La Nouvelle Reine✔(Complete)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Rayne's POV

Six months later.

Me and Illeya were better, still on rocky ground but we were better. I had come to terms with my fertility problems and I think Illeya had aswell. We were living a quiet life, well. As quiet as mafia life could be. Rose had found the person who attempted to kidnap me and I had her held hostage in Sicily. My first great nephew was born. Angelo Mario. He was born two weeks premature and had a head of brown locks and his mothers eyes. Everything had been going great.

...

Well, until now.

I was stood in mine and Illeya's bedroom, in my pyjamas. I glanced into the mirror and then took a deep breath. My wounds had healed but the scars still remained. White lines that constantly reminded me of what I'd never have. The door creaked open.

"Hey honey, what are you doing back so early." I asked, presuming it was Illeya but when the familiar laugh of my sister echoed through the room I turned to face her.

"Hey Raynie, how are you doing?" Her tone was soft. I could not believe that she was a grandmother already. There was not a single grey hair on her head, not a single wrinkle on her face.

"I'm ok I guess. What do you want to talk about?" I asked and made my way over to the bed, patting next to me softly motioning for her come over, and she did as such.

She drew in a sharp intake of breath before saying "Illeya wants out. He wants out of this lifestyle." I stared at my sister, confused, completely and utterly gobsmacked. "He came to me yesterday, he wanted me to put someone else in charge of operations here in Russia. I thought that he'd told you but by the look on your face he clearly didn't." She let out a nervous chuckle and then continued. "I figured that I would help you out and Illeya is no longer head of operations in Russia. You can leave the compound, if you wish and go out and live normal lives. My men and women will watch over you and ensure that you are safe at all times."

I- I didn't know what to think. My head was spinning at hundreds of miles an hour. My heart beating at an Olympic pace in my chest. "Rose, I...I don't know what to say. Erm... thank you I guess for letting me and Illeya live a normal-ish life away from."I moved my hand in a clockwise motion around the room. "All this."

She let a tear fall down her cheek. "Enough has already happened to you, unimaginable and cruel things and you never wanted this life neither did Illeya. But neither of you had a choice, so it's the best that I can do for you." She wiped the tear with the back of her hand. "I love you Raynie."

"I love you too Rose."

At that moment, I reached out to hug Rose and Illeya entered the room. His eyes were kind and sincere. He had a warm heart and a beautiful soul. The love I had for him, was the purest and most intense love that I had ever felt. He moved closer and Rose let go of me, her eyes shone with something, I couldn't see it for long enough to work out the exact distinction but it looked like mischief, or pride? Then Illeya got down on one knee.

What the "Rayne, I know that we aren't in some fancy restaurant or under a historic monument but I thought that all was a bit naff, to be completely honest. You continue to amaze me every single fucking day without fail, you are the world to me." He took a deep, shaky breath. "You always stand by my side, help me with anything, you are my missing piece. You made me who I am today. When we saw eachother again after however many years that it had been, it physically hurt me. To see you so broken. To see you in that much pain, I wanted to fix you, make you whole again."

Tears streamed down my face, as I gripped Rose's hand tightly.

"I didn't think that I would ever and I mean ever love anyone. But you came back and changed that. You are my fairytale ending and I love you so much. Trying to explain how much I love you would even be hard for Jane Austen to write. Your dad would be so proud to see the woman that you have become. You're selfless, amazing, beautiful, and everything that I could want and more."

He and I both took a breath.

"Rayne Ellie Marshall, will you do me the greatest honor of marrying me and becoming my wife?"

A black velvet box was held out in his hand, inside, wedged between a plush cushion was a diamond ring with a green emerald rather than your conventional diamond. Diamonds ran across the main body of the ring. It was absolutely gorgeous. I looked back up at him and his face was contorted with worry and love, pure, unfiltered love.

Rose let go of my hand as I went to go step towards him, her expression was loving and kind. She was almost prompting me to say yes. I swallowed the invisible lump in my throat and then placed my hand on his shoulder and whispered to him,

"Stand up, would you." He obliged and I then took a singular deep breath and then said the words I definitely didn't think that I would be saying today.

...