Page 118 of The Deal

I hear my idiot brother bark out a laugh. “Fair call,” I reply, smiling down at her.

Thankfully, Angelina approaches, saving the day. “Dolcezza,” she says, cupping her daughter’s face. “Do you know how hard it was for me not to wish you a happy birthday this morning?”

“I thought you had forgotten when it was,” Chloe states, and that admission hits me like a punch to the gut.

It leaves me feeling like a complete arsehole for asking her mother not to mention it. I thought keeping it a secret would make the surprise party I planned even better, but now that I realise she’s probably been spending the day agonising over it, I can’t help but feel like a jerk.

“It was the day I gave birth to you … the best day of my life. I could never forget that.” Angelina leans in, planting soft kisses on both of her daughter’s cheeks. “Happy birthday, baby girl. I can’t tell you what it means to be able to celebrate it with you this year. It’s like a dream come true.”

As she pulls away and steps back, the next surprise enters the room. “Happy birthday, Chloe-bear,” he says, his voice warm.

Chloe spins around, her face lighting up. “Daddy!” she cries, throwing herself into his open arms.

Giovanni is next. When Carmella releases him, he rushes toward her with all the enthusiasm of a child who can’t contain his excitement. I love the relationship these two share.

He throws his tiny arms around Chloe’s legs, hugging her tight. “Happy birthday, Chlo! We made you a cake, and I helped wrap all your presents.”

Chloe’s eyes soften as she bends down to scoop him up, her hand gently cupping the back of his head. “Thank you, little man,” she says, her voice catching in her throat.

Through the slight tremor in her voice, she smiles, and I can tell that she feels more loved and seen than she has in a very long time.

When my brother saunters over with that smug fucking look of his, I know I’m not going to like whatever he’s about to do. I brace myself as he comes to a stop in front of her.

He reaches up, grasping either side of her face in his hands. “Happy birthday, darlin’,” he says, leaning in to place his lips directly over hers. He barely makes contact before I shove him back, but when he stumbles, I quickly lunge forward and wrap my fingers around his elbow, stopping him from falling.

“Do you have a death wish?” I growl.

“Until you put a ring on it, big brother, I’d say she’s fair game.”

That motherfucker. He knows exactly what he’s doing. I can feel the rage boiling as my nostrils flare, locking onto him with a glare that could cut glass.

He’s trying to back me into a corner—forcing my hand—but the truth is, he doesn’t have to. This has been brewing and simmering in my head for a while, waiting for the right time. And now … I think that moment’s finally here.

It’s my chance. And I’m fucking taking it.

Without a second thought, I turn on my heel and storm out of the room. When I return a few minutes later, everyone’s eyes are wide with surprise. But I’m focused on one person: Chloe.

I don’t waste a second. I walk straight toward her, drop to one knee, and open the small box in my hand, holding it out to her. Her breath hitches, and for a split second, everything falls away.

“I know our beginning was unconventional,” I say, my voice low but sure. “But from that very first night, I knew there was something special about you. Something I couldn’t ignore. A part deep inside me knew I wanted to keep you forever. I can’t say for sure that I loved you back then, but I do now. So damn much.”

I pause, feeling the gravity of it all, before voicing the words I’ve been waiting to say for so long.

“Sposami, amore mio.”

Her eyes widen, and in the silence that follows, everything I’ve ever wanted hangs in the air between us.

Chloe’s eyes briefly dart to her parents, and when I follow her line of sight, I’m relieved to see them both smiling. Lina even wipes a stray tear from her eyes.

When her attention moves back to me, the corners of her lips curve up. “Si,” is all she says, and that one word was all I needed.

When I remove the ten-carat solitaire diamond ring from its cushion, the flawless facets catch the light with every subtle movement. The ring is set in a classic platinum band, and the diamond sits high and proud, commanding attention with its brilliance, just like Chloe does.

It cost me a small fortune, but only the best for my future queen.

My eyes flicker to my brother as Chloe gazes down at the ring that now adorns her finger, and I give him a smug, satisfied grin.

“There’s a ring on it now, arsehole, so if you touch her again, you die.”

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