Chapter 9 - THE SECOND WEDDING
Six months later, I moved out of the De Luca mansion.
Matteo didn't understand at first.
Then I explained.
“I don't want to live in the house where I learned to disappear.”
So we bought a smaller house.
No gates.
No armed guards at every door.
No room that I wasn't allowed to enter.
Matteo began restructuring his businesses.
Some companies were sold.
Others became legitimate.
The operations connected to illegal activity were shut down.
It cost him millions.
He didn't complain.
When I asked why, he said:
“I spent years building an empire I could use to protect you.”
He looked around our new house.
“Now I'm building a life you won't need protection from.”
I started my own financial consulting firm.
My first client was a small family company.
Then another.
Then another.
I became known for finding financial manipulation other accountants missed.
People started calling me the woman who could find money hidden under ten layers of lies.
I liked that.
Because for the first time, my name belonged to me.
Matteo never interfered.
He didn't ask what I earned.
He didn't tell me who I could work with.
He didn't even sit in on my meetings unless I invited him.
Our marriage became something completely different.
We argued.
We laughed.
We ate breakfast together.
Sometimes he still came home late.
But now he called.
Sometimes I was angry.
But now he listened.
Sometimes he was afraid.
And now he admitted it.
One evening, I came home and found him standing in the kitchen.
He was holding a small velvet box.
I stopped.
“What is that?”
He looked nervous.
The most feared man I had ever known looked like a teenager waiting for rejection.
“I want to ask you something.”
I smiled.
“You're terrible at this.”
“I know.”
He opened the box.
Inside was my wedding ring.
The original one.
But there was something different.
He had removed the giant diamond.
In its place was a simple band.
“I thought the first ring was too much.”
I stared at it.
“This is simpler.”
“I want something that feels like us.”
He took a breath.
“Lucia, will you marry me again?”
I laughed softly.
“We're already married.”
“I know.”
He looked at me.
“But the first time, you married a man you thought you understood.”
His voice trembled.
“I want to marry you again now that you actually know me.”
I stepped closer.
“And if I say no?”
“I'll still love you.”
“And if I say yes?”
His eyes softened.
“I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret it.”
I took the ring.
“Yes.”
He closed his eyes.
For a second, he looked relieved enough to cry.
Then he did something that made me laugh.
He dropped to one knee.
I shook my head.
“Matteo.”
He looked up.
“What?”
“You've already kissed my feet.”
He smiled.
“I know.”
“Your guards are going to talk about that forever.”
“Let them.”
He slipped the ring onto my finger.
Then he kissed my hand.
May you like
“I'm not ashamed of loving my wife.”
That was the moment I knew the marriage had finally begun.
