Page 69 of Prince of Malice

“Well then,” he remarks as he stands from his chair. “With my blessing as well, no one could possibly doubt our devotion to each other.” He holds out his hand for me.

I shake it awkwardly, and he treats his son in the same way, exchanging their respect with another handshake. Gesturing toward the door, Salvatore directs us to leave him to himself in the study.

Giving him a simple nod each, Luca and I walk out of the room and close the door behind us. We wait anxiously on the outside of the study, waiting for a possible noise or outburst.

Nothing.

Luca rushes me into a hug, wrapping hisarms around me and embracing me tightly against him.

I can’t believe it.. I think we’ve done it.

EPILOGUE: LUCA

My dorm room feels so much quieter and calmer than usual. The hum of Valmont campus and the wider city outside seems muted in comparison to how it sounded all those months ago. I suppose our family drama is larger than most others, so Montcove would have been affected and can now relax along with us now that it’s all over. After months of running, fighting, constant stress, and the endless strings of impossible decisions, it feels like I can finally breathe again.

The Rossis and the Valentis have reached some fragile peace. It’s not perfect. Nothingever is. But it’s stable, and for now, that’s enough.

I stretch my legs out on the bed, rubbing my hands over my face as I lean back against the pillows. I leave my phone face down on the nightstand, no longer having to worry about any intense calls or threatening messages. It’s been a while since I could just set it aside, take a breath, and enjoy the stillness.

I glance down at my watch, feeling the cold touch of the metal band. I’m still not used to the feeling yet; it’s very different from my old leather-strapped one, but it was a gift from Sofia that she got me a few weeks ago for my birthday. It’s almost identical to the one that Dominic has, so now we have a matching set. I have to hand it to her. It’s a pretty great gift, and it was completely unexpected. Getting a birthday present from Sofia Rossi was something I had never expected, let alone her getting me a matching watch as her son’s.

That’s just how things work now. Sofia’s a part of my life. She’s family. The Valentis and Rossis are a part of one larger family now, and we’re connected in more than just one way.

The door creaks open, and Dominic steps in, a little out of breath, his expression soft. He holds a small bunch of flowers in one hand, a surprising and questionable thing for him to have.

“Hey,” he says, dropping his bag by the door and glancing at the flowers like he’s unsure what to do with them now. “I thought I’d get you something... I don’t know. Just... 'cause.”

I sit up and raise an eyebrow, my lips tugging into a smirk. "You didn’t have to do that. What are you apologizing for?”

Rolling his eyes at me, he doesn’t back down. “Come on, I haven’t done anything bad. I just... I wanted to do something nice. And I wasn’t too far from the store, so...” He pauses. “It’s not weird, right?”

I shake my head, my smile lingering. “It’s not weird. It’s actually really sweet of you, babe.”

Dominic smiles at me and tries to shake off his endearing embarrassment with a joke. “You better not start expecting things like this every time I come over here.”

“Dom, you practically live here now. Would you rather I charge you rent?” I batback at him. “Put them to the side for now,” I tell him, patting the empty space beside me on the bed. “Come here. I’m not going anywhere for a while. Let’s just relax.”

He takes a second before walking over and setting the flowers down on the nightstand, then slides in next to me. His body presses up against mine, warm and familiar, and for a moment, it feels like everything is normal. I breathe in the scent of him, smelling faint traces of soap, cologne, and whatever lingering scent of coffee or sweat still clings to him.

Lying here, side by side, neither of us are in a hurry to speak. There’s something peaceful about it. We’ve both been running for so long—running from our families, running from the inevitable. From the danger, from the expectations. Even running from each other for a while But in these quiet moments, it feels like we’ve carved out something just for ourselves.

“How was your day?” he asks after a while, breaking the silence. I turn my head to look at him, studying his face. His expression is relaxed, his eyes soft. For once, he looks content.

“Yeah, it wasn’t too bad,” I say. “My dad’s taking me out later for a dinner slash meeting thing. He wants my opinion on a couple of things, so just going out to have a chat and a fancy meal.”

“That’s really great. You’ve definitely earned it.” “Thanks. How was yours?” “Good,” he says, his voice a little lazy from the long day. “Actually, really good. I got my test back from the other week.” He pauses for dramatic effect. “I got a solid B plus.”

He smiles, really proud of himself, and I smile along with him. For so long, Dominic has never really tried when it came to academics, instead prioritizing partying and misbehaving in some self-destructive coping mechanism mixed with senseless acts of rebellion. “That’s amazing! I’m really proud of you, Dom.”

He shrugs, glancing at me sideways. “It’s not that hard when I’m not busy running around trying to save your ass all the time.”

I laugh, the sound warm and familiar between us. “I think you secretly like it. You’re addicted to drama. I’m just your pretty little excuse.”

He grins, his expression mischievous. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

We both fall into another stretch of quiet, this time more comfortable, more natural. Turning over in the cozily intimate bed, I look over to him beside me. My gaze drifts down to Dominic’s cheek, and I study the scar that’s been there for as long as I can remember. Long before his midnight fight in the college gym, far older and more faded than the ones we gained from our encounter with the Grecos. Still, it manages to be the most prominent mark on his face.

I’ve never asked about it or speculated about it out loud before. It’s a long, faint line that cuts across his jaw, near his cheekbone. By now, surely we’re at a place together where I can ask him about it and finally ease my curiosity.

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