Chapter 8 - The Proposal of Honor
That evening, after Marco carried a sleepy Sophie upstairs to her suite, Dante and Mary walked together through the estate’s private botanical gardens.
The cool night air was filled with the fresh scent of damp earth, pine, and night-blooming jasmine. Soft golden lights illuminated the stone pathways winding around marble fountains.
Mary walked beside Dante, her hands tucked into her coat pockets. The awkward distance that had once existed between a supreme mob boss and a maid had completely dissolved, replaced by a deep, mutual respect and quiet emotional intimacy.
“Mary,” Dante spoke softly as they stopped by a quiet reflecting pool.
“Yes, Dante?”
Dante turned to face her. In the moonlight, his handsome, scarred face looked remarkably peaceful. He pulled a small velvet box from his coat pocket—not the cold, ostentatious diamond ring he had once bought for his fake political marriage with Camille, but an antique, hand-crafted platinum band set with a radiant, warm sapphire.
Mary gasped softly, her breath catching in her throat. “Dante...”
“Mary,” Dante began, his voice deep and steady, filled with genuine emotion. “When I asked Camille to marry me, it was a business transaction built on fear, greed, and political leverage. It nearly destroyed me, and it almost destroyed this family.”
He stepped closer, taking her hand gently in his warm, strong fingers.
“The day your daughter smashed that cake, she didn't just save my life. She brought me to you. In these past months, I have watched you rebuild this estate, bring light into these dark rooms, and raise a daughter who has more honor than all the kings of New York combined.”
Mary felt tears welling in her eyes—not tears of fear or grief, but of profound, overwhelming joy.
“I am a man with a dark past, Mary,” Dante continued honestly, looking into her eyes. “My hands have done cold things to protect my empire. But if you will have me... I want to spend the rest of my life protecting you and Sophie. I want to build a real family with you. Not for power, not for show, but because I love you both with everything I have left.”
Mary wiped a tear from her cheek, her heart soaring higher than it ever had in her life. She looked at this powerful, fierce man who had leveled cities to keep her child safe, yet stood before her now with an open, vulnerable heart.
“Dante,” Mary whispered, stepping into his space, resting her hand gently against his warm cheek. “You saved us from a life of poverty and fear. You gave my daughter a future. I loved you long before tonight... not because you are a king, but because you are the kindest man I have ever known.”
Dante smiled—a radiant, breathtaking smile—as he slipped the sapphire ring onto her finger. He pulled her gently into his arms, burying his face in her hair, holding her close as the autumn wind whistled through the trees around them.
From an upper balcony of the manor, little Sophie watched them through a pair of high-powered binoculars given to her by Marco.
“Are they kissing?” Marco asked, standing beside her in his dark suit, eating a chocolate ice cream cone.
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“Yes!” Sophie giggled happily, setting the binoculars down. “He gave her the ring!”
Marco let out a deep, booming laugh, patting the little girl on her shoulder. “Good. It’s about time the Boss got himself a real Queen.”
