you finish your math homework, Lily?”
“Yes! And Gianni bought us gelato!”
“Gianni is going to run laps around the estate tomorrow,” Luca remarked dryly, setting Lily down as Chloe laughed and ushered the girls toward the back garden terrace for tea.
Now, only Harper and Luca remained in the quiet alcove near the window.
Harper stepped closer, smoothing the lapels of his navy suit. “You’re late, Mr. Moretti. The ribbon-cutting was twenty minutes ago.”
“I was delayed at City Hall,” Luca murmured, his hands coming to rest gently on her waist, drawing her flush against his chest in front of the entire gallery without a shred of hesitation. “The Mayor wanted to thank us for the new community center in Riverdale.”
“Did you smile for the cameras?”
“I scowled,” Luca said gravely. “It maintains the mystique.”
Harper laughed—a bright, musical sound that filled the gallery with light.
Luca reached into his inner breast pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box.
Harper’s breath hitched in her throat. Her hands stilled against his chest.
Luca looked down at her, his dark eyes burning with an emotion so deep, so fierce, it made the rest of the world fade into white noise.
“One year ago, I found you shivering in the rain behind my club,” Luca said softly, his voice carrying the deep resonance that had once terrified her, but now felt like home. “You thought no one was coming to save you. But the truth is, Harper... I was the one drowning in the dark. You pulled me out of the blood and the ash. You gave me a reason to build something that lasts.”
He opened the velvet box.
Inside rested a flawless, radiant-cut emerald ring, flanked by two brilliant baguette diamonds—the exact hue of the gown she had worn on the night they shattered their enemies together.
Luca went down on one knee in the center of the sunlit gallery.
Gasps rippled through the gathered guests, followed by absolute silence.
“Harper Collins,” Luca said, his voice steady, proud, and completely hers. “Will you rule this life with me? Will you marry me?”
Harper looked down at the man who had stood between her and death, the monster who had become her guardian, her lover, and her soul.
Tears of pure, unadulterated joy spilled over her lashes.
She didn't hesitate. Not for a single heartbeat.
May you like
“Yes,” she whispered, her voice carrying through the quiet room. “A thousand times, yes.”
Luca slid the emerald onto her finger, rose to his feet, and pulled her into a kiss that lifted her off the ground, sealing their future in the bright, unbreakable light of a new dawn.
