Chapter 10 - A Toast to the Future
Late that night, after the last guests had departed and the terrace was once again quiet under the starry sky, Alessio sat on the marble bench near the rose garden. The cool night air brought the sweet scent of night-blooming jasmine.
A soft sound of footsteps on the gravel signaled Nina’s approach. She was wearing a cozy wool sweater over her party dress, holding two mugs of warm hot chocolate.
She sat down beside him on the bench and handed him one of the mugs. “It’s cold out here.”
“I was just thinking,” Alessio said, taking the mug and inhaling the rich aroma.
“About what?”
“About how close I came to losing everything,” Alessio said softly, looking up at the vast, clear night sky. “If you hadn't crossed the terrace that night... if you hadn't noticed that tiny scratch on the glass...”
Nina leaned her head against his shoulder. “My mother always told me that big things depend on small details. But I don't think it was just luck, Alessio.”
“No?” he asked, looking down at her. “What do you think it was?”
“I think,” Nina said, her voice filled with quiet certainty, “that God put me in the kitchen so I could find a father.”
Alessio froze. For a long moment, the powerful man who had commanded thousands of men and built an empire was entirely speechless. He set his mug down on the stone bench, reached over, and pulled her tightly into his side, resting his chin on top of her head.
“I think you’re right, little one,” Alessio murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “You saved my life, Nina. But more than that... you gave me a life worth living.”
From the open French doors of the villa, Greta stepped out onto the balcony, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders. She looked down at the two of them sitting together under the warm garden lights and smiled warmly.
“It’s late, you two!” Greta called down gently. “Time to come inside.”
“We’re coming, Mom!” Nina called back.
May you like
She stood up, grabbed her mug, and held out her small hand to Alessio.
Alessio Fontana, the Don who had outlived every enemy and conquered every threat, took the small hand of the little girl who had saved him. Together, side by side, they walked out of the shadows of the garden and into the warm, bright light of their home.
