Chapter 9 - The Bellardi LegacySix months passed.
Spring returned to New York, bringing warm sunlight that melted the winter frost and illuminated the booming construction towers of Hudson Yards. Under my direction, the development had become a landmark triumph of sustainable architecture and community integration, restoring my family name to absolute prestige.
One warm Saturday afternoon, Dominic guided me onto a private yacht docked at the Chelsea Piers.
The boat swept out into the Hudson River, the Manhattan skyline rising grandly behind us under a clear blue sky.
"Where are we going?" I asked, leaning against the teak railing, wearing a simple white summer dress, my hair blowing gently in the sea breeze.
Dominic walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. "Somewhere quiet. Far away from boardrooms, press conferences, and court hearings."
"Is the great Dominic Bellardi officially retiring now?" I laughed softly, leaning back into his warm chest.
"I retired the moment I kissed you in that ballroom, Clara," Dominic murmured, turning me around in his arms to face him. "Every deal I’ve made since then... every fight I’ve fought... was for this."
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box.
My heart skipped a beat.
Dominic dropped down onto one knee on the polished wooden deck, opening the box to reveal a breathtaking, flawless six-carat blue diamond ring surrounded by platinum leaves.
"Clara Blake," Dominic said, his dark eyes shining with a deep, unreserved devotion. "Four months ago, you asked a stranger to kiss you to make a boy jealous. Today, I am asking you to marry me because I cannot imagine a single day of my future without you by my side. Will you be my wife?"
May you like
Tears, warm and joyful, filled my eyes. I dropped to my knees before him, wrapping my arms around his neck, bringing my lips down onto his in a kiss that carried all the passion, gratitude, and fierce love we had built together.
"Yes, Dominic," I whispered against his lips. "A thousand times, yes."
