Chapter 10 - A New Dawn for the Russo Empire
The wedding was not held in a quiet chapel or a secret hideout. It was the event of the year on the East Coast—a breathtaking ceremony at St. Patrick’s Cathedral followed by a reception at the very same glass pavilion along the East River where my life had changed forever.
Politicians, judges, corporate titans, and powerful syndicate leaders from New York, Chicago, and Palermo filled the ballroom, all raising their crystal champagne flutes to toast the new era of the Russo empire.
I stood on the balcony overlooking the glittering expanse of the river, the midnight-blue silk of my wedding gown trailing gracefully behind me on the stone floor. The cool night air carried the scent of salt water and autumn leaves.
Footsteps approached softly from behind, and a familiar, comforting warmth settled around my shoulders as Antonio draped his black tuxedo jacket over me.
He wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, resting his chin gently on my shoulder as we watched the city lights shimmer across the water.
“Penny for your thoughts, Mrs. Russo?” he murmured against my ear.
I leaned back against his solid chest, smiling as I turned the diamond-and-sapphire ring on my finger.
“I was just thinking about that day at Bellarosa,” I said softly. “If I had walked past your mother’s table... if I had been too afraid of Marco yelling at me... my life would still be a frantic rush of minimum-wage shifts and hospital bills.”
Antonio turned me around in his arms so I was facing him. His dark eyes were filled with an unshakeable, profound devotion.
“If you had walked past my mother’s table,” Antonio whispered, his lips brushing my forehead, “I never would have known what true strength looked like. You didn't just save my mother that day, Sophie. You saved me.”
May you like
I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss that tasted like forever.
Downstairs, the orchestra played a soft, sweeping melody, and the lights of Brooklyn stretched out into the endless night like a kingdom waiting to be explored. I had survived the restaurant floor, faced down the underworld, and found my place right where I belonged—standing fearless and unbreakable beside the most feared man on the East Coast.
