Chapter 10 - One Hundred and Nine Nights
The wedding was small, secure, and held in the private chapel on the grounds of Oakridge, attended only by our closest loyalists, Marcus, and two very happy little boys who spent the entire ceremony playing with the velvet ring cushion.
That evening, long after the celebrations had quieted down and the estate was wrapped in the peaceful stillness of a warm Chicago night, Matteo and I sat together in front of the massive stone fireplace in his private study.
The fire crackled warmly, casting golden amber light across the leather-bound books and the heavy mahogany desk.
Matteo poured two glasses of aged bourbon, handing one to me before pulling me close beside him on the sofa.
“One hundred and nine nights,” Matteo said quietly, swirling the amber liquid in his glass.
I paused, looking over at him with a loving smile. “What?”
“That’s how many nights it’s been since you walked into my foyer and changed the course of my entire life,” Matteo replied without hesitation, kissing my forehead softly.
May you like
I leaned my head against his shoulder, raising my glass in a quiet toast to the past we had survived and the future we had built together.
“One hundred and nine nights, Matteo,” I whispered, smiling as the faint sound of our sons laughing drifted down the hallway. “And a lifetime to go.”
