Chapter 10 - The vow of the boss
The silence in the penthouse was suffocating.
“Was it all a lie?” Vincent whispered, the raw pain in his voice more devastating than his anger. “Was Noah just a pawn for your revenge?”
Maya stood up rapidly, her beautiful face flushed with desperate emotion. She walked right up to him, refusing to back down.
“Yes, I knew who you were!” Maya cried, her voice breaking. “For ten years, I hated the name Moretti. You took my father from me. You forced me onto the streets. When I saw the bodyguards, I knew exactly who was stepping out of that car.”
She reached out, grabbing the lapels of his black suit, looking fiercely up into his eyes.
“But then I saw Noah,” Maya sobbed. “I saw a little boy who was just as broken, just as terrified as I was when I lost my family. And then... I saw you. I saw a man who would burn the world down to protect his son. A man who looked at a homeless girl and treated her like she mattered.”
Maya let go of his suit, taking a step back and wiping her tears. She walked over to the hallway closet and pulled out her weathered shoulder bag, slinging it over her shoulder.
“I didn't plan this, Vincent. I fell in love with your son. And I fell in love with you,” Maya whispered, her voice trembling with absolute sincerity. “But if you can't trust me, I will leave. Right now.”
She turned and began walking toward the heavy mahogany door.
“Mom!” a loud, clear voice cried out.
Maya stopped dead in her tracks. She turned around. Noah was standing in the hallway, clutching his mother’s photograph. He hadn't called her by her name. He had called her Mom.
Vincent looked at his son, then looked at the woman who had brought light back into their dark, violent world. The ghosts of the past didn't matter anymore. The only thing that mattered was the future standing right in front of him.
Vincent moved with terrifying speed. He crossed the room and blocked the door with his broad, muscular frame.
Maya looked up at him, her breath hitching.
“I am the head of the Moretti family,” Vincent said, his gravelly voice filled with absolute, unwavering resolve. “I destroy my enemies. I protect my own. And I will not let the sins of my father destroy the only woman I will ever love.”
He reached out, taking the weathered shoulder bag from her and tossing it onto the floor.
“You have a choice, Maya,” Vincent commanded softly, his dark eyes burning into hers. “You can walk out that door, and I will ensure you have unlimited funds, a safe home, and a perfect life far away from my shadows. Or you can stay here, rule by my side, and be a mother to my son.”
Maya looked at the towering, legendary Mafia Boss. She looked past his dark tattoos, his cold exterior, and saw the fiercely devoted man underneath. She looked at Noah, who was smiling at her with bright, hopeful eyes.
May you like
Maya didn't hesitate. She stepped forward, throwing her arms around Vincent’s neck, kissing him with a fierce, passionate certainty. Vincent’s powerful arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her slightly off the floor as he kissed her back, sealing a vow that would echo through the underworld forever.
The homeless girl from the streets didn't just find a velvet cage. She found her kingdom, and the king who would protect her until his last breath.
