His Fiancée Betrayed Him Publicly—Then the Mafia Boss Chose the Woman Everyone Mocked
Chapter 12
Five years passed.
Emma was now five.
Elena was thirty-four.
Adrian was forty.
Moretti Holdings had grown steadily.
But Adrian had begun stepping away from daily operations.
He trusted Elena to lead more of the company.
One afternoon, she walked into his office.
“I’m taking over the North American division.”
He looked up.
“Good.”
“You’re not going to argue?”
“No.”
She frowned.
“That ruins my preparation.”
He laughed.
“You’re ready.”
She sat down.
“Do you ever regret choosing me?”
Adrian stared.
“No.”
“Not even when I disagree with you?”
“Especially then.”
She smiled.
They had learned something important.
Love didn’t mean agreeing.
It meant having someone brave enough to tell you when you were wrong.
That evening, Elena took Emma to the park.
Adrian joined them later.
Emma ran toward him.
“Daddy!”
He picked her up.
Elena watched.
The man from the ballroom seemed like a different person now.
Not softer because he was weak.
Softer because he had something to lose.
That night, Adrian and Elena sat on the balcony after Emma fell asleep.
“Do you remember what you told me at the engagement party?”
“What?”
“Maybe you’re better off without her.”
Elena smiled.
“You remembered that?”
“I remember everything you say.”
She looked at him.
“You were different then.”
“So were you.”
“I was invisible.”
“No.”
He took her hand.
“You were just standing in the wrong room.”
She smiled.
He continued.
“Everyone saw your clothes.”
“I know.”
“They saw your job.”
“I know.”
“They saw someone beneath them.”
“And you?”
“I saw the woman who stopped to clean broken glass while everyone else watched.”
Elena leaned against him.
“You make everything sound romantic.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
“That’s why it worked.”
They sat quietly.
Then Adrian said,
“I love you.”
Elena smiled.
“I know.”
“I hate when you say that.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to say it too.”
She kissed him.
“I love you too.”
