chapter 44 Proposal

chapter 44 Proposal
Carla's POV

I stared down at Ruggero kneeling on the ancient cobblestones, the diamond ring glittering in his outstretched hand.

"I... what?"

"Marry me, Carla," he repeated. "I know it seems sudden, but I believe in seizing opportunities when they present themselves."

"Ruggero, I can't... I'm already married."

"To a man who can no longer be a husband to you," he said gently, rising to his feet but keeping the ring box open between us. "Ricardo Bonano lies in a hospital bed in New York, kept alive by machines. He cannot provide for you, cannot protect you, cannot give you the life you deserve."

The blood drained from my face. "How do you know about Ricardo?"

"Cara mia, nothing happens in Sicily without my knowledge. And the Bonano family's tragedies are particularly well-documented among those who pay attention to such things."

"I don't understand. How could you possibly know about his condition? About what happened to him?"

"Information is a currency in my business, just like weapons or loyalty. When Alessandro Bonano brings a beautiful woman to Sicily and introduces her only as his assistant, naturally people become curious." He closed the ring box but didn't pocket it. "Your husband was attacked three weeks ago during a business transaction gone wrong. Spinal injury, complete paralysis below the chest. The family has managed to keep it quiet, but not quiet enough."

My legs felt weak. I sank onto the edge of the fountain behind me, my hands trembling. "You've been investigating me."

"I've been learning about the woman who has captured my interest so completely," he corrected. "There's a difference."

"This is insane. You barely know me."

"I know enough." Ruggero sat beside me on the fountain's edge. "I know you're trapped in an impossible situation. I know you're carrying burdens that no woman should bear alone. And I know that Alessandro Bonano is too cold and calculating to appreciate the treasure in his possession."

The way he said it made my skin crawl. "I'm not anyone's possession."

"Of course not. That's exactly my point." He reached over and gently took my hand. "Come. Let me buy you breakfast, and we can discuss this properly."

I should have insisted on returning to the hotel immediately. Instead, I found myself nodding, too shaken by his revelations to think clearly.

The restaurant Ruggero chose was small and intimate, tucked away on a side street where tourists rarely ventured. The owner greeted him warmly, clearly a regular customer, and seated us at a corner table with views of the bustling street outside.

Ruggero ordered for both of us in rapid Italian, his choices revealing an intimate knowledge of my preferences that unsettled me further. Fresh fruit, delicate pastries, coffee prepared exactly as I liked it.

"How long have you been watching me?" I asked once the server had left us alone.

"Watching is such an unpleasant word. I prefer to think of it as taking a healthy interest in your welfare." He poured cream into my coffee. "Sicilian men are naturally protective of women who capture their attention."

"This is crazy, Ruggero. I've known you for less than twenty-four hours."

"Time is a luxury people like us don't always have, cara mia. In my world, when you find something precious, you claim it before someone else does."

The possessive edge to his words made me shift uncomfortably in my chair. "I'm not a thing to be claimed."

"No, you're a woman in desperate need of protection and support. Your husband cannot provide either. Alessandro views you as a business asset. But I..." He leaned forward, his eyes intense. "I would worship you as you deserve."

Before I could respond, he continued.

"Tell me, dolce, are you actually pregnant? Or is that another fiction you're maintaining for the family's benefit?"

I felt the color drain from my face. "What are you talking about?"

"The Bonano heir you're supposedly carrying. I have sources in several medical facilities throughout New York. Interesting how no pregnancy can be verified through official channels."

My hands began to shake around my coffee cup. "I don't know what you think you know—"

"I know that you're desperate to conceive a child you can pass off as Ricardo's. I know that you've approached Alessandro about providing the genetic material necessary to make your deception reality." Ruggero's voice remained gentle. "And I know that he's been less than cooperative with your requests."

"I have no idea what you're implying," I said.

"Of course you don't." Ruggero smiled. "But hypothetically speaking, if a woman in your position needed assistance with such a delicate matter, I would be honored to help."

"Help how?"

"Alessandro's cooperation is not the only path available to you, cara mia. There are other ways to achieve your goals, other sources of genetic material that would serve your purposes equally well."

"You're suggesting..."

"I'm suggesting that marriage to me would solve all your problems at once. Protection, financial security, and yes, if you desired it, children. As many as you wanted."

He reached across the table and covered my trembling hand with his massive one. "Think about it rationally, dolce. Your current path leads nowhere. Alessandro will never give you what you need, and your husband will never recover. But with me, you could have everything you've been fighting for."

"This is insane," I whispered.

"I know this is overwhelming," Ruggero said softly. "But don't dismiss the possibility too quickly, Carla. Let's think of some other more practical plan that might help you get through this period of time until you accept my proposal."

"What do you mean?"