Chapter 10 - The Masterpiece of Russo Manor
One year later.
The summer afternoon was warm and brilliant over the cliffs of Maine.
The vast back lawn of the Russo estate was transformed into a paradise of white tents, colorful balloons, and long tables laden with incredible food, cakes, and iced drinks.
It was Mia’s seventh birthday party.
Children from the local town, security staff families, and friends from New York were running across the grass, playing games, and laughing under the sun.
In the middle of the lawn stood a magnificent, custom-built wooden playhouse—a miniature castle designed by Dominic himself, complete with a slide, a balcony, and a large wooden sign above the door carved with four butterflies.
Dominic sat in a comfortable armchair under the shade of a grand oak tree, holding a cold glass of lemonade. He wore a simple linen shirt and trousers, his face relaxed, a picture of absolute, serene contentment.
Walking across the grass toward him, holding a small silver tray with fresh peach tartlets, was Elena.
She was radiant, her dark hair glowing in the sunshine, wearing a loose, beautiful sun dress that gently draped over her noticeably rounded belly.
She was five months pregnant with their first son.
Dominic stood up instantly as she approached, taking the tray from her hands and placing it on a nearby table before gently helping her sit down in the chair beside his.
"You shouldn't be carrying heavy trays, my love," Dominic scolded gently, kissing her cheek.
"It's three tartlets, Dominic, not an iron anvil," Elena laughed warmly, resting her hand over her round bump.
Dominic leaned down, placing his large, warm hand over hers, feeling the subtle, miraculous little kick of his unborn son beneath the soft fabric of her dress.
"He's going to be a football player," Dominic chuckled softly.
"He's going to be a painter," Elena countered with a smirk. "Just like his sisters."
They looked out across the lawn.
Near the wooden playhouse, Mia, Lucia, and Valentina were leading a group of children in a chaotic game of blind man's bluff. Mia was blindfolded, giggling uncontrollably as she tried to catch her older sisters.
"Remember when you walked into the kitchen fourteen months ago?" Elena asked softly, looking up at her husband.
Dominic looked down at her, his gray eyes soft with memories. "I thought I was hallucinating. I thought the house had gone mad."
"You were so angry," Elena teased, nudging his arm. "Standing in the doorway with your scary briefcase, looking at me like I had stolen your fortune."
"You did steal it," Dominic murmured, leaning down to press his lips against hers in a slow, sweet kiss. "You stole my heart, my house, and my daughters. And you never gave them back."
"And I never will," Elena whispered against his mouth.
From across the lawn, Mia’s blindfold fell off. She saw her parents kissing under the tree, grabbed Lucia and Valentina by the hands, and shouted to the other children:
"ATTACK PAPA AND MAMA!"
A herd of ten giggling children came charging across the green grass, led by the three Russo sisters!
Dominic laughed—a rich, deep, joyful sound that echoed across the ocean cliffs—and opened his arms wide.
The children piled into them, tumbling onto the soft grass, covering Dominic and Elena in hugs, laughter, and messy, sweet kisses!
Mia scrambled up onto Dominic’s shoulders, just like she had done in the kitchen two years ago. She grabbed her father's hair, leaned close to his ear, and began to sing at the top of her lungs:
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..."
Lucia and Valentina joined in, their clear, beautiful voices soaring into the clear blue sky.
May you like
Elena wrapped her arm around Dominic’s neck, singing along, her voice harmonizing perfectly with the children’s.
And Dominic Russo—the man who had once ruled an empire of shadow and fear—looked up at his family under the golden sun, pulled them all close against his heart, and sang the words with them, knowing that the darkness would never, ever return.
