Chapter 44 - The Legacy of Love
As evening descended over Boston, painting the harbor in deep strokes of indigo and burning copper, the Moretti estate glowed with the warm, inviting light of a true home. We had gathered in the private family library—a room lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, rich leather armchairs, and a crackling stone fireplace that cast dancing shadows across the Persian rugs. Leo was fast asleep upstairs in his bed, his breathing slow and peaceful after a long day of outdoor adventures.
Dominic and I sat together on the large velvet sofa by the fireplace. He held a glass of aged scotch in one hand, while his other arm was wrapped securely around my shoulders, drawing me close against his chest. "Are you thinking about the gala?" Dominic asked softly, resting his chin against my hair.
"I was thinking about how strange life is," I admitted, gazing into the amber flames of the fire. "If someone had told me in that hotel ballroom three years ago that I would be sitting here, completely free, running a foundation, and loved by the most powerful man in the city... I would have thought they were insane."
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Dominic turned me gently so he could look into my eyes, his ice-blue gaze softening with an intensity that took my breath away. "You doubted yourself, Khloe. But you never lost your core. You were a queen long before I ever handed you a crown."
"You didn't just give me a crown, Dominic," I whispered, reaching up to cup his jaw. "You gave me a sanctuary. You showed me what real love looks like—not transactional, but fierce, protective, and unconditional."
