Chapter 87
The estate was quiet, the hum of the day’s activity long gone as the night settled in. Marco wandered the halls, his steps slow and deliberate. He stopped at the doorway of their bedroom, where the soft glow of a lamp illuminated Carmen sitting by the window. She held a book in her lap, but her gaze was distant, lost in thought.
“Carmen,” Marco said gently.
She looked up, surprised to see him standing there. “Marco, it’s late. Is everything alright?”
Marco stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. His expression was uncharacteristically vulnerable, and Carmen immediately sensed the weight of what he wanted to say.
He sat down across from her, leaning forward with his hands clasped. “I’ve been thinking about everything. Everything I’ve put you through.”
Carmen closed the book and set it aside, watching him closely. “Marco—”
“No, let me finish,” he interrupted, his voice thick with emotion. “I doubted you. I let my pride and my insecurities come between us. I questioned your loyalty when I should’ve trusted you with my life.”
Her eyes softened, but she remained silent, letting him continue.
“I was wrong,” Marco said, his voice breaking slightly. “You’ve been my strength, Carmen. Through everything—every battle, every betrayal—you’ve stood by me. And when I failed, you carried us. You carried me.”
Carmen felt a lump in her throat as she reached out to place a hand over his.
Marco met her gaze, his eyes filled with regret and love. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Carmen. And I’m so proud of you. Proud of the woman you are, the mother you are. I don’t deserve you, but I want you to know how much I love you. How much I need you.”
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Carmen took a deep breath, her fingers curling around his hand. “Marco,” she began softly, “what’s done is done. The past is painful, but we’ve survived it. And I think we’re stronger because of it.”
He looked at her, hope flickering in his eyes. “Do you really believe that?”
She nodded. “I do. But forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting. I forgave you because I believe in the future we can build together. For us. For our son.”
Her words hung in the air, and Marco felt the weight of her honesty. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. “I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you,” he whispered.
Carmen smiled faintly, her hand reaching up to cup his cheek. “We don’t need perfect, Marco. We just need each other.”
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Their conversation shifted to their hopes for the future as they sat together in the quiet of the night.
“I want him to have a better life than we did,” Marco said, his voice filled with determination. “No war, no violence. Just peace.”
Carmen nodded. “He’ll grow up knowing love and security. We’ll build a life where he doesn’t have to carry the burdens we did.”
Marco squeezed her hand. “And we’ll do it together. No more doubts, no more walls between us. You’re the heart of this family, Carmen. I see that now.”
Her lips curved into a smile, her eyes glistening with emotion. “And you’re the one who gives us strength. Don’t ever forget that.”
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As the night deepened, their words faded into silence, replaced by an unspoken connection. Marco leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss that was slow and tender, filled with all the love and gratitude he couldn’t put into words.
They moved together as if rediscovering each other, their touches gentle but filled with passion. In that moment, the world outside didn’t matter. It was just them—two people who had weathered storms and come out stronger on the other side.
“I love you, Carmen,” Marco murmured against her skin.
“I love you too,” she whispered back, her voice steady and sure.
They held each other close, their hearts beating in sync as they found solace in their shared strength and love.
