Iris POV
Time seemed to stretch on forever as the terrible truth hit me making it hard for me to breathe. I had taken Luiza's life! Her tiny body was lying there completely motionless. I could see her once bright eyes starting to lose their sparkle and it felt like the essence of life was slowly fading away from her.
“What have I done?” I said softly my voice barely above a whisper. I felt an overwhelming heaviness pressing down on me as if the consequences of my actions were too much to bear.
“Iris I want you to understand that it was truly an accident,” Raf said with great difficulty his voice sounding strained and rough. He gently placed his hand on her wrist searching for her pulse to see if she was okay. “You didn't do anything wrong. You didn't mean for this to happen. You were only trying to help Dahlia weren't you?”
It felt like the entire world around me was moving in slow motion. The sounds of the intense firefight faded away becoming a distant and muffled noise that I could barely hear. I was trying to wrap my mind around what had just happened.
My body felt completely numb as if I could not feel anything at all while my mind was spinning with thoughts and emotions. Luiza was no longer here with me. The realization hit me hard and my heart felt like it was in excruciating pain so intense that I honestly thought it might break into pieces.
I accidentally let my gun slip from my hands and it fell to the ground making a loud noise. At that moment a sob unexpectedly came out of my mouth. I was in complete shock and disbelief. I couldn’t understand what had just happened.
I had taken her life and the weight of it was crushing me. Despite the overwhelming sadness I should have felt I found that I couldn’t even cry properly to show how much I was hurting inside.
One by one the remaining men who were with Campani were taken down. After a while, the sound of gunfire finally stopped. The fire had grown too intense to manage and the house that was burning became a horrifying sight to behold showing the extent of the destruction caused by the flames.
When we finally stepped out of the house we noticed that the night air was still heavy with thick smoke. The smell of destruction lingered all around us making it clear that something terrible had happened.
Raf wrapped his arms around Dahlia tightly and I could feel how sad and upset he was because his body shook with the weight of his emotions. After that, he looked over at me and I could see that his face showed a lot of sadness and pain.
“Thank you so much,” he said quietly his voice rough and strained. “I appreciate you sending help. Thank you for coming to my rescue and saving me from that situation.”
He pulled me into him gently holding me close. His arms wrapped around me tightly making me feel safe and secure. He looked into my eyes and said “I love you, Iris. You have saved me in so many ways.”
I found myself unable to speak completely astonished and taken over by the warmth that surrounded me in his arms. I felt an incredible rush of emotions and it overwhelmed me. His words expressing his love for me kept ringing in my head.
I realized that I loved him too and even though I had done something terrible by killing Luiza that didn't change how I felt. He was the one who had been pursuing me from the very beginning. If he hadn't been chasing after me I wouldn’t have found myself in this situation at all.
“Out of the blue he turned to me and asked the question that took me by surprise. With a voice that was so soft and quiet I almost didn't catch what he said. He looked at me earnestly and said 'Will you marry me?'“
I nodded my head in response but I was feeling so overwhelmed with strong emotions that I couldn’t find the words to say anything. At that moment he bent his head down and kissed me right then and there.
It was a kiss filled with deep passion full of a desperate need for each other. It felt like a love that was intense and fiery almost as if it had been created in the very flames of hell.
Rafaelle's POV
It has been five long years. Five years filled with the process of healing working hard to rebuild my life and searching for a delicate sense of peace after the chaos.
Five years have passed since that fateful night the night that turned my entire life upside down. It was a night that felt like a wildfire tearing through everything I knew leaving behind a path of destruction and deep sadness.
However, amidst all the pain I also discovered an incredibly strong love. This love was so overwhelming that it shone brightly pushing away the darkness that had surrounded me.
I found myself sitting at the very head of the long table proudly holding the position of the Don of the Tommaso family. Next to me, there was Hector a man whose face was marked by the scars of his past experiences and struggles.
Despite the visible signs of his difficult history, his eyes were sharp and filled with intelligence. Hector had managed to survive through all the chaos that surrounded us and in doing so he had demonstrated both his loyalty and his capability.
Because of his unwavering dedication and skill, he had earned the role of my trusted Consigliere advising me in our family's affairs.
The room was crowded with the familiar faces of the men I could rely on who formed the very foundation of my newly established rule.
We were engaged in an important conversation about the shipment of goods that was set to arrive soon which was a vital aspect of our business operations.
As we spoke we kept our voices intentionally low and made sure that each of our words was carefully chosen and deliberate.
However, at that moment, the calm and peaceful atmosphere was suddenly broken.
The big double doors suddenly swung wide open and in came Dahlia and her younger brother Marco. They both stumbled into the room while laughing joyfully and their happy sounds bounced off the walls of the quiet space.
Following behind them was Iris who entered with a big smile on her face bringing some brightness and warmth to the otherwise gloomy atmosphere of the room.
“Listen up children! Your daddy is in the middle of an important meeting right now,” she said with a gentle tone. However, there was a playful hint in her voice that made it clear she wasn't too serious.
I sat there and watched them. As I observed I felt a wonderful warmth spreading through my body. My heart was filled with love growing stronger and more joyful in my chest. Dahlia and
Marco looked so innocent and carefree as they played together. They were clear examples of the happiness I had discovered in my own life with Iris. Their joyful presence reminded me of the beautiful moments I shared with her.
I got up from my seat and the sound of my chair scraping against the shiny floor echoed in the room. As I stood there my gaze locked with Iris's and I couldn't help but feel a smile starting to form at the edges of my mouth.
I took a few steps closer to her feeling an overwhelming sense of thankfulness inside my heart. I looked into her eyes and softly said “I truly can’t express how grateful I am that you came into my life Iris.” My voice was filled with deep emotions making it sound a little rough as I spoke.
I gently reached out and took her into my arms pulling her close to me. Our lips met in a kiss that was full of deep passion. It was a kiss filled with gratitude for everything she meant to me overflowing with love and carrying all the things I had never found the words to say.
This kiss expressed everything I felt—a love from a man who had finally discovered his purpose in life his true happiness and his soul mate in this remarkable woman. She was the one who dared to love me even when things seemed difficult and dark.
The world that surrounded us seemed to disappear slowly. The sounds of people talking the hustle and bustle of everyday life and even the memories from our past began to fade into nothingness.
All of these things vanished into the bright and beautiful light created by our love for each other. In that special moment, it felt like everything was in perfect harmony and just the way it should be...
The End…