Chapter 19: The Proposal
Six Months Later
The winter snow blanketed the Moretti estate in a layer of pristine, glittering white.
Inside the master wing, the fire was roaring. The Christmas tree, decorated entirely by Emma with a chaotic but charming array of handmade ornaments, sparkled in the corner of the sitting room.
I was curled up on the sofa, watching Emma play on the rug with a set of wooden building blocks.
The heavy wooden doors clicked open, and Alessandro walked in. He was wearing a casual cashmere sweater, his hair slightly tousled from the wind outside.
Emma looked up, her face breaking into a massive, radiant smile.
"Dad!" she squealed, abandoning her blocks and launching herself across the room.
My heart skipped a beat. She had started calling him that a month ago, entirely on her own. Alessandro caught her mid-air, spinning her around as a deep, booming laugh echoed from his chest.
"Hey, princess," he said, kissing her cheek. "Did you finish your tower?"
"Yeah! Come look!"
Alessandro let her drag him to the rug, sitting down cross-legged despite his billion-dollar status. He looked at the crooked wooden tower with the utmost seriousness.
"Emma," Alessandro said softly, his tone shifting. "Can I ask you a very important question?"
"Okay!" she chirped.
Alessandro reached into his pocket. "I want to be your dad forever. And I want to be your mom's husband forever. Do you think it would be okay if I asked her to marry me?"
Emma gasped, her eyes going wide. She looked at me, then back at Alessandro, and nodded vigorously. "Yes! Get her a ring!"
Alessandro smiled, his eyes shining with unshed tears. He stood up, walking slowly toward the sofa where I sat frozen, my hands covering my mouth.
He didn't kneel. He knew I hated the power dynamic of a billionaire kneeling before a former maid. Instead, he sat down beside me, pulling me onto his lap, wrapping me completely in his warmth.
He opened a small velvet box. Inside was a diamond that caught the firelight—flawless, elegant, and entirely breathtaking.
"I don't need a contract," Alessandro whispered, his forehead resting against mine. "I don't need a merger. I just need you. Every day, for the rest of my life. Will you marry me, Clara?"
Tears streamed down my face. I didn't hesitate. I didn't think about the past, or the fear, or the differences in our bank accounts.
May you like
"Yes," I sobbed, throwing my arms around his neck. "Yes, completely."
Emma cheered from the rug, clapping her hands. Alessandro slipped the ring onto my finger, sealing the promise with a kiss that tasted like a beautiful, unbroken future.
