Chapter 197 A Night of Revelations

Chapter 197 A Night of Revelations
Serena’s POV

The cloth unfolded slowly. Too slowly.

My breath hung somewhere between my chest and my throat as my eyes followed the movement—every inch, every crease, every second stretching longer than it should have.

And when the fabric finally opened fully—

I saw it.

A metal. Dark. Polished, and heavy.

A ring.

Then—

Another.

My brows pulled together slightly as I looked between both men. Each of them held one, resting on the center of the cloth.

I narrowed my eyes at them as there was something about them. Something familiar.

The design. The weight of it—even from here..

I took a step forward before I even realized I had moved.

“No,” I whispered faintly even though I didn’t understand.

But something inside me, something deep inside of me recognized it.

My fingers moved almost on their own, slipping into my pocket. And then—

I pulled it out.

My aunt’s ring. The one she gave me.

I held it up beside theirs, and the moment they aligned, my breath left me completely.

The resemblance wasn’t exact, but it didn’t need to be.

The structure.

The weight.

The presence.

They were the same.

My hand trembled slightly.

“What… is this?”

The first man stepped forward, keeping a firm posture, but he lowered his head slightly in respect.

“I was Luca’s second-in-command,” he said.

And the second man followed. “And I was the Romano head’s second in command.”

Silence stretched. Then—

“This,” the first continued, gesturing to the ring, “is not a gift.”

The second added quietly, “It is more of a confirmation.”

My chest tightened.

“A seal,” the first said.

“Of what happened yesterday,” the second finished.

My grip on the ring in my hand tightened..

“You killed them,” the first man said.

“And by blood,” the second continued, “you claimed what was theirs.”

The air shifted as everything inside me went still.

“We have officially handed over their authority to you.”

My head shook faintly. “No,” I whispered instinctively. “I can’t—”

Then I took a step back. “I can’t take that.”

My voice rose slightly now as a nervous feeling spread through me.

“This isn’t—this isn’t mine—”

I turned and I didn’t even realize I started moving till I was already walking away.

Then—.

“Serena.”

His voice stopped me and a hand caught my wrist before I could go any further.

I turned back sharply and my eyes landed on Dante.

He was standing now and his body looked like it was being held together by nothing but will.

But his eyes, his eyes were steady on me. “Look at me,” he commanded, and I didn’t want to. But I did.

“You can’t walk away from this.”

My chest rose and fell unevenly.

“I can’t do this,” I whispered. “I don’t know how to lead—”

“You already did,” he cut in. “You made a decision. You acted on it and ended something that would have destroyed everything.”

I shook my head again. “That’s not the same thing—”

“It is,” he challenged and silence followed. Heavy and right up there.

“If you refuse this now,” he added quietly, “those families will tear themselves apart.”

My breath caught.

“Power doesn’t disappear, Serena. It shifts. And if it doesn’t find a place to land…” he paused and stared at me. “It becomes war.”

The words sank deep. Too deep.

“There’s too much at stake,” he finished. “Too many lives.”

My hands trembled. “I don’t know how to do this…”

His gaze softened slightly. “You’ll learn.”

A pause. Then he added, “But you don’t get to run.”

I swallowed hard. “Then you take it,” I said as the words slipped out before I could stop them. “You’re stronger. You’ve led before—”

He shook his head immediately. “No. It wasn’t given to me,” he said and his eyes locked onto mine. “It was given to you.”

Silence stayed as my chest tightened. Everything inside me twisted as fear and nerves crashed into me.

I exhaled slowly. Then turned back and the men hadn’t moved an inch.

They were still there, waiting for my choice.

I stepped towards them with each step feeling heavier than the last. Till I stopped right in front of them.

My hand lifted slowly, shaking slightly as I took them in mine. Both rings.

The moment they touched my palm, the men dropped on their knees, bowing their heads

The room shifted as something changed.

I felt it and looked down at my hands. Three rings now. All mine.

Luca’s.

Romano’s.

“This can’t be real,” I whispered.

“You’re right,” I heard right from behind me and turned to find my mother.

She stepped forward slowly with her expression calm—but her eyes, her eyes carried something deeper.

“I was waiting,” she said softly. “For this moment.”

My brows furrowed. “What do you mean…?”

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a cloth, carefully folded together and she opened it—

I froze as inside it was another ring.

My breath hitched. “No.”

Her gaze softened. “Your father didn’t take it with him,” she said quietly. “He left it behind.”

I stared at her.

“I told everyone he ran away with it,” she continued. “It was easier that way.”

Her fingers tightened slightly around the rings in my hand.

“I was afraid.”

Silence filled the space.

“I didn’t think I could lead,” she admitted. “So I hid it, lied that it was missing with your father.”

My throat tightened.

“But after watching you,” she added, her voice trembling slightly now, “after everything you’ve done in the last few days, everything you survived…”

She shook her head faintly.

“I could never be like you.”

“Mom—”

“I mean it,” she cut in gently. “You walked into war. Twice. And came back every single time, alive.”

Her eyes softened further. “You watched your aunty die, but didn’t break, still went back.”

She paused for a while, then added. “I did. I broke after your father left.”

She then took a heavy breath.

“I can’t carry this anymore,” she said. “But you can,” she added, then stepped closer, holding out the ring.

“Take it.”

I stared at it. At her.

“I—”

“Take it,” she repeated, firmer this time. And my hand lifted slowly before taking it.

Four rings. Four.

Before I could even process it all, I felt something moving behind me.

And turned to find Dante. He was getting closer to me, and before I knew it, he dropped to one knee.

My breath caught instantly as everything around us went still.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. A different looking one from the rest.

Simpler. But somehow, it felt heavier.

“Serena Marceti,” he started with a rough voice.

“I’ve tried to walk away from you,” he admitted. “More times than I could count.”

A faint, tired smile touched his lips. “But it never worked.”

My chest tightened.

“From the moment I saw you… I knew you were going to change everything,” he added, then exhaled slowly.

“And even when everything went wrong… even when I thought I lost you…”

His gaze deepened. “You still came back for me.”

Silence followed.

“I can’t stay away from you,” he said simply and paused. Then—

“I don’t want to.”

My breath trembled.

“So now,” he continued, lifting the ring slightly, “I’m done pretending I can.”

His eyes locked onto mine. “Will you marry me, Serena Marceti?”

The world stopped completely.

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think—

Until—

I felt a pair of hands in my back. “Say yes already,” Val whispered to me.

I smiled and turned to Dante again, stretching out my finger to him. “Yes!” I screamed and Dante pushed the ring into my finger and got up, pulling into a hug.

“Thank you,” he whispered as he kissed me.

I kissed him back but as he held onto me, I felt a strange feeling tugging at my chest. I knew this was the right time to tell him.

So I pulled away slightly. “Dante, there's something I need to tell you too,” I whispered.

“What?” He asked and I rested my hand on my tummy.

“I was meaning to tell you since—”

“You are pregnant?” He asked.

I blinked. “How did you—I mean, yes. Yes! I am!” I replied and he pulled me into a hug again.

“This is perfect,” he replied as he held onto me.

We remained like that till a sound broke us apart, and we turned to Valentina on her knees.

Sobbing.

I was about stepping forward, when I saw the look in her eyes. It froze me where I was.

Something about them told me whatever I had heard tonight, none would shake me like what had made her like this.