Chapter 146

Epilogue

Five years had passed.

Gen rested her elbows on the kitchen island, idly picking at the last croissant left from breakfast. The morning news played softly on the television, showing a recap of the Royale event from the night before. A warm smile spread across her face as her family appeared on the screen—four of them beaming, waving to the cameras as they made their way up the red carpet. From down the hallway, she could hear the familiar sounds of her household coming to life.

Matteo was busy trying to settle Elisa for her nap, while simultaneously keeping Antonio from stirring up more mischief. Glancing around, Gen took in the aftermath of their breakfast chaos. Jelly was smeared messily across the kitchen island, crumbs scattered across the floor, and a thin dusting of flour coated the counter behind her—a telltale sign of the early morning baking session Matteo and Antonio had started while the ladies slept in.

The news switched to a sports update, prompting Gen to finally get up and tackle the pile of dishes. Laughter echoed from the hallway, filling her with a deep, unexplainable joy. Sundays were sacred to her—no work, no errands, no obligations—just time devoted to family, the four of them together in their home. As she began to clean, her thoughts drifted toward the busy week ahead.

Gen had an important meeting scheduled with Charlotte to discuss another expansion of their company in Atlanta, with Lauren leading the charge. After the turmoil five years ago, Matteo had persuaded her to open a new branch of their accounting firm in New York. She agreed, on the condition that she could manage the business from the same building that housed Accardi Industries. Since then, Gen had taken on several multi-million-dollar clients, including Conor’s rapidly growing security firm and Emmett O’Brien’s new tech startup. She had also promoted Kaitlin to Office Administrator, and had been honored to serve as Kaitlin’s matron of honor just last year when she married Alexander.

Behind the scenes, Gen quietly assisted Matteo with managing the family’s less-than-legal finances—though only a trusted few, like Frankie, Louis, and Leo, were aware of that part of their lives. Matteo had become extremely cautious about who was brought into their inner circle ever since the day they met. His protectiveness had only grown stronger with time.