Chapter 14: The End of the Costa Marriage

[ { "number": 14, "title": "The End of the Costa Marriage", "content": [ "(Third-Person Perspective)", "Three months later, Riverton was still talking about the wedding that had never truly happened.", "The scandal surrounding Dominick and Gia had spread throughout the entire underworld. The Costa family's reputation had suffered a devastating blow, and several of Dominick's allies had already begun distancing themselves.", "But none of that mattered to Dominick anymore.", "He stood outside the Bianchi estate in Averia, staring at the towering gates.", "For three months, he had tried everything.", "He had sent gifts.", "He had sent letters.", "He had even personally come to Averia twice.", "Luna had refused to see him every single time.", "Today, however, the gates finally opened.", "Dominick's breath caught.", "Luna walked out slowly.", "She wore a simple cream-colored dress, her long hair falling loosely over her shoulders. There was no expensive jewelry, no trace of the woman who had once lived beneath the Costa name.", "She looked peaceful.", "That peacefulness hurt Dominick more than any insult could have.", "\"Luna.\"", "She stopped several feet away from him.", "\"You wanted to see me?\"", "Her voice was calm and distant.", "Dominick stared at her for a long moment before speaking.", "\"I came to apologize.\"", "Luna gave a faint smile.", "\"An apology won't change anything.\"", "\"I know.\"", "For once, Dominick did not try to defend himself.", "\"I was arrogant. I thought you would always be there, no matter what I did. I thought I could hurt you and still have you waiting for me when I came back.\"", "Luna remained silent.", "\"I was wrong,\" he continued. \"The moment you left, I realized that I had destroyed the only person who ever truly loved me.\"", "\"You didn't realize it when you betrayed me.\"", "Dominick lowered his gaze.", "\"No.\"", "\"You didn't realize it when you called Gia your family while sleeping with her.\"", "\"No.\"", "\"And you didn't realize it when you let your staff humiliate me or when you shot Archibald.\"", "Dominick's face tightened with guilt.", "\"I know.\"", "\"Then what exactly are you here for?\"", "Dominick slowly reached into his coat and took out a small velvet box.", "Luna's expression did not change.", "\"I don't want you to accept this,\" he said. \"I only want you to know that I finally understand what I lost.\"", "He opened the box.", "Inside was the original pendant engraved with the word \"Lucky\".", "\"I found it in the vault after everything happened. Gia had taken it.\"", "Luna glanced at it but did not reach for it.", "\"Keep it.\"", "Dominick looked up.", "\"It's yours.\"", "\"It belonged to us once. Now it belongs to the past.\"", "Those words shattered the last hope he had been holding onto.", "Dominick clenched his fingers around the box.", "\"Is there really no chance?\"", "Luna looked at him for a long moment.", "\"There was a chance.\"", "His eyes lifted.", "\"You had three years to protect it.\"", "Silence followed.", "A breeze swept through the courtyard, carrying the scent of flowers from the garden behind her.", "\"I don't hate you anymore, Dominick,\" Luna said softly. \"That's the best ending I can give you.\"", "Dominick's throat tightened.", "\"And your future?\"", "A genuine smile finally appeared on Luna's face.", "\"It's mine.\"", "She turned toward the estate.", "Dominick watched her walk away without looking back.", "This time, he didn't chase her.", "He finally understood that loving someone also meant accepting when they no longer wanted you.", "Behind him, Frankie approached quietly.", "\"Don Costa, the car is ready.\"", "Dominick nodded.", "\"Let's go.\"", "As he walked away, he glanced back one last time.", "The gates of the Bianchi estate slowly closed.", "And with them closed the final chapter of his marriage to Luna.", "Months later, Dominick resigned from several of his family's businesses and began rebuilding the Costa family's reputation.", "Gia disappeared from Riverton after the scandal. No one heard from her again.", "Archibald recovered from his injury and returned to Averia, where Luna made sure he received the best care possible.", "As for Luna, she never returned to the Costa family.", "She rebuilt her relationship with her parents, took control of the Bianchi family's businesses, and created a life that belonged entirely to her.", "One winter evening, Luna stood on the balcony of her new home and watched snowflakes fall from the sky.", "Snow had once reminded her of Dominick.", "Now it reminded her of freedom.", "She touched the ring on her finger.", "It wasn't a wedding ring.", "It was a simple gold band she had bought for herself.", "A reminder that she no longer needed anyone else to choose her.", "Her mother called from inside.", "\"Luna, dinner is ready!\"", "\"I'm coming!\"", "Luna smiled and turned toward the warmth of her home.", "For three years, she had believed that losing Dominick meant losing everything.", "She had been wrong.", "She had lost a husband.", "But she had found herself.", "And that was worth far more than any wedding, any diamond, or any promise of eternal love.", "She walked back inside, leaving the cold balcony behind.", "Outside, the snow continued to fall, quietly covering the footprints of the past.", "Luna never turned around.", "Because some endings weren't tragedies.", "Some endings were the beginning of freedom.", "And after everything she had survived, Luna finally understood one simple truth.", "She had never needed Dominick Costa to complete her story.", "She was the story.", "And from that night onward, every chapter belonged to her.", "The End." ], "locked": false, "hidden": false } ]