Embers: The Light in Your Shadow

Fourteen

2 months later, the De Luca's and I were in the States visiting my parents for a couple of days. The family welcome was emotional. Cesare asked them for permission to marry me. They said yes, feeling the peace of God.

On our last day with them, before we headed back to Pennsylvania, Cesare proposed to me in front of both our families. I accepted, of course, and we spent the day celebrating. It felt good to be in the company of family again. I had missed them so much.

**

The next day the De Luca family and I went to the trial of Isabella and Armando Flores to testify against them. Ma, Pa, Giulia, Laura and Lorenzo went in the courtroom ahead of me, while I waited for Cesare to return from parking the car. While I was praying and pacing back and forth, Preston and Kelley Montgomery walked up the stairs.

She was pregnant; he looked miserable. Once they saw me, feelings of hatred rose up within Kelley. Preston tried to bury his feelings of regret and guilt, but I felt them as clear as day. We all just stood there staring at each other, until Cesare approached me.

He slid his hand around my waist, and it anchored me to the ground. "Ready?" I nodded.

Officer Rogers bumped me on his way to his eldest daughter, Kelley. Cesare stepped forward getting ready to lay into him, but I placed my hand on his chest. "They're not worth it. Let's just go."

I didn't miss the smirk he sent to Preston after he kissed me on the lips. His anger shot up 2-fold at our blatant display, but I didn't care. He got what he deserved. "You think you're somebody now, because you're dating some ordinary guy, Crazy Sadie?" Kelley just had to open her big mouth. "I married Preston! I stole the man you love."

"Ordinary?" Cesare smirked. "I'm a billionaire. Ordinary isn't in my vocabulary, and my fiancée Savannah will never have to question my love for her. I will show her a love she's never known before that will erase all her previous relationships." He held his head high, and I bit my lip. Gosh, he was so sexy. His eyes met mine, almost like he read my inner thoughts, causing me to blush.

After all these years of pain, the time had finally come for me to face my bullies. I met Kelley's eyes and refused to waver. "You're right, you may have married Preston, but don't think you're fooling anyone. Do you really think that baby is going to save a marriage that was doomed from the start?"

"What did you just say?" She raged.

"I don't love Preston anymore..." My eyes drifted to his, and he balled his fists. "I haven't for a long time. I forgive all of you for the hell you put me through, but my life is with Cesare now. I'm happy. We're happy, and I pray you three find that happiness as well." Without sparing them another word, Cesare took my hand and led me into the courtroom. We took our seats and waited for the judge to enter.

Cesare whispered in my ear. "I'm so proud of you, Tesoro. You handled that well."

"I love you so much. Thank you for standing by me." I nearly cried. It's been so long since I had someone in my corner; it almost felt foreign, but Cesare was slowly tearing my walls brick by brick.

"Ti amo di più. (I love you more.)" He cupped my chin and planted a light kiss to my lips. "And I will always be by your side."

Chris, Sophia's husband came to the trial with his new wife Patricia. They sat behind us, but it made me uncomfortable. I remembered that girl; she was the one who attacked me for trying to warn her best friend that she was in danger. And now she was married to Chris?

The De Luca's hugged Chris but made no move to show that much love to Patricia. Lorenzo whispered something to his parents, and then he came to sit on the other side of me. Cesare looked at him suspiciously as he whispered in my ear. "You feel it too, don't you?"

I just nodded my head. Patricia had a lot of anger festering within her. The weirdest part about it all though, was that it wasn't directed towards Armando but towards me. And she had the nerve to sit directly behind me... Lorenzo and Cesare exchanged a few words in their mother language, causing Cesare to tighten his hold on me.

**

The trial was 5 days long. I testified on behalf of Sophia, Cesare and myself. Sophia's phone was included as evidence. Once her voice recording was played for the jurors to hear, the De Luca's burst into tears. I couldn't help but cry again as well.

When it came time for Armando to testify a huge shock ran throughout the courtroom. It was exposed that one of Sophia's friends had been involved in her murder. Patricia tried to get up and leave, but Chris kept her there.

Patricia was in love with Chris since they were little. She grew dangerously jealous when he came back from his business trip in Italy married. So, she befriended Sophia with the motto: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Armando stalked Sophia. He learned her routine. When he learned that she wanted to start a family, he approached Patricia and formed a plan. He seen the way she yearned for Chris. Armando said, "if you help me get rid of Sophia, Chris will be all yours."

Of course she couldn't pass up the chance. She set Sophia up. Fought me when I tried to stop Sophia from going to the club and made sure to press charges against me, so I would be arrested and out of the way from following them.

3 years later, she was married to Chris, but she was experiencing infertility problems. You sow what you reap...

She was arrested on the spot.

**

When it came time to deliberate, it only took an hour. Armando was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Isabella received 50 years in jail without the chance of parole, and Patricia's trial would be set at a later date. When court was adjourned, everyone hugged each other, thankful that Sophia finally received justice.

As the cop was hauling Isabella out, she hit him forcefully, took his gun and tried to kill me. She was quickly apprehended, which added more time to her sentence. "I will kill you, Savannah! Mark my words! I will kill you if it's the last thing I do!"

I listened to her screaming threats at me even as she was being taken away. Cesare hugged me tightly, as my body shook and I tried not to cry. "You're okay, Tesoro. You're okay. I've got you. I won't let anyone take you away from me."