Chapter 10 - The Sovereign Heir
Seven months later.
The penthouse suite on the forty-third floor of Bellano Tower was unrecognizable.
The austere, intimidating boardroom furniture had been replaced with soft, childproof couches, warm oak shelving filled with storybooks, and a plush play area in the corner bathed in the golden afternoon sunlight streaming over Lake Michigan.
A high-pitched, joyful giggle echoed off the glass walls.
Seven-month-old Leo Dominic Bellano sat happily on a hand-woven wool rug, banging a wooden block against a toy drum. He had his father’s raven-black hair and piercing dark eyes, but his sunny, fearless smile was entirely mine.
"Leo, look what Papa brought," Dominic’s voice called out as the executive elevator chimed open.
The CEO of Bellano Holdings walked into the room, tossing a multi-million-dollar buyout proposal onto my old desk without a single glance. He had stripped off his tie, his top shirt buttons undone, walking with an easy, relaxed stride that was miles away from the tense, paranoid mafia boss who had once commanded this floor.
Leo squealed, crawling rapidly across the rug on his hands and knees. Dominic dropped down immediately, scooping our son up in one arm and tossing him gently into the air, catching him to a chorus of wild toddler laughter.
"Careful, Dominic, he just had lunch," I laughed, walking out of the adjoining private office with a folder of charitable foundations we were launching across the city.
Dominic caught my waist with his free arm, pulling me into his side and planting a long, warm kiss on my lips that left me breathless even after a year of marriage.
"The boy is fearless, just like his mother," Dominic whispered against my cheek, his eyes softening as he looked between the two of us. "The board approved the transition. By next quarter, Bellano Enterprises will be entirely clean. The last of the old debts have been settled."
I rested my head against his shoulder, watching the boats glide peacefully across the blue water of Lake Michigan below.
A year ago, I was a terrified secretary, clutching an ultrasound picture in a dirty subway train, convinced my only choice was to run and hide in an obscure corner of the world. I had feared Dominic’s world would swallow me whole.
Instead, his love had remade the world entirely.
"You ready for dinner?" Dominic asked, handing Leo a soft plush bear while his thumb traced the wedding band on my finger.
May you like
"Only if you made the reservations under your real name," I smiled up at him.
"No aliases, Penny," Dominic smiled, pressing his forehead against mine as our son giggled between us. "Dominic, Penelope, and Leo Bellano. Out in the open. Where we belong."
