Chapter 160: 160 ~ Mira
.
I was lying in the arms of the man I loved. As I watched him while he slept that night, I just wanted to keep staring.
I stared so hard like he would disappear from my sight if I blinked.
He was here. He was really here.
His hair was a little messy from sleep, one arm draped lazily around my waist, the other resting against the pillow. Even in his sleep, he looked like he was in control of everything. The kind of man who could command a room just by breathing. And yet, here, he was just... Jace. My Jace.
The moonlight cut soft silver lines across his face, catching the faint shadow of stubble along his jaw. He looked so calm, so unshakably at peace, I almost laughed. If anyone else saw him now, they’d never believe this was the same man who could bring an entire city to its knees with one order.
He shifted slightly in his sleep, pulling me closer until I was pressed against him, his breath warm against my neck.
I couldn’t help smiling.
Maybe this was what I’d been craving all along... not safety, not luxury, not even answers. But just this quiet, messy kind of peace where I could breathe without waiting for something to go wrong.
After a while, I must’ve drifted off too, because the next thing I knew, sunlight was streaming through the curtains, and the room smelled faintly of rain and him.
Jace was awake, already watching me. His eyes were half-lidded, soft in a way I didn’t see often.
"Morning," I said sleepily.
He hummed, that deep, gravelly sound in his chest that made my heart skip. "Morning, baby."
I tried to sit up, but his arm tightened around me.
"Don’t move," he murmured. "Five more minutes."
"You say this all the time," I teased him with a giggle.
He cracked one eye open. "And I meant it all those times too."
I laughed quietly and sank back against him. His chest rose and fell beneath my cheek, slow and steady. It almost made me forget everything else like the danger, the secrets, the chaos outside these walls. Almost.
When I finally managed to slip out of bed, the smell of coffee was already drifting from the kitchen.
Donna Carmela was sitting at the breakfast table, wearing a silk robe and sunglasses far too glamorous for the hour.
"You’re up early," she said without looking up from her cup.
"I couldn’t sleep in." I smiled, pulling out a chair. "Besides, Jace hogs the blanket."
She smirked. "That’s the least of your worries, dear. When he was a boy, he used to steal everything from his cousins. Toys, dessert, attention... You name it, he claimed it."
I tried to picture Jace as a little boy and almost laughed out loud. "So you’re saying he’s always been like this?"
"Oh, worse," she said with mock exasperation. "Once, when he was ten, he told his father’s men to kneel because he wanted to ’practice giving orders.’ I had to bribe them with cigars to play along."
I burst out laughing. "You’re kidding."
"I wish I was." She leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "And when his father caught him doing it, he didn’t even scold him. He said, ’Good. A Romano never asks. He commands.’ Can you imagine?"
I shook my head, smiling. "That sounds about right."
She studied me for a moment, her tone softening. "He’s different with you, you know."
My smile faltered slightly. "Different how?"
Donna Carmela’s gaze was warm but sharp, like she saw through everything I tried to hide. "Calmer. More... human. You bring out something in him that none of us could. I don’t know if it’s love or madness, but it’s something real."
That made my chest tighten in the best way. "He does that for me too," I said quietly. "He makes the world feel less scary."
She reached out and patted my hand. "Then hold on to that, Mirabel. In this life, peace doesn’t last forever. When it comes, you hold it tight."
Before I could respond, Jace appeared in the doorway, his shirt unbuttoned just enough to make me forget how to breathe properly.
"Am I interrupting?" he asked with a lazy tone but his eyes were already on me.
Donna smirked. "Not at all. I was just telling Mira about how you used to command men twice your size at ten years old."
Jace groaned. "Oh, that story."
"It’s a good one," I teased. "I think I like that version of you."
He walked behind me, bending low to kiss the top of my head. "That version of me had no idea what trouble looked like." He whispered in my ear, "Then I met you."
"Ugh," Tomas muttered as he walked in, looking like he hadn’t had enough sleep. "Can you two please stop flirting before breakfast? It’s way too early for this level of domesticity."
Donna laughed. "Let them be, Tomas. Young love is the only entertainment we have left in this house."
"I’m going to lose my appetite," Tomas grumbled, but the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed him.
I rolled my eyes and handed him a cup of coffee. "Drink. It might help with your mood."
"Only if you stop making heart eyes at the boss," he shot back.
Jace chuckled as he took a seat beside me, reaching for my hand under the table. His fingers brushed mine in a quiet, familiar way that said more than any words could.
It was such a simple morning with laughter, coffee, teasing but I realized I hadn’t felt this kind of peace in months.
I glanced at Jace again. He was talking to Tomas about logistics, but his hand was still wrapped around mine, thumb tracing small circles over my skin. I don’t think he even realized he was doing it.
And that tiny, unguarded act made my heart swell.
For once, there was no blood, no fear, no running.
Just sunlight, warmth, and the kind of love that made all the chaos worth surviving.
If peace was temporary, then I’d still hold on to this moment.
Because right now with him beside me, Donna smiling, and Tomas pretending not to care, it felt like life was quietly giving us a second chance.
~
For the first time in what felt like forever, the day stretched out slow and easy. No orders being shouted down the hall, no late-night phone calls, no guards pacing the perimeter with tension in their eyes. Just quiet. The kind that didn’t feel heavy anymore.
Breakfast had been simple. There were pancakes, scrambled eggs, and a ridiculous amount of coffee that Tomas claimed was "to keep up with your drama." Jace rolled his eyes at him. Donna Carmela just smirked from her seat at the end of the table and told Tomas to stop being jealous because "young love needs its sugar."
After that, we retreated upstairs. The house hummed with a peaceful stillness that was almost unreal. For once, Jace didn’t disappear into his office or take a dozen phone calls. He stayed in bed with me.
It was one of those lazy afternoons that felt stolen from time itself. The curtains fluttered softly from the breeze drifting in, sunlight filtered through even though it looked like it would rain soon.
I was half-lying on Jace’s chest, tracing idle shapes over the smooth lines of his skin while he played with my hair. Every now and then, his fingers would wander to my face, tucking a strand behind my ear or brushing his thumb along my jaw just because he could.
He was smiling. Actually smiling. Not the sharp, guarded expression he usually wore. It was something soft, peaceful, almost boyish.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked with my voice muffled against his skin as I secretly sniffed him in enjoying his manly scent.
"You," he said easily. "And how quiet you’ve been all morning."
I lifted my head, narrowing my eyes. "I’m enjoying the silence before you ruin it with your ego."
He chuckled and pulled me closer until I was practically straddling him. His lips found mine. It was slow and deep, the kind of kiss that felt like a promise rather than temptation. I melted into it, letting the world fade away for a little while.
When we finally broke apart, his eyes softened as his hand trailed down to rest on my stomach. His thumb brushed the spot gently, and a tiny smile tugged at his lips.
"You know," he murmured, "I can’t wait until there’s a little version of you running around this house. You’d make a beautiful mother, Mira."
The words hit me like a shot. They were warm, then sharp. My smile faltered before I could hide it.
He noticed instantly.
"What’s wrong?" he asked, his voice quiet now.
"Nothing," I said quickly, but my chest tightened. "I just... I thought by now—"
I stopped myself from speaking by biting my lip. I didn’t want to sound foolish or broken.
Jace’s hand lingered on my stomach, his eyes softening as he read between the lines. "Hey," he said gently. "Don’t do that."
"Do what?"
"Blame yourself." He cupped my face, making me look at him. "We’ve barely had a moment to breathe since we got married. You’ve been through hell, Mira. Your body’s just catching up."
I swallowed hard, fighting the sting in my eyes. "I know, but what if—"
"There’s no what if," he cut in softly, pressing his forehead against mine. "We’ll have our baby when it’s time. No rush. No pressure. Just us."
I closed my eyes and exhaled, letting his words sink in. He always had that way of steadying me and making my panic shrink into something small and manageable.
"I’m sorry," he said after a moment, his voice thick with sincerity. "I didn’t mean to sound like I was pushing."
"You weren’t," I whispered. "You were just being hopeful. I wish I could be, too."
He brushed his thumb across my cheek. "Then let me be hopeful for both of us."
The lump in my throat softened into a small smile. I leaned in and kissed him again. His hand stayed on my belly, rubbing slow circles as if trying to calm the storm he hadn’t meant to stir.
We stayed that way for a long while, tangled up in each other, saying nothing, just breathing in sync. Outside, the rain had started again, soft and steady against the windows. The sound of it filled the silence, soothing and rhythmic.
I rested my chin on his chest, watching his face. There was something almost unreal about seeing him like this relaxed, vulnerable, his guard down completely. It made me fall in love with him all over again.
"Do you ever think about the future?" I asked after a while.
He opened one eye lazily. "Every second."
"What does it look like?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"You, me, and peace." He smiled faintly. "Maybe a house by the coast. You can finally open that small bakery you always wanted, and I’ll annoy you by showing up every morning before the sign even says ’open.’"
I laughed softly. "You? Retiring? I’d pay to see that."
"I’d do it for you," he said simply. "I’d do anything for you."
That silenced me. My heart swelled, but there was that familiar ache under it too because I knew he meant it. And nthat kind of love came with a price.
He reached for my hand, threading his fingers through mine. "Don’t think too much," he whispered, sensing the shift in my mood. "Not today. Let’s just have this."
So I did. I let go. I rested against him again, listening to the rain and the steady rhythm of his heart.
For the first time in a long while, I believed him when he said we were safe. Even if it was only for a little while.