Chapter 68- Breaking Walls
Lucia The world tilted on its as as I stared through Elling snow at a
snow at a ghost. Or a hallucination. Or maybe just too much of Kristin’s aquavit making me see things that couldn’t possibly be real.
Because Dante Romano couldn’t be standing on a snowy Oslo street at midnight. The morning news had shown him at City Hall, perfectly composed in his element, announcing urban development initiatives half a world away.
Yet here he was, radiating that lethal grace in a black overcoat that probably cost more than most Norwegian cars, Snowflakes caught in his dark hair, the only disorder in his otherwise perfect appearance.
“Is this guy bothering you?” Olav stepped slightly in front of me, drawing himself up to his full height – which, I noticed with a slightly hysterical bubble of laughter, put him a good three inches absive Daise. “Should I call the police?”
Dame’s eyes never left my face as he replied in flawless Norwegian, each word carrying careful me
“Wife?” Olay’s laugh held genuine confusion “Look, I don’t know what kind of crazy
menace. “Step away from imy wife
“Olay “I touched has arm, feeling Dante’s gaze track the movement like a predator. “It’s okay. He’s… he’s telling the truth.”
“This is him?” Obv’s eyes widened comically. “The husband? But I thought he was in America doing important political things!”
“He was.” I met Dante’s gaze finally, shock giving way to anger. This morning, in fact, I saw the press conference.”
“Recorded yesterday,” Danie’s voice carried deadly calm as he switched to Eriglish. “Unlike some people, I don’t waste time when something requires
immediate attention.”
“Something” Heat rushed to my checks. “Or someone?”
His jaw ticked – that tiny tell that meant carefully maintained control was shipping. “We should discuss this privately
“We’re having a perfectly pleasant conversation right here,” I shot back, feeling reckless. “Claw and I were just-
“If this boy values his continued existence. Dajue muit in smoothly, he’ll say goodnight now.”
“Are you threatening me?” Olay drew himself up even taller, all Viking warrior despite his youth. “Because I’m not afraid of
“Olav.” I grabbed his arm before this could escalate further. Thank you for walking me home. But you should go.”
But
“Hease.” I squeezed his arm gently. I’m fine. He’s..“1 sighed, searching for words. “He’s my husband. My very overprotective, somewhat dramatic
husband”
Understanding finally downed in his blue eyes. “Ohl The complicated one
A sound that might have been a laugh escaped me. “Yes. The complicated one.”
“Right.” He shot Dame a look that was half challenge, half curiosity. “Well, if you’re sure….”
“I’m sure.” I managed a mile. Thank you for a lovely evening.”
He hesitated another moment before nodding Text me when you’re safe?” The words carried pointed meaning as he glanced at Dante.
The only threat to her safety,” Dante said with lethal softness, “is your continued presence, child”
“I’m not a child!” Olav protested. I’m oventy–one and—
“Goodnight, Olav.” I cut him off firmly. Tll see you in class.”
He finally withdrew, shooting concerned glances over his shoulder until he disappeared around the corner. Snow continued falling in soft silence as I
turned to face the man who’d followed me across an ocean.
“Child?” I arched an eyebrow, clinging to anger because it was safer than other emotions threatening to surface. “He’s hardly more than a decade
younger than you.”
“Eleven years, two months, and seventeen days,” Dante replied with precise control. “I had him thoroughly vetted the moment he started pursuing
my wife,”
“Of course you did I started walking toward my apartment, not bothering to see if he’d follow. Snow crunched under my heels as familiar collogne teased my senses. “Because God forbid anything in this world escape your careful monitoring.”
He fell into step beside me, his longer stride adjusting to mine with practiced ease. “The boy has a trust fund from his grandmother. Clean record except for one drunk and disorderly incident last year. Passionate about environmental policy but mediocre grades in economics. And a rather persistent habit of pursuing unavailable women.”
“Fascinating kept my
my voice carefully neutral as I unlocked the building’s from door. “Did your thorough investigation happen to mention h temble jokes? Or his completely genuine enthusiasm for helping first years navigate registration? Or maybe his volunteer work at the refugee
center”
The lobby felt too small as we waited for the elevator, his presence filling every inch of available space very well informed about his… qualities.”
with carefully contained pos
power.
You seem
“He’s my friend.” The elevator arrived with a soft ding “Something you might understand if you ever allowed actual emotions into your carefully
ordered world.”
100
Chapter 68- Breaking Walls
We rode up in charged silence, tension crackling between us like lightning before a storm. My apartment door felt like a threshold between worlds as 1 unlocked it with slightly trembling fingers.
“Nice flowers.” His voice carried dangerous amusement as we entered the small living room. “You usually throw them away
Heat nished to my cheeks as I turned to face him. “Why are you here. Dance?”
“You know why” He shrugged off his overcoat, the notion precisely controlled despite the emotion buming in his eyes.
“Actually, I don’t.” Anger finally cracked through my careful composure. “Because last time we spoke, you couldn’t even say
I love you
The words fell like bombs between us, stopping my heart and my breath and possibly time itself.
“What My voice came out barely a whisper.
“I love you.” He took a step closer, that perfect control finally showing cracks. “I love your fire and your compassion and your ridiculous ceramic fishi sculptures that completely ruin my careful decorating scheme.”
“Dante-
“I love how you a challenge every carefully constructed wall I’ve built,” he contined, another step bringing him close enough that his cologne made me dizzy. “How you make me question every nile I’ve lived by. How you force me to feel things I’ve spent years trying to avoid.”
Tears burned behind my eyes as I stared at him. “If this is some kind of political strategy
This as me losing control.” His hands come up to frame my face, thumbs brushing away tears I hadn’t realized were falling. This is me admining that Ed rather shatter every careful defense than lose you. This is me saying what I should have said months ago, what I should have said every day since that first night when you turned my perfectly ordered world upside down.”
“Say it again.” The words escaped before I could stop them.
His lips curved slightly not his usual calculated smile, but something real and raw and beautiful. “I love you, Lucia Valentini Romano. Beyond contracts and calculations and careful political arrangements, Beyond control and composure and everything I’ve spent years building my life
“How do I know this isn’t just another perfectly execised plan?” But my hands were already reaching for him, betraying my heart’s decision before my head could catch up.
“Because I left in the middle of budget negotiations,” he admitted, resting his forehead against mine. “Didn’t even finish the morning briefing. Just naw that Viking child’s social media post abour tonight’s party and got on the first flight to Oslo. “
A wet laugh escaped me. “You! Abandoned a budget meeting? Now I brow this is a hallucinmion.”
“You’ve ruined me,” he murmured, his dumba ställ tracing patterns on my checks. “‘Completely destroyed every careful wall, every calculated defense. I can’t even look at the theater district without seeing your dreams. Can’t walk through the city without remembering every plan you shared, every hope you expressed, every dream I tried to pretend didn’t matter.”
“The urban renewal initiative,” I realized suddenly. “All those projects.
“Every single one based on ideas you mentioned.” His voice mughened diglaly. “Things you wanted to build, changes you wanted to make. I’ve spent two months reshaping the city around ineniories of you, trying to show with actions what I couldn’t say with words.”
Fresh tears spilled over as everything clicked into place. The restored camusel. The community art spaces. The youth center expansion. Every project a carefully constructed monument to dreams I’d shared in quiet moments
Tiamo,” he whispered in our mother tongue, the words carrying cemures of theaming. Ti sino più della vita stessa.
Ilove you more than life itself
“Say it again,” 1 demanded, fisting my hands in his perfectly pressed shirt.
His smile carried none of its usual careful control as he obliged “Tiamo.” A kiss brushed my forehead. “Ti amo.” Another touched my cheek. Ti
amo, li amo, ti amo.”
The final declaration was lost against my lips as I pulled him down to me, pouring months of pain and longing and love into a kiss that shattered what remained of our careful walls
“Ti amo.” I whispered back, feeling his heart race against mine. “You impossible, controlling, perfectly imperfect man.
His laugh–real and unguarded and beautiful – filled the space between in as he pulled me closer. “I think it’s time to go home, cara.”
