Chapter 10: Out of the Darkness
The purge that followed was absolute. Dominic Rossi’s empire crumbled under a sudden onslaught of federal investigations and curated evidence. Sylvio was buried without a name, and Mrs. Higgins vanished entirely from the Duca records.
Leo’s recovery was slow, but real. Weeks turned into months of quiet mornings and safe routines. The breakthrough came on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon in the playroom. Leo placed his small hand on Cameron's wrist and spoke his very first full sentence:
“Don’t go.”
Cameron wept, and Leo reached up to brush her tears away. A few weeks later, he looked at his father and said, “Papa, sit.” Matteo sat, completely undone by the sound of his son's voice.
By spring, the penthouse no longer looked like a museum of grief. There were crayons in the drawers, toy trucks in the hallways, and a massive blanket fort in the library where Leo claimed dragons lived. Cameron's mother had recovered completely, her medical bills fully paid, now able to sit by the window and drink tea without pain.
When summer arrived, the wedding was held in a private, sunlit garden.
Cameron walked down the aisle in a breathtaking white gown. Matteo stood at the altar in a sharp tuxedo, his intense gaze locked entirely on her.
But midway through the ceremony, Leo, looking adorable in a miniature tuxedo, decided he was done waiting. He dropped the ring pillow and sprinted down the aisle, launching himself into Cameron's arms. The guests laughed warmly.
At the altar, Matteo took her hand, sliding a diamond band onto her finger.
“You came here to clean my house,” he murmured, so low only she could hear.
Cameron smiled through her tears. “And you scared me half to death.”
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“You cleared the darkness out of it anyway,” he replied softly.
She looked at him, then at the little boy holding her dress, and realized that out of debt, grief, and terror, they had built a real family. When the officiant pronounced them husband and wife, Leo clapped first, his laughter echoing across the garden, bright, loud, and entirely free.
