Chapter 48: Chapter 49

Leah POV

I rushed into my room the moment I heard Luciano wanted to go out. My heart was beating fast, my thoughts running wild through my head Why now? Why me? A small smile formed on my lips as I quickly pulled open my wardrobe, scanning through my clothes. I needed to look perfect. Not just good, but perfect.

This could be the moment everything changes. Maybe he had finally come to his senses. Maybe Valerie had pushed him too far, turned her back on him, made him see the truth. And the truth was simple. I was the best thing that had ever happened to him. I had always been the one who understood him, the one who stayed, the one who truly belonged by his side. I wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip through my fingers.

I changed quickly, trying on more than one outfit before settling on the one that fit just right. Something elegant, something that reminded him of what he used to have with me. When I was done, I stood in front of the mirror, taking my time to study myself. I adjusted my hair, smoothed down the fabric, turned slightly to the side, then back again.

A satisfied smile slowly spread across my face. I looked beautiful. No, more than beautiful I looked unforgettable. There was no way he wouldn’t notice me tonight. No way he wouldn’t remember exactly why he chose me before. Without wasting another second, I grabbed my purse and rushed out of the room, my excitement growing with every step I took down the stairs.

When I got to the living room, he was already there, seated calmly like he had all the time in the world. Waiting. For me. That alone made my heart skip. I slowed my steps as I approached him, standing right in front of him, giving him a clear view of me. I didn’t say anything at first. I just waited. I wanted to hear it. I needed to hear it.

“You look beautiful,” he said, that was all it took.

The smile on my lips grew instantly, warm and satisfied. Of course I did. I always had that effect on him. I didn’t respond, but my eyes said everything I needed them to. Without another word, we walked out of the mansion together. He opened the car door for me, and I stepped in, my excitement barely contained. As the car drove off, I leaned back slightly, stealing glances at him when he wasn’t looking. Something felt different. Softer. Warmer. And I liked it.

He took me to one of the fancy restaurants we used to go to when we were together. The moment I saw it, memories rushed back, laughter, late nights, quiet conversations, the way he used to look at me like I was the only person in the room. Or maybe I was still that person. Maybe nothing had really changed. Maybe this was just everything falling back into place.

We were led to a private table, just the two of us, away from everyone else. Perfect, Exactly how it should be.

After placing our orders, I looked at him, and for a moment, I almost lost my breath. His gaze was different tonight. Softer. Gentler. There was something in his eyes I hadn’t seen in a long time. Something that made my heart beat faster.

Then he reached out and took my hand.

The simple touch sent a wave of warmth through me.

“Leah,” he said, his voice calm, almost careful, “I’ve been thinking about everything that happened. For a long time.”

I held my breath, my fingers tightening slightly around his.“And I realized something,” he continued. “I need to give you another chance. I want us to be together again.”For a second, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t even breathe, Did he really just say that?

My heart raced so fast it felt like it would burst out of my chest. I wanted to scream, to laugh, to run out of the restaurant and shout to the world that I had won. That I had gotten him back. Everything I had been hoping for, everything I had been waiting for, was finally happening.This was it.

I had him again, and this time, I wasn’t going to lose him, Valerie a small, satisfied thought crossed my mind. She was nothing now. Whatever she thought she had, it was over. I would make sure of it. First, I would remove her completely. Then I would take my rightful place beside him again, where I had always belonged.

I nodded quickly, unable to hold back my excitement. “Yes, yes, of course,” I said, my voice filled with happiness. “I’ve been waiting for this. Thank you, thank you for giving us another chance.” My smile widened as I spoke, my words coming faster now. “We’re going to make it work this time. We’ll build something even stronger. We’ll create new memories, better ones and who knows? Maybe we’ll finally end up where we were always meant to be.”

Marriage, the word lingered in my thoughts like a promise.

“Just like we planned,” I added softly. “Before everything went wrong before she came between us, it was all the devil's work”

“The devil?” he repeated, a faint scoff leaving his lips.

I watched him carefully, searching his expression, but then he smiled. That same smile I remembered.

“It’s fine,” he said. “I’ve realized something too. Being with you it’s the best thing that could happen to me. I want us to build something real. A home, a future.”Those words sank deep into me.

This was everything I wanted to hear. Everything I had been waiting for, not the cold distance he had been giving me before. Not the silence. Not the rejection. This… this was the Luciano I knew. The one who saw me, who wanted me, who chose me.

I squeezed his hand slightly, my heart full.

He finally understood,He finally saw my worth.All this time, I had been right, I was the one meant for him.

No one else, and now, everything was falling into place exactly the way it should.

I leaned back slightly in my chair, still holding his hand, my mind already racing ahead, imagining everything that was to come. The life we would build. The power we would hold together. The way everyone would look at us, knowing we belonged to each other.

For the first time in a long while, I felt at peace, but even as I sat there, smiling, a small voice deep inside me whispered something I didn’t want to hear. What if this was too perfect?What if this was not as simple as it seemed?

I pushed the thought away immediately.

This was real, It had to be, because I had waited too long for this moment, and I wasn’t about to lose it again.