EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE
Magnus Hale

As soon as the helicopter touches down, I feel my heart race. Adrian rushes to unbuckle my belt, jumps out first, and immediately extends his hand to me. I grip it firmly and step down as well.

The fresh, warm breeze brushes against my face, a pleasant contrast to that biting, merciless prison cold. I take a deep breath, savoring the open air for the first time in ages. When I look around, I realize we are atop a massive building with a panoramic view of the city.

"What building is this?" I ask, still trying to process everything.

Adrian steps closer and pulls me to his side, his gaze confident and familiar.

"It’s my father’s company building," he answers simply.

Before I can say anything, his father’s deep voice rises behind us.

"And soon this company will belong to my son," he says with pride, stopping near us. "He’s going to be a great CEO."

Adrian rolls his eyes in such a theatrical way that I can’t help but let out a light laugh.

We go down a metal staircase to the floor below and then head to the elevator. The interior of the building is luxurious—marble, golden lighting, the kind of wealth that reeks of power. Once the doors open, only the three of us step inside.

Adrian, completely ignoring his father’s presence, wraps his arm around my body and rests his face against my chest. I smile and drape my arm over his shoulder, pulling him closer.

The doors open again, and before I know it, we’re in the parking garage.

"Come, this way," his father says, taking the lead.

We walk over to a polished black car, where a man in a suit is waiting for us.

"Welcome back, Mr. President. And to the young master as well."

Adrian ignores the man entirely, but I don't. My eyes scan the guard from head to toe; he looks thirty at most, with a posture far too firm for someone who just drives. His gaze lingers on me a second longer than it should.

Suddenly, Adrian’s arm tightens around my waist with force—possessive, firm enough to make me swallow a groan of pain. I turn my face toward him, finding his dark, somber eyes watching me with that dangerous glint I’ve come to know so well.

I sigh, lightly touching his hand.

"Sorry, love... it was habit," I murmur, and his face softens.

He kisses my chin, and a small smile forms on my lips.

"It’s okay, love. You’re forgiven."

He opens the car door for me and helps me in, quickly settling in beside me. His father takes the front seat while the driver starts the engine.

I lean my head against the glass and watch the city through the window—the buildings, the lights, the people. No cold walls, no metallic sound of locks. Just life. I close my eyes and breathe in deeply. It’s liberating.

Now all I want is to live by his side. Adrian is my home, my family.

I think, for a moment, about something trivial—the last name. I am the last Hale. Giving up the name would be like erasing the little that remains of my lineage... but at the same time, that name carries a life that no longer belongs to me.

Magnus Hale Kael? Or Magnus Kael Hale? It’s strange... and yet, beautiful.

But I know that if I mentioned it, he would choose my surname without a second thought, just to please me. And that would be so typical of him.

I feel his hand search for mine, fingers intertwining, and a familiar warmth spreads through my chest. I rest my head on his shoulder, rubbing my nose against his neck, and the whole world finally seems quiet.

Peace.

The car slows down, and his voice breaks the trance.

"We’re here, my love."

I open my eyes and look out the window, confused. There’s nothing special there, just a quiet street. We get out of the car, and when I look up, my breath hitches.

A church.

I freeze for a second.

"Adrian..." I begin, turning to him. "My love, why are we in front of a church?"

He laughs, hugs me, and rests his chin on my shoulder.

"Why do you think, my love?" That unmistakable, provocative tone colors every word. "We are getting married."

I’m speechless.

"Weren’t we... going to get settled first?" I ask, dazed.

He kisses my chin and smiles, his eyes shining with excitement.

"We can get settled later, my love," he answers, his voice sweet. "I want to marry you now. I want us to be husband and spouse by the time we get home. Please... say you’ll accept."

There is so much hope in his eyes that I simply can’t say no. Not that I don't want to; it's just... fast. But everything between us has been like this: intense, unpredictable, inevitable.

I smile and kiss his forehead.

"Yes... I accept marrying you now, my love. But... we don’t have rings."

He smiles in a way that makes me suspicious.

"I asked my father to organize everything." He turns to the man, who quickly pulls a small box from his pocket and hands it over.

Adrian opens the box. Two golden bands shimmer under the afternoon light—simple, but elegant, with a refined touch. He stares at me with that look that always makes my heart race.

"Come on, my love." He holds out his hand. "Let’s get married."

I give a confident smile and take the hand he offers. We enter the church together, and the air inside feels different—light, almost sacred. Up ahead, a priest awaits us at the altar.

I don’t even want to imagine how the hell Adrian’s father managed to convince a priest to perform a gay wedding. It was probably another one of those "gentle" conversations with an implicit threat.

We walk to the altar. Adrian, full of excitement, seems to float with happiness. As for the priest... poor guy, his hands are shaking so much he almost drops the book. I stifle a laugh and take a deep breath. My heart is racing; it’s strange to feel this.

I never thought I would get married one day. I always believed I would die serving the mafia, drowned in blood and sin, and that the only possible end for me would be a cold grave. I thought I would rot in prison, forgotten. And yet, here I am: free, alive, holding hands with a twenty-five-year-old boy who turned my world upside down.

Adrian made me discover what love is—not pure love, but the love that burns, that destroys, that becomes a part of you until it hurts. His sickly love is crazy and possessive, but it’s sincere... and that’s enough. I know we’ll still fight, hurt each other, and reconcile a thousand times, but I want to believe our journey will be long.

The priest’s voice brings me back to reality.

"The vows, please."

Adrian stares at me with a smile so radiant it seems to illuminate the entire church. He grips my hands firmly and begins to speak.

"My king…" His voice trembles with emotion. "I want to apologize for the way I entered your life. But I don’t regret it. You know my story, you know all my flaws, and you stayed anyway. You are my light, Magnus. Without you, I am nothing. You are the reason I keep breathing, existing. I love you above everything, above the entire universe. You are my sun, my moon, everything that is beautiful and real."

He kisses my hands before continuing.

"I promise to love you, to care for you, to protect you. I will be your harbor when the world seems to crumble. I will always be by your side. Our story began in darkness, but from the moment you returned my feelings, the rest of my life filled with flowers. I love you, and I promise to make you happy, in sickness… and definitely in health, because we certainly won't be poor."