THE END!

THE END!
Adrianna’s pov~

I hear laughter before I open my eyes. It’s soft and distant at first like it’s coming from somewhere far away, just out of reach.

Then it grows louder, clearer and closer.

My eyes flutter open slowly, the light above me warm and unfamiliar. For a second, I don’t move. I just lie there, staring at the ceiling, trying to understand why everything feels… different.

Peaceful. There's no pain and burning. My fingers twitch against the sheets.

I can feel them. That alone almost makes me cry..I turn my head slightly.

The room is different and not the sterile, suffocating space I remember. This is… home.

The mansion. I’m back! My chest tightens.

How long have I been out? The laughter echoes again. Right outside the door. My heart starts racing.

I push myself up slowly. My body feels strange.

The door creaks open before I can reach it and then, they burst in. Two small bodies that are fast and look so full of life..

“Mama!”

The word hits me like a bullet to the chest.

I freeze completely. They don’t...

They run straight toward me, their tiny feet pounding against the floor, laughter spilling from their lips like music.

They reach me and cling to me.Tears blur my vision instantly.

“Mama, you’re awake!” one of them says, voice bright and breathless.

I look down and two faces stare back at me. One boy, one girl. Both with dark hair.

My breath catches.

“You…” My voice breaks. “You’re..”

“Yours,” a voice says from the doorway.

I look up and everything else disappears.

Dante.

He’s standing there, frozen, like he’s afraid to move. He looks… different. Older.

“Dante…” I whisper..He crosses the room in seconds and then his arms are around me.

“You’re here,” he breathes into my hair. “You’re actually here.” I cling to him just as tightly.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t.” His voice cracks. “Don’t apologize..

not for this.”

His hands cup my face, forcing me to look at him.

“You came back,” he says. “That’s all that matters.” Tears slip down my cheeks.

“I missed everything…” His expression softens. “No,” he says gently. “You didn’t miss everything.”

He glances down at the children.

“They’ve been waiting for you.”

My chest aches as I look at them again. They’re watching us with wide, curious eyes.

“What are their names?” I ask softly.

Dante smiles slightly.

“Jona,” he says, nodding toward the boy. “And Aria.”

My breath pauses.“They’re beautiful,” I whisper.

“They’re trouble,” he corrects, a hint of amusement in his voice.

As if on cue, the boy, Jona, grins mischievously.

“I can run faster than Uncle Armando,” he declares proudly. A laugh slips out of me before I can stop it.

“Is that so?”

“And I can hear things from really far away,” Aria adds, her voice quieter but just as confident.

I go still. I look at Dante..He nods.

. “They started showing signs early,” he says.

“Like me,” I whisper.

“Like you,” he agrees. There’s no fear in his voice. Only pride.

That surprises me.

“I thought…” I trail off.

“That we’d be afraid?” he finishes.

I nod. He shakes his head.

“We chose this,” he says simply. “And we’ll handle whatever comes with it.”

Something warm settles in my chest. I look back at the children. At my children.

I feel… wonder.

~~

The mansion feels different. It's alive. Laughter echoes through the halls. It’s a home now.

Armando is in the living room when we walk in, leaning back like he owns the world. Which, to be fair, he probably thinks he does.

His eyes land on me and for once, he doesn’t have anything sarcastic to say.

He just… stares.

“You look terrible,” he finally mutters. A smile tugs at my lips.

"There it is."

He exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair before standing.

He pulls me into a tight hug.

“You sure took your time,” he mutters.

“Had to make an entrance,” I reply softly.

He huffs but his grip tightens for a second before he lets go.

Elio practically tackles me next.

“I knew it!” he says, his voice thick with emotion. “I told them you’d wake up.” Emiliano hangs back, but his eyes say everything. Relief, pride and love.

“Mum?” I ask quietly. “She’s in the garden,” Dante says. I don’t wait. I run to the garden immediately. She’s exactly where he said she’d be. Sitting under the sun.

For a second, I just stand there taking it in.

She turns and when she sees me, she smiles like she knew this moment would come.

“My baby,” she says softly. And I fall apart all over again.

~~

Later that evening, the house finally settles. The children are still running around, full of energy that never seems to run out.

Dante stands beside me, watching them.

“You’ve changed things,” I say softly.

He glances at me. “What do you mean?”

“Your father’s empire,” I clarify. “It feels… different.”

His jaw tightens slightly. “I’m not him,” he says.

I smile faintly.

“I know.” There’s less fear now. No more destruction.

“You built something better,” I tell him..He looks at me for a long moment. Then his hand finds mine.

“We built it,” he corrects. My heart swells but before I can respond, a sudden shout rings out.

“Mama, look!”

I turn.

Aria is standing in the middle of the room, her small face scrunched in concentration.

And then, her eyes flash.. purple. The same as mine.

The room goes still for a second with everyone watching.

That familiar pull, the power but it’s not wild. It’s… controlled and beautiful.

I step closer slowly.

Aria looks up at me, uncertain now.

“Did I do something bad?” she asks softly.

My chest tightens. I kneel in front of her, cupping her face gently.

“No,” I whisper. “You did something amazing.”

Her eyes brighten.

“Really?” I nod.

“Really.”

Behind her, Jona grins. “I can do it too,” he says.

I laugh softly. “Of course you can.”

I look at them at what they are and what they could become. Instead of fear, I feel pride.

“They are going to be stronger than I ever was,” I say quietly.

Dante’s arm wraps around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.

“Good,” he murmurs. “They’ll need to be.”

I lean into him, watching our children run across the room.

For the first time, everything feels right.

THE END!