Chapter 8
The next three months swept past in a beautiful blur of healing, transformation, and unimaginable joy.
With Victor Moretti behind bars and Mark Vance completely disgraced, Luka and I officially took control of Moretti Bio-Tech. Under our leadership, file M-17 was released to the public as a non-profit global medical initiative, saving the lives of thousands of infants born with congenital heart defects around the world.
The news praised Clara Hayes as a global savior, while Luka Moretti was hailed as the visionary leader who had cleaned up the corrupt underworld of Chicago’s corporate elite.
Inside the Moretti estate, life became a sweet, peaceful rhythm.
Luka, despite his terrifying reputation as a ruthless corporate titan, proved to be an insanely devoted father. He could often be found sitting on the plush rug of the nursery in his thousand-dollar tailored pants, carefully holding tiny bottle nipples, reading bedtime stories in his deep, gravelly voice, or letting baby Maya play with the dark tattoos on his hands.
And between Luka and me, a fire had ignited—a slow, deep, undeniable love built on trust, protection, and fierce mutual respect.
One cool autumn evening, as the leaves painted the Lake Forest estate in rich shades of gold and crimson, Luka led me out to the glass conservatory overlooking the lake.
The entire conservatory had been transformed into a magical sanctuary of twinkling white fairy lights, thousands of white orchids, and a table set with fresh champagne and flickering candles.
"Luka," I gasped, looking around in awe as soft violin music floated through the warm air. "What is all this?"
Luka walked over to me, looking striking in a dark charcoal shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He took both of my hands in his, his grey eyes shining with an intensity that made my knees go weak.
"Four months ago, I signed my name on a birth certificate in a cold hospital hallway," Luka said softly, his voice full of emotion. "I took a title I hadn't earned yet—father. And I called you my wife to protect you from monsters."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.
"I don't want to protect you from the shadows anymore, Clara," Luka whispered, dropping down onto one knee before me. "I want to walk with you in the light. I want to earn the title of your husband every single day for the rest of my life."
He flipped open the velvet box, revealing a breath-taking three-carat oval diamond ring set on a platinum band engraved with tiny phoenix wings.
"Clara Hayes," Luka looked up into my tear-filled eyes, "will you marry me? Truly, legally, and forever?"
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I choked back a sob of pure, unadulterated happiness, dropping to my knees right in front of him and throwing my arms around his broad neck.
"Yes!" I cried out, pressing my lips against his in a deep, passionate kiss that tasted of sweet champagne and brand-new beginnings. "Yes, Luka! A thousand times, yes!"
