POV: KATHERINA
Six years later
I finished high school and did my Bachelor of Science before enrolling as a biology teacher in the town’s high school, while Luca opened a bakery and a flower shop side by side.
Luca feared that one day or another, people were going to identify him, and we might have to flee, leaving everything behind.
But as the days passed, I stopped worrying, and Luca calmed down, but he never let his guard down.
The friction between Dad and Luca is still there, and even though dad’s happy about the effort he’s making to change his lifestyle, he doesn’t trust him yet, but Mom and Grams have grown to love him.
Ara, who was so petrified to even lift her head up and look him in the eye, now literally kicks his butt if he comes to visit without buying her chocolates.
My parents sold their house in Bridgehills and settled down in Manhattan when things in town became worse after Karen’s escape.
Things in Italy are not bad either. Rick has taken up Luca’s position, and everything is running smoothly.
The cops believe that Luca and Cruz are dead, but a new chief has been appointed to take down Accardi and the Mafia, but they don’t know who the leader is behind Accardi.
Luca was a beast, but Rick is a snake. He’ll be right among the cops, and they won’t know that he’s the new leader that they’re hunting for.
Cruz is loosely roaming around like an invisible man, and controlling him has become a difficult task for Rick.
Cruz became a killer and started leaving bodies behind, and the cops couldn’t even guess who had done it.
Luca says he’s pretty pissed off with the cops that abused and beat Emmalyn to a pulp, and he won’t stop until he has spilled the blood of every man who ever dared to touch his Emmalyn.
I never understood Cruz from the beginning, and I don’t think I ever will.
My best friend, Anna Hemming, finished her journalism degree in London and started working, making it easier for us to meet often while Isabella finished her course in fashion designing in Paris.
They came to my place last year for Christmas, and it amazed me how they got along with Luca and his friends. It was the best Christmas I’d had in a long time.
My heart feels heavy whenever they talk about Christopher. He was my first love, and I can’t forget that. He was everything a girl could want, but I’m just not the one for him.
I spoke to him on the phone since Luca didn’t agree to have him under the same roof as he is.
He apologized for his mother’s behavior. He told me that he gave up on me when Luca broke his legs, and it was his mother who forced him to come to Italy.
He grew angry with me and blamed me for what happened to him. I always thought he loved me more than football, but as he spoke, I realized that becoming a football player was a fiery passion for him.
He told me that he decided to let me go and move on with his life, go through all the surgeries so that he could walk again and live the life he always wanted.
But the moment he saw the love I had for Luca, even after everything he did to me, he felt ashamed of giving up on me.
Chris stayed with Grams and went through the treatment for a whole year before he started to feel his legs.
Darell Lockhart couldn’t take the shame and sadness his wife and son caused and started drinking and smoking.
Chris thought he’d be fine, but when Chris finally went back to him after his treatment, he was in a very bad condition.
Chris settled down with his dad in LA and enrolled him in therapy till he recovered, while he went on to pursue his career in football and joined the NFL.
I always watch his games when Luca’s not around. We are in contact on a regular basis, and even though Luca is aware of that, he doesn’t say anything even though he doesn’t like it.
Christopher also found the love of his life, Sarah Evangeline, daughter of one of the sponsors of the NFL, who is a model.
Chris made me talk to her, and she’s such a wonderful person that I couldn’t help but worry that he might give up on her when it comes to choosing between his career and her.
I see her on the cover of magazines and interviews with Chris. They look beautiful together, and I’m truly happy for Chris.
Coming back to me and Luca, things have been developing for the past years. He loves working in the bakery, and the demand for Italian pastries has become high.
I was worried that my handsome hulk would attract a lot of the town’s women with his looks and tattoos, and I wasn’t wrong.
Just as I feared, my own students visit the bakery often and try to flirt with Luca. I thought they would stop once they learned I was his girlfriend, but that didn’t change.
They run away when they see me in the bakery but always find a way to come back again when I’m gone, and Luca teases me that I’m jealous of the teenage girls who are my students.
We went on vacations, traveling to different countries every year, and even though we believe in working for our money, Luca can always take as much as he wants from his offshore bank account.
Living this life with him comes with a lot of surprises every day, and Luca seems to be a mystery to me all the time.
He takes care of me like I’m a Queen and fulfills my every wish without a second thought. Since our house is near the hill, I have to walk all the way from town, and Luca’s massages are the best.
I always have to push his hands away when they try to reach for a particular spot where there’s no pain but just a little wetness.
Home is a little paradise to Luca and me. We have dinner dates near the river and on the patio, with Luca making sweet love to me under the stars.
At first, I was embarrassed to have sex in the open area, fearing someone might come, but it was our moment, just him and me.
Sex with him has become a learning experience. He’s always finding different ways to please me, finding so many pleasure spots I never knew I had.
Apart from the amazing sex, we also fight a lot. Actually, I fight while he shuts his mouth and listens to me because he knows back answering will only worsen the situation for him.
As the days passed by, I was worried he might go back to his old life or, worse, he might feel bored living this life with me, but he surprised me by saying this is what he’d always wanted.
The fear of his past enemies coming for him is always there at the corner of my heart, and I doubt that will go away anytime soon. The cops think Luca and Cruz are dead, but his enemies know better.
Karen is still on the run, and Rick is working on catching her. Benjamin made sure to keep an eye on the sea, rail, and airways and checked anyone he thought was suspicious.
Luca, on the other hand, is always happy and concentrated. He loses his patience when I don’t pick up his calls or arrive home late.
He immediately wakes up attentively when he hears any kind of sound at night and always keeps an eye on me even when I’m far from him.
He taught me how to fight and how to shoot a gun so that I could defend myself in any dangerous situation. He also makes me work out with him every morning, which is a pain in the ass.
These six years of living with him have been so beautiful that I want it to last forever.
I was shaken from my thoughts when the school bell rang. I packed up my things and was walking out of the staff room and toward the office when I heard one of my students call me.
I turned around to see James Russell, a senior student and the top of the class, running toward me.
“Yes, Mr. Russell?”
“Miss Blackwood, I was wondering whether I can do the assignment on the human brain,” he said, adjusting his specs.
“Didn’t you choose the heart?” I asked, making my way to the office.
“Yes, but I changed my mind,” he replied.
“All right. Speak to Mr. Hardwick too,” I said, referring to the other biology teacher at this school.
“Yes, I did. He said it’s a good idea but asked me to consult you first.”
“Yeah, sure. Go for it,” I replied.
He said goodbye and ran out of the school.
I left the school after attending a small meeting for the teachers in the office and bought some fruits in the market before heading to Rose Mary’s place a few streets away from the school.
Rose Mary is one of the friends I have made in the town. She works in a restaurant as a top chef and has two sons.
The older one, Robert, is in London, studying medicine. He was one of the naughtiest students of our school who graduated two years ago. Her second son, James, is twelve, just like my sister.
Rose Mary’s husband is the town mechanic, and he’s planning on building his own mechanic shop one day.
Rose opened the door on the first bell, and she gave me an excited smile.
“I thought you’d be late. Come quick,” she said, walking swiftly to Robert’s room and already knowing the reason for her happiness.
At the corner of the room was a pet’s bed, and instead of finding Snow, a white rabbit curled up in her sleep, I saw seven pink kits sleeping peacefully beside each other.
“Oh my God, they’re so pretty,” I said, kneeling down to get a closer look at them.
Snow’s pregnancy was hard since she passed her due date, and the vet kept her under observation for a few days.
“She gave birth yesterday, and I brought them home this morning,” Rose said.
“Where is Snow?” I asked.
“She’s in the garden, finally relieved of her pregnancy stomach.”
I spent some time at her place before saying our goodbyes and making my way to the bakery. The staff members smiled at me when I entered, and I returned the gesture.
“Florida, where is Luca?” I asked one of the women who work here.
“Sir left an hour ago and asked that you take care of the store till he returns,” she said and went back to her work.
I quickly called Luca, but he didn’t pick up. He always informs me when he’s going somewhere. There’s no way he has gone to buy stock because we bought it last week, so I don’t know where it could be.
I checked up on the flower shop and went through today’s collection before sitting behind the bakery’s counter.
I come to check up on the stores every day after school before going back home. Luca is the one who stays till eight before closing the stores and returning home.
I’m tired from school and need to have a warm bath and a nap. I called Luca multiple times, but he didn’t pick up.
Even though I’m angry and frustrated, I’m also scared that one of our nightmares might’ve come true, but I tried to push it aside.
I closed the stores by seven and headed back home. The lights were on when I reached our house, but the moment I unlocked the door and stepped inside, the lights went off.
I immediately panicked and switched on the flashlight on my phone, but the lights came on again, and this time they were dim, and the living room was decorated with flowers and balloons.
I locked the door behind me with a smile on my face. Luca’s phone was lying on the table with a small slip of paper on it.
Placing my handbag and my phone on the couch, I took the paper and unfolded it. I immediately recognized his handwriting.
Shelf
I looked around at all the shelves in our living room and on the bookshelf. On the fourth row was a gift box, wrapped in red.
I quickly walked to the shelf and unwrapped the box to find a photo frame of me, looking at the sunset in Maldives.
I chuckled, remembering the day very well. We had this massive fight because I had made him jealous by dropping Christopher’s name.
I didn’t know that making Luca jealous was a huge mistake since his possession runs deep. He was so damn pissed off which ruined our vacation.
He wouldn’t stop accusing Chris and his mother of everything he could think of, and I had enough and left the hotel and sat on the beach alone. It was private property, so there was no one but us.
Though he’d taken the picture from behind at an angle, you can still see the frown on my face and also the amazement as I drank in the beautiful sight in front of me.
Along with the photo was another paper slip, and there was one word written in it.
Patio
Taking the photo frame with me, I walked toward the open glass door of the patio.
The white floor was filled with white and red balloons, and the four pillars and the patio roof were decorated with lights.
The table at the center was covered with rose petals, and a ceramic plate held another slip of paper.
I placed the photo at the side and took unfolded the paper
The fence
I looked at the wooden fence, and it immediately glowed with beautiful golden lights. Across them were four words that took my breath away.
Will you marry me?
I swear I’m not crying now.
“Katherina,” I heard his soft voice from behind me.
I felt his hand on my hip, and I turned slowly to meet his eyes. His smile vanished, and his eyebrows scrunched in confusion as he saw the tears in my eyes.
“Tesoro?’ he cupped my cheek softly. “What’s the matter?’
I shook my head, placing both my hands on his chest and letting him embrace me. I knew we were progressing in our future by leaving behind the past, but I never knew this was where we were heading.
We were so into adjusting to our new life, I thought this day would come eventually, but I never knew he would make this decision so soon.
“I’m just happy,” I spoke through my cries, smiling at him.
“Then why the tears?” He wiped away my tears before placing a soft kiss on my forehead.
“Happy tears,” I chuckled at him.
“I know I’m a bastard, but Katherina, my love,” he stepped back and got on one knee, with a box open in his hand.
“Would you please do me the honor of being my wife and live this life with me till eternity?”
“Yes. Yes. Oh, yes, Luca!” I crashed down on him. “Yes, Luca. I would love to!”
He managed my weight and laid down on his back, chuckling amusedly up at me.
“You surprise me every day, Luca.” I pushed the hair from his face.
“No, you surprise me,” he said and sat upright with me on his lap.
He took my left hand and slipped the ring on my finger. “We can change it if you want a better one,” he said.
“No, this is perfect,” I said and kissed him
***
“Oh my God, the wedding is in an hour, and it’s still not done! The guests are about to arrive. Hurry up!” I heard Isabella’s voice.
“Don’t mind her. We know how annoying she can be,” Anna said and continued her work on my eyelids.
“Yo, guys, don’t listen to this freaky old woman. She causes a lot of noise pollution,” said Taylor.
“There you go. Another episode of Tom and Jerry.” Anna sighed. “They both are impossible.’
I chuckled at Anna’s remark.
“What are you doing here? You were supposed to get the wedding cake!” Isabella screamed.
“Will you calm down? The cake has arrived,” Taylor replied.
“They are not going to stop, I’m sure,” Anna said to me.
“I just hope they don’t end up fighting on my wedding day,” I said.
“Nah, they won’t. There, you can open your eyes,” she said.
“No heavy makeup, right?” I asked, opening my eyes and looking at her.
“Nope,” she shook her head. Her curls bounced with her.
She stepped back, allowing me to look in the mirror. I stood up from my seat and looked at myself.
The wedding gown was made by Isabella, and I can’t describe how beautiful it is. It hangs on my shoulders, sparkling all over and spreading down to the floor.
“Thank you. I can’t imagine my wedding without you two,” I replied.
Anna smiled and hugged me. The door opened, and in Isabella, who quickly joined us.
“Oh my God, you are stunning!” she said, “I can’t wait to see Luca’s expression when he sees you.”
They both are my bridesmaids, and they’ve dressed up in matching red gowns.
“Anna, your boyfriend is too annoying,” Isabella told Anna
“I’m not. You are,” came Taylor’s voice as he entered.
“I asked you to check whether the flowers are arranged on the podium,” Isabella turned with her hands on her hip.
“You need an antivirus. Your system is too noisy,” Taylor exclaimed before turning to me.
“Guests are arriving. The wedding cake is ready, and so is Luca,” he informed me.
“Okay, did Chris arrive?” I asked.
“Nope,” was his reply, and he left the room with Anna while I stood with a frown on my face.
“Hey, wipe that frown off your face, will you? He’s just late,” Isabella consoled.
“I feel guilty and sorry for him.” I sat down on the seat.
“It’s natural to feel that way, Kat. You loved him, remember?” she squeezed my hands.
“It’s not just because of that, Bella. His happy family is a mess because of me ―”
“Not because of you. Stop blaming yourself. Karen was selfish, and Chris gave up on you the moment Luca shattered his dream.
“You loved him, but he never loved you enough. Don’t spoil the best day of your life.”
“Thank you, Bella.” I hugged my best friend. “I promise I’ll never push you and Anna away even in my worst times.”
“Damn! Someone’s enlightened.” She chuckled, making me giggle at her. “There’s work to be done. I’ll be right back,” she said and left the room.
I took deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves.
After Luca proposed to me, we told my parents and all our friends and fixed the wedding for the next month as Luca couldn’t wait.
Rose Mary took on preparing the meal, while our bakery staff insisted on preparing the cake for us, and they made a beautiful traditional cake of the town.
Anna arranged for a photographer, and the other work was taken care of by Luca and me.
The knock on the door interrupted me, and I quickly stood up when Chris walked in.
“Chris!”
I almost knocked him to the floor, and he chuckled, holding me in his arms. “Slow down, Kat.”
“Thank you so much for coming!”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he grinned.
I stepped back and looked at him, standing on his feet, and whatever guilt I felt vanished into thin air. Being an athlete and a celebrity has given him a dashing appearance, and he looks great.
“I think you forgot me.” A woman’s high-pitched voice came behind Chris.
“Sarah!” I hugged her.
“You look beautiful, Katherina,” she commented.
“Thank you. You look fabulous,” I replied back. As a model, she indeed looks amazing.
“I’m so happy to finally meet you in person,” she giggled.
“Trust me, Kat. She really wanted to meet you,” Chris said, chuckling.
“Where’s your father?” I asked.
“He’s with your parents.”
“Is the kitty cat ready?” My annoying sister came in ”Oh my God! You are SARAH EVANGELINE!” She screamed as soon as she saw Sarah.
“And you must be Katherina’s little sister?” Sarah giggled at her and winked at me.
“Oh my God, Kat! This is the surprise you were talking about?” Arabella couldn’t control her excitement.
“This is unbelievable!” Arabella didn’t care that she was wearing a huge frock. She jumped into Sarah’s open arms.
“You are just amazing. I see all your fashion shows, all your interviews! You’re amazing!” she said.
They both started to talk cheerfully while Chris looked aghast. Ara didn’t even look at him once.
“You wound me, munchkin,” Chris finally spoke.
“Chrissy!” She hugged him and placed a kiss on his cheek.
“I don’t think you guys are gonna lose in the coming game,” she told him. “You are amazing on the field. And my beloved sister didn’t tell me that she’s in contact with you.”
She gave me her best glare.
“Right. Come on, young lady,” Sarah called her, and she gladly linked arms with her and left the room.
“I…I brought something.” Chris's voice made me snap my head toward him.
He took out a tiny box and gave it to me. I gave him a small smile before opening the box. It was the same chain he gave me before we went to Morte for his friend’s party.
“I thought I lost it forever. I swear I removed it that night and put it in the drawer. Where did you get it?” I asked him.
“When the cops came to investigate when you and your family went missing, Mom and I were there too.” He gave me a tight smile.
“I know I shouldn’t be giving this to you, especially now, but it belongs to you. I’m sorry for giving up on you, and I’m sorry for being a puppet to my mother and playing her game.”
“Chris, stop apologizing. It’s not your fault.”
“Right. I swear I’m not going to forgive my mother for this. But please, if…if Luca finds her, just give her back to my father.
“No matter what she did, my father can’t live without her. He loves her very much,” he spoke genuinely.
There is no way I could promise something like that. The decision was not in my hands, and Luca had never forgotten that she was going to shoot him and didn’t care when I took the bullet.
“I promise. When Rick finds her, she’ll be sent back to you unharmed,” I lied.
“It’s time, honey,” said Dad from the doorway.
I gave a nervous smile, and Chris gave me a light pat on my back.
Placing the veil over my head, I hooked my arm with Dad’s and walked out of the room.
The wedding was outside on our patio with just a hundred guests. I was awe-struck by the stage that was decorated with white and red flowers.
As I walked down the aisle, my eyes immediately went to the person on the stage. His back was to me, and he was talking to Cruz, who was dressed in a black suit with his neck tattoos visible.
Behind Cruz was Edward, dressed in a navy-blue suit. Rebecca waved her hand from the crowd with a huge smile on her face, and so did Emmalyn.
Parker was at the side, with a camera in his hand as he recorded the event.
Victor gave a short smile and a curt nod to me. I almost laughed when baldy, I mean Sabastine, gave me a smile. Rick was holding my mom, who was crying silently with a smile on her face.
Grams grinned at me while Arabella blew a kiss, and Sarah smiled.
My eyes went to the altar again, and this time Luca was facing me.
His jet-black hair was neatly combed, and his fit body was adorned by a black suit with a white shirt underneath. His tattoos were evident on his neck, just like Cruz.
His lips lifted in a wide smile, and for a second, I thought the world stilled, and there was nothing but him and me.
When we approached him, he stretched his arm out for me, and Dad whispered something in his ear before kissing my forehead and giving me to him.
I held my gown and walked up to the stage, my eyes never leaving Luca.
The priest prayed and read the vows, and Leonardo gave us our rings. When the father finally said that he might kiss the bride, Luca turned to me with a devilish smile.
He closed the gap between us, inch by inch.
“Forever, Luca,” I heard myself whisper.
“Forever, my darling, Katherina.”
And I kissed my husband.