Chapter 90 The End

Chapter 90 The End
The following morning, Isabella opened her eyes and felt the warmth of the bed. Beside her, her husband Alexander was still asleep, his breathing deep and quiet. For a moment, her lips curved into a smile, just watching him as she looked at the scars on his chest and remembered how hard he had fought to come back to her. She felt a deep peace in her heart.

Then a soft knock on the door broke the silence.

Isabella sat up quickly, wondering who it could be so early in the morning. Alexander stirred beside her, opening his eyes. "Hey, baby," he whispered.

"Good morning, my love," she bent and pecked him on the lips.

The door opened a little bit. A servant stood there with tears in her eyes. "Miss Isabella... the doctor says you must come now. It is time."

Isabella did not say a word. She knew what that meant, her heart pounding hard in her chest. She jumped out of bed, grabbed a silk purple robe from the chair, and wrapped it around herself, her hands shaking. Alexander threw on his clothes and followed her as they ran down the hall to Salvatore’s suite.

Luca and Valeria were already there. Luca stood by the bed, his face tight and pale. Valeria stood behind him, her hand on his shoulder. The doctor looked at them with a grave expression, shaking his head slowly.

"His body is shutting down," the doctor said in a low voice. "He has only a few minutes left. Talk to him now."

Isabella rushed to the left side of the bed, taking her father’s hand. It felt very thin and very cold. Luca took the other hand. Salvatore opened his eyes, looking very weak, but when he saw his children, he smiled.

"You are here," Salvatore whispered, his voice like a dry leaf moving on the ground.

"We are here, Papa," Isabella said, tears already falling down her cheeks. "We are right here."

"I am so sorry," Salvatore said, glancing at Luca, then at Isabella. "I made so many mistakes. I was too hard, too blind. I am sorry for the pain I caused you both."

"It’s okay, Father," Luca said, his voice breaking. "We forgive you. We are proud of you. Look at us. We are whole because of you."

Salvatore looked past them to Alexander and Valeria. "Family," he breathed. "Take care of each other. Family is everything. It’s the only thing that matters in this world."

He looked at Alexander and gave a small nod. "Take care of my girl."

"With my life, sir," Alexander said to him.

Salvatore’s breathing became slow. He gripped their hands one last time, but the grip was getting weaker.

"I love you," he whispered. "More than life itself."

"We love you too, Papa," Isabella sobbed. "Thank you for everything. Thank you for being our father."

Salvatore’s chest rose one final time as he took a long, slow breath. Then, he stayed still. His eyes closed. The room went very silent. The only sound was the crying of his children. Salvatore Damiano was gone. He had passed away in peace, surrounded by the people who loved him.



Two days later, there were hundreds of people in black in the Damiano estate. Luca stood at the front, standing tall as he spoke to the crowd. He talked about his father’s strengths, about his father’s mistakes. He talked about how Salvatore had found a way to save his family at the very end.

"My father was a man of the old world," Luca said. "But he gave us the chance to build a new one. We will honor his name by being better. We will be strong, but we will be fair."

Isabella walked to the casket holding a single white rose. She leaned down and placed it on the coffin. "Goodbye, Papa," she whispered. "I hope you are with Mama now."

Vincent Harrington stepped forward. He did not say much, but he shook Luca’s hand. "He died with honor," Vincent said. "That is all a man can ask for."

They laid Salvatore to rest in the family vault, right beside his wife. When the service was over, the crowd left. Only the family remained.

Luca turned to Alexander. "I need you, Alex. I’m taking over the empire today. I want you as my partner. I want you as my advisor. We are going to change how things work. We need to make this business legitimate."

Alexander nodded. "I’m with you, Luca. All the way."

Valeria stood beside Luca, her hand in his. "We will rebuild it together," she said.

That evening, the house was quiet. They sat in the large dining room for dinner. There was good food and wine, but everyone was a bit sad. They missed Salvatore, who always sat at the head of the table.

Suddenly, Isabella turned pale. She pushed her plate away.

"Isabella? Are you okay?" Alexander asked.

"I... I feel a bit sick," she said as she stood up and excused herself, hurrying toward the bathroom.

Valeria looked at Luca, then followed her. She found Isabella in the bathroom, staring at a small white stick in her hand. There were two pink lines on it. Tears were streaming down her face, but she was smiling.

"Isabella?" Valeria asked softly.

Isabella turned around and showed Valeria the test. "Valeria... look."

Valeria gasped. She quickly hugged her tight. "Oh, Isabella! This is amazing!"

They walked back into the dining room together. Alexander stood up immediately. "What is it? Are you sick? Do we need a doctor?"

Isabella walked up to him. She took his hands and looked into his eyes. "I’m not sick, baby," she announced, her voice shaking with joy. "I’m pregnant."

The room went silent for one second. Then Alexander let out a loud shout, pulling her into his arms and lifting her off the ground. He spun her around, laughing and crying at the same time.

"A baby?" Alexander asked, his voice full of emotion. "We are having a baby?"

"Yes," Isabella laughed.

Luca jumped up and hugged them both. He looked at his sister and felt a huge weight lift off his heart. "A new Damiano," he said. "Congratulations, sister."

Valeria was jumping with excitement. "I’m going to be an aunt! I have to start planning things. We need a nursery. We need everything!"

They all sat back down, but no one had the appetite to eat anymore. They poured glasses of wine and juice, raising their glasses high.

"To new beginnings," Luca cheered.

"To Salvatore’s memory," Valeria added.

"To the babies," Alexander said, looking at Isabella. "To a life full of love and peace."

They drank and laughed and cried. The pain of the last few months was still there, but it was fading. They had survived. Now, a new life was growing inside the house.

Isabella rested her hand on her belly as she felt Alexander’s hand cover hers. He leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"I love you, Isabella. Our story is just beginning."

Isabella leaned her head on his shoulder. She looked at her family, and at her husband, and realized that love had won.