Chapter 8 - A New Contract
The SUV pulled through the iron gates of the Moretti estate just before 3:00 AM.
The massive stone mansion stood tall against the night sky, bathed in security lights. But as Clara stepped out of the car, she didn't feel like a frightened outsider anymore.
Dominic walked her up the grand marble steps, his hand resting securely at the small of her back. They entered the private study where it all began twelve hours ago.
Dominic walked over to his desk, picked up the original two-million-dollar check that Clara had thrown back at him, and tossed it into the wastebasket.
Clara blinked in surprise. "Hey! That was my shop buyout!"
Dominic walked back over to her, pulling a brand-new, thick legal document from his briefcase and sliding it across the mahogany desk.
"What is this?" Clara asked, picking up the papers.
"A permanent contract," Dominic said smoothly, leaning against the edge of the desk in front of her. "The property buyout of your shop is already completed—the deed was transferred to your name an hour ago. Your mother and brother are safely relocated to a secure estate in upstate New York with full security details."
Clara stared at him, her eyes widening. "You... you did all that while we were in the car?"
"I told you, when I make a deal, I overdeliver," Dominic said softly. He reached out, gently taking the contract from her hands and tossing it aside. Then he took both of her hands in his. "The paper isn't a fake marriage contract anymore, Clara. It’s a real one. If you'll have me."
Clara stood frozen, her heart pounding. The sharp-tongued, plus-size Brooklyn costume designer who had walked into this room with three pencils in her hair and a sewing kit in her hand was suddenly looking at a future she had never dreamed possible.
"You're proposing to me over a ruined velvet dress and a burned-down restaurant?" Clara asked, a watery laugh escaping her lips.
"I'm proposing to the only woman on God's green earth who looked at me like I was a minor inconvenience instead of a monster," Dominic murmured, stepping closer until his chest brushed hers. "Marry me, Clara. Not for one night. For every night."
Clara looked up into his slate-gray eyes, seeing the absolute devotion hidden beneath the armor of the most feared man in New York.
She smiled, a bright, radiant smile that chased away every shadow in the room.
May you like
"Only if I get to design my own wedding dress," Clara whispered.
Dominic smiled—a genuine, radiant smile that transformed his entire face—and pulled her into his arms, sealing the deal with a kiss that was worth far more than any check in the world.
