His voice sharpens, anger simmering just beneath the surface. “She orchestrated parts of your suffering, and she did it to maintain her grip on power. To keep you from finding your place here. To keep me in line.”
My stomach twists, a cold weight settling in the pit of my gut. “You knew she didn’t approve of me.”
“She didn’t just disapprove,” he says, standing now, his towering presence as formidable as ever. “She acted on it. Shehad people planted in your life, feeding her information. I’ve uncovered things…” He trails off, shaking his head. “I should’ve protected you from her. I should’ve questioned her motives years ago, but I was blind.”
I clutch the back of the chair for support, my legs threatening to give out. “And now? What happens to her?”
“She’s gone,” he says, his voice like a whip. “I sent her away. Permanently. She has no claim here anymore, no control over my family.”
The intensity in his gaze pins me where I stand. “You, Valentina, are my family now. You, Leo, and the empire I’ve built. But I don’t want it to be mine alone. I don’t want another queen filling the void Maria left. I want you.”
I blink, stunned, my pulse hammering in my ears. “What are you saying, Luca?”
His eyes burn into mine, unrelenting, fierce. “I’m saying I want you to be my partner, my equal. The Salvatore Queen. The one person I trust to build this empire with me, side by side.”
I stare at him, my heart in my throat. “You can’t mean?—”
“I mean every word,” he interrupts, his voice unwavering. “I don’t just want a wife, Valentina. I want a matriarch who commands respect, who makes this family stronger. Someone who can stand with me, not behind me.”
The gravity of his words sinks in, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe.
“You can’t possibly think I’m cut out for that,” I whisper, my voice shaking.
“I know you are.” His tone is steady, almost reverent. “You’ve faced down killers. You’ve defied me—fought me—like no one else ever has. You’ve built a life for yourself from the ashes, Valentina. That’s a strength I can’t ignore. That’s the strength I need.”
I shake my head, a million emotions surging through me all at once. “Luca, I’m not like you. I can’t be ruthless. I can’t?—”
“You can be anything you choose,” he says firmly. “But you don’t have to change who you are. I’m not asking you to lose yourself. I’m asking you to grow into what you already are—powerful. Resilient. Someone who doesn’t back down.”
I’m shaking now, overwhelmed by the enormity of what he’s saying. “You’ve thought this through?”
“For months,” he admits, his voice softening. “I’ve been wrong so many times, Valentina, but this…this is the one thing I know for certain. I need you—not just in my life, not just in my bed. By my side. Helping me make this empire something more. Something better.”
The intensity of his words leaves me reeling, but there’s something else in his eyes—something raw, vulnerable, and utterly disarming.
“And what about Leo?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Luca reaches for my hand. His grip is warm, grounding. “He’ll have the best life we can give him. Not just power, not just wealth. He’ll have love, Valentina. From both of us.”
I look down at our joined hands, my chest aching with the weight of the moment. “This life…it’s not easy, Luca. It’s dangerous. Chaotic.”
“I know,” he says simply. “But we’ll face it together. And one day, when the time comes, you’ll be the one to lead this family, just as you’ve led our son.”
My breath catches, his words sinking into the deepest parts of me. I don’t know if I can trust him—not fully—but in this moment, I want to believe.
“And if I say no?” I ask, my voice trembling.
He smiles faintly, the expression more bittersweet than I expect. “Then I’ll find a way to convince you. Because I don’t give up on the things I love.”
My heart stutters, and I feel tears prickling at the corners of my eyes.
Luca’s eyes are locked on mine, his breath steady but expectant, his body taut like a bowstring waiting for release. I’ve never seen him this vulnerable before, not even in the most intimate moments we’ve shared. For all his power, his control, this—offering me his empire, his trust—feels like the ultimate surrender.
I hesitate, the weight of his words sinking deep into my chest. This isn’t just about us anymore. It’s about Leo, about the future we’ll build. My life has never been easy. I know how to fight. And Luca is offering me a throne—not one built on love and roses, but one forged in fire.
“Yes,” I say, the word falling from my lips like an oath.
His breath hitches, his shoulders softening, relief washing over his face. “Say it again,” he murmurs, stepping closer.
