Chapter Thirty-Seven The First Word-Azul
2381 Words
I knew something was different the moment Enzo told me to dress nicely.
Not just nicely.
Very nicely.
He had sent someone to my house that afternoon with a suit.
A beautiful black suit.
When I had looked at it, I had immediately picked up my tablet.
Where are we going?
Enzo had only smiled.
Dinner.
I stared at him.
He smiled wider.
With your family.
I blinked.
My family?
He nodded.
And mine.
I didn’t know what to think.
Enzo was mysterious when he wanted to be.
And lately, he had been acting strange.
Not badly strange.
Just…
Too happy.
Too secretive.
Every time I asked him what he was planning, he would kiss my forehead and say nothing.
So I eventually stopped asking.
⸻
By the time we arrived at the restaurant, I understood why he had insisted on the suit.
The place was breathtaking.
I had never seen anything like it.
The building itself looked like a palace.
Tall glass windows.
Soft golden lights.
Beautiful stone walls.
Flowers everywhere.
The tables were perfectly arranged.
Crystal glasses.
White linen.
Candles.
Everything looked expensive.
Very expensive.
I stood there for a moment, taking it all in.
Then I looked at Matteo.
His face was priceless.
He was staring at everything.
The ceiling.
The lights.
The wine glasses.
The menu.
Everything.
I almost laughed.
He caught me looking.
“What?”
I shook my head.
He narrowed his eyes.
Then he looked back at the menu.
His eyebrows rose.
He leaned toward me.
“Azul.”
I looked at him.
“Do you see the price of this?”
I smiled.
He whispered, “This place is trying to kill us.”
I covered my mouth.
He continued.
“I could buy three goats with the price of one of these appetizers.”
I shook my head, trying not to laugh.
Matteo was being Matteo.
Of course he was.
⸻
Everyone was there.
My mother.
My father.
Matteo.
Enzo.
His father, Massimo.
Isabella.
And several members of Enzo’s security team stayed discreetly nearby.
Massimo greeted my parents warmly.
My father seemed slightly nervous at first.
My mother was quieter, but I could see how impressed she was by the way Massimo treated her.
There was no arrogance.
No looking down on us.
He treated my family with respect.
Like they mattered.
Because to Enzo, they did.
That meant something to me.
I sat beside Enzo.
His hand found mine underneath the table.
He squeezed my fingers.
I looked at him.
He smiled.
I smiled back.
For a moment, I forgot everything else.
It was just us.
⸻
Dinner was incredible.
I had never eaten food prepared like that.
Every plate looked like a piece of art.
Matteo kept whispering comments about the portions.
At one point, he stared at his plate for several seconds.
Then he looked at me.
“This is the smallest piece of meat I’ve ever seen.”
I laughed silently.
He pointed at the plate.
“I’m serious.”
I shook my head.
He ate every bite.
Of course he did.
My mother noticed.
She shook her head at him.
“Matteo.”
He shrugged.
“What? It’s good.”
Isabella laughed.
Even Massimo smiled.
Enzo leaned closer to me.
“You see?”
I looked at him.
“My family already likes yours.”
I smiled.
Then he kissed my knuckles underneath the table.
My heart warmed.
I loved seeing our families together.
It felt…
Real.
Like something I had never imagined for myself.
A future.
A family.
A life.
⸻
After dinner, Enzo stood.
He looked at everyone.
“Let’s go upstairs.”
I looked at him.
He smiled.
“There’s a terrace.”
I raised an eyebrow.
He held out his hand.
“Come.”
I took it.
Everyone followed.
The elevator carried us to the top floor.
When the doors opened, the terrace took my breath away.
The entire city was spread beneath us.
Palermo looked beautiful from there.
The lights.
The buildings.
The distant sea.
Everything glittered.
I walked toward the railing.
Enzo came behind me.
His hands settled gently around my waist.
I leaned back against him.
For a few seconds, everything was peaceful.
Normal.
Perfect.
Then—
BOOM.
I jumped.
The sky exploded with light.
I looked up.
Fireworks.
Another one.
BOOM.
Then another.
And another.
Beautiful colors filled the sky.
My mouth fell open.
I turned toward Enzo.
He was smiling at me.
I looked around.
My parents were smiling.
Isabella was watching me with a huge grin.
Even Matteo had stopped thinking about the expensive dinner.
He was recording everything.
I looked back at Enzo.
My eyes were already filling with tears.
He took my hands.
And then I saw it.
A light appeared beyond the terrace.
A huge neon sign.
At first, I couldn’t understand what it said.
Then the letters illuminated.
Slowly.
Clearly.
WILL YOU MARRY ME?
I stopped breathing.
My mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
I looked at Enzo.
He was already moving.
He stepped in front of me.
Then he lowered himself onto one knee.
My heart stopped.
Completely.
I covered my mouth.
My hands were shaking.
Enzo looked up at me.
There was no arrogance in his face.
No power.
No mafia heir.
No feared man.
Just Enzo.
The man I loved.
The man who had changed my life.
He opened a small black box.
And I saw the ring.
God.
The ring.
I had never seen a diamond that big.
It was flawless.
Brilliant.
Perfectly cut.
It caught every light from the terrace and reflected it back at me.
I stared at it.
I couldn’t believe something so beautiful could even exist.
Enzo held it between his fingers.
“Azul.”
My eyes filled completely.
“I know I don’t have an ordinary life.”
I shook my head slightly.
“I know loving me doesn’t come with an ordinary future.”
He paused.
“But I don’t want an ordinary future.”
His eyes never left mine.
“I want you.”
My chest tightened.
“I want your family.”
He smiled softly.
“I want your bakery.”
A tear slipped down my cheek.
“I want your quiet mornings.”
Another tear.
“Your stubbornness.”
I smiled through it.
“Your beautiful eyes.”
My lips trembled.
“Your silence.”
That one broke me.
Because he understood.
He had always understood.
He didn’t need me to speak for him to know me.
“I want every version of you.”
His voice became softer.
“I want the man you are now.”
He took a breath.
“And every version of you you’re still going to become.”
I was crying openly now.
“I don’t want three months.”
He smiled.
“I don’t want three years.”
His eyes softened.
“I want forever.”
Then he held the ring toward me.
“Azul Bellini…”
He swallowed.
“Will you marry me?”
I looked at him.
My Enzo.
My beautiful, dangerous, impossible man.
The man who had once terrified me.
The man who had become my safest place.
The man I loved.
I nodded.
Immediately.
I didn’t even think.
I nodded so hard that everyone laughed and cried at the same time.
Enzo’s eyes closed briefly.
Relief.
Happiness.
Something almost vulnerable crossed his face.
I reached for him.
He stood quickly.
I wrapped my arms around his neck.
He caught me.
Held me.
And kissed me.
Softly.
Carefully.
Like this moment was something sacred.
When we pulled apart, he took my left hand.
He slid the ring onto my finger.
It fit perfectly.
I stared at it.
Matteo appeared beside me almost immediately.
He grabbed my hand.
“Azul.”
I looked at him.
He stared at the ring.
Then at me.
Then back at the ring.
“This ring is expensive.”
I laughed silently.
He nodded seriously.
“Very expensive.”
I shook my head.
He pulled out his phone.
“Don’t move.”
He started taking pictures.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then videos.
“Turn your hand.”
I did.
“Other side.”
I obeyed.
“Wait.”
He zoomed in.
“Azul, this thing probably costs more than the bakery.”
I laughed.
My mother came over.
She held my hand.
Her eyes filled with tears.
She kissed my forehead.
Then she looked at Enzo.
There was something in her expression that I couldn’t describe.
Acceptance.
Trust.
Love.
My father hugged me next.
He whispered something I couldn’t hear.
I didn’t need to.
I knew.
My family was happy for me.
⸻
Isabella hugged me tightly.
Then she pulled away and looked at the ring.
“Oh my God.”
She laughed.
“Enzo really did this.”
Enzo smiled.
“I told you I was going to.”
She shook her head.
“You didn’t tell me it would be this beautiful.”
He looked at me.
“It had to be.”
I looked down.
My face became warm.
Then the fireworks started again.
Everyone turned toward the sky.
And that’s when I saw something.
The words appeared again.
Bright blue.
I LOVE YOU, AZUL.
My heart stopped.
Blue.
My blue.
The same color as my eye.
I looked at Enzo.
He was watching me.
I smiled.
Then another light appeared.
Gray.
Storm gray.
My other eye.
I stared.
My heart felt like it was going to burst.
Then I noticed something else.
The neon sign had changed.
The first words disappeared.
New words appeared.
I LOVE YOU, AZUL
The letters were bright blue.
Then beneath them:
VITA MIA
Gray.
I covered my mouth.
Oh my God.
It was the sweetest thing I had ever seen.
He had done my eyes.
My eyes.
Blue and gray.
My colors.
Our words.
Our love.
I looked at him.
He smiled.
“I love you, Azul.”
I reached for my tablet.
Then stopped.
I looked at him.
I didn’t need it.
Not for this.
Not right now.
I wrapped my arms around him.
He held me tightly.
Everyone around us was celebrating.
Laughing.
Taking pictures.
Drinking champagne.
My family.
His family.
Together.
And for one perfect moment, I thought nothing could ever ruin this night.
I was wrong.
⸻
Hours later, we finally went downstairs.
Everyone was relaxed.
The celebration had settled into quiet laughter.
We reached the lobby.
The valet was bringing the cars around.
I stood beside Enzo.
My fingers were intertwined with his.
I kept looking at the ring.
I still couldn’t believe it was mine.
I looked up at him.
He smiled.
“What?”
I shook my head.
I reached for my tablet.
I can’t believe I’m engaged.
He laughed softly.
“You better believe it.”
I smiled.
He kissed my forehead.
Then—
I heard an engine.
Fast.
Too fast.
I turned.
A motorcycle came around the corner.
Everything happened in seconds.
A man on the bike.
Dark clothes.
Helmet.
His arm lifted.
I saw the gun.
My body froze.
A loud crack split the air.
BANG.
Enzo moved.
Immediately.
He stepped in front of me.
I didn’t understand what was happening.
Another shot.
BANG.
His body jerked.
Another.
BANG.
Three.
Three shots.
Everything became chaos.
People screamed.
Security moved.
My mother shouted.
Someone pulled Isabella away.
Matteo dropped his phone.
And Enzo…
Enzo fell.
I stared at him.
For one second, I couldn’t move.
My brain couldn’t understand what my eyes were seeing.
My fiancé.
My Enzo.
On the floor.
Blood spreading across his shirt.
“No.”
The word came from somewhere deep inside me.
I didn’t type it.
I didn’t gesture.
I didn’t think.
I screamed.
“ENZO!”
The sound tore out of me.
My own voice.
My voice.
After years of silence.
I dropped beside him.
“ENZO!”
Everyone froze.
I didn’t care.
I grabbed him.
“Enzo!”
My voice broke.
I touched his face with shaking hands.
“Please.”
My tears were falling everywhere.
“Please wake up.”
He looked at me.
His eyes were open.
Barely.
His lips moved.
“Azul…”
I shook my head.
“No.”
I pressed my hands against him.
“No, no, no.”
My voice kept coming.
It wouldn’t stop.
After years of silence…
It was there.
I could hear myself.
I could hear my own crying.
My own screaming.
My own voice begging the man I loved not to leave me.
“Don’t leave me.”
I sobbed.
“Please don’t leave me.”
Enzo’s hand moved weakly.
He found mine.
His fingers closed around it.
And I screamed his name again.
“ENZO!”
Security surrounded us.
Someone was shouting for an ambulance.
Someone was calling the police.
My family was crying.
His family was crying.
But I heard none of it clearly.
All I could see was him.
The man who had just asked me to marry him.
The man who had put a ring on my finger.
The man who had promised me forever.
And now he was lying in my arms.
I pressed my forehead against his.
“I love you.”
The words came out broken.
But they came.
“I love you.”
I cried harder.
“I love you, Enzo.”
His eyes slowly closed.
I shook him.
“No.”
My voice rose.
“No!”
I held him tighter.
“Open your eyes.”
Nothing.
“Please.”
I could hear myself screaming.
I could hear my mother crying.
I could hear Matteo shouting for the ambulance.
I could hear Massimo giving orders.
But all I could think about was one thing.
I had spent years believing my voice was gone forever.
And the first thing it had returned for…
Was him.
My Enzo.
My fiancé.
My life.
My voice had come back because I was terrified of losing the man I loved.
I held his hand against my face.
And through my tears, I whispered the words I had been unable to say for years.
“I love you.”
Then, louder—
“I LOVE YOU, ENZO.”
And for the first time in years…
I was no longer silent.
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