All Chapters of Gilded Hearts: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Sophia POVThe music wrapped around us like a living thing, heavy and warm, but when his hand settled lightly at my back, the noise softened. Not disappeared, just faded into something manageable.Comfortable.That was the strangest part.I wasn’t performing,. I was just… moving,. For the first time in a long while-, my body followed the rhythm without apology-, without calculation,.He kept a careful distance—close enough to lead, far enough to respect. No wandering hands. No possessive pull. Just a steady presence that made it easy to breathe.“You dance like you trust the floor not to disappear beneath you,” he said lightly.I smiled, surprised. “Is that a compliment?”“An observation,” he replied. “The best kind.”We moved together for another song, then another. When the music dipped, he asked my name.“Sophia.”“Lorenzo,” he said, as if I hadn’t already known. “You’re not from here.”“No,” I shook my head. “Brooklyn, originally. Rome is… a temporary stay.”His curiosity was gent

Damian POVI was checking my phone when the elevator doors opened,.I looked up out of habit—nothing more—and forgot how to breathe,.Sophia stepped into the lobby like she belonged there,. Not because of the hotel, or Paris, or the fact that my last name followed hers now—but because she looked settled inside herself. Calm. Certain.The dress stopped me cold.It was a deep, winter red—subtle, elegant, chosen with intention rather than desperation. It didn’t cling or shout. It simply belonged to her-, the kind of quiet confidence that didn’t ask to be noticed yet made it impossible to look away,.Her hair fell loose down her shoulders-, unstyled in a deliberate way-, as if she hadn’t tried to impress anyone—and succeeded anyway,. The makeup was minimal-, soft, enhancing rather than transforming,. She looked… composed. Grounded,. Beautiful in a way that felt effortless,.I hadn’t seen her like this before,.Not even on our wedding day—because then-, I’d been too consumed by my anger-,

Sophia POVParis passed in soft layers rather than sharp moments.It dissolved into itself—days folding gently into one another, mornings that began with tentative plans and ended somewhere else entirely.Walks that stretched longer than intended.Coffee breaks that refused to be rushed. Conversations that didn’t feel like negotiations or power plays.Damian was… consistent.Polite in a way that didn’t feel rehearsed. Attentive without hovering. Present without demanding space. There were no taunts, no subtle reminders of hierarchy, and no commentary about what fit his world and what didn’t.And that was new.Our last morning arrived without ceremony,.The light filtering through the tall Paris windows was pale and unassuming-, like it didn’t want to intrude,. I packed slowly-, folding my clothes with deliberate care—as if neatness could preserve something fragile,. As if order might keep Paris from slipping through my fingers the moment the suitcase closed,.Damian moved around the r

Damian POVThe gates of Hayes Manor closed behind us with a quiet finality,.I watched them disappear in the rearview mirror for half a second longer than necessary before turning my attention back to the road,. The mansion—its lights-, its symmetry-, its authority—felt different tonight,.Not distant.Not oppressive.Almost… earned.Sophia sat beside me, her posture relaxed in a way it hadn’t been when we arrived,. Her coat was folded neatly over her lap-, her gaze fixed on the blur of city lights outside the window,. She looked thoughtful,. Contained,. Unaware of the satisfaction slowly settling into my chest,.Tonight had gone exactly as planned.Better, even.Grandfather hadn’t just acknowledged me—he had validated me. Not as a reckless heir in need of restraint, but as someone capable of responsibility. Of leadership. Of continuity.CEO.The word surfaced again, steady and undeniable.Edward Hayes did not make casual declarations. When he hinted at retirement, when he spoke of

Sophia POVI woke slowly-, as I felt a bit of struggle opening my eyes,.I had a really good sleep after a very long time,. I have been struggling in sleeping ever since I came here,. But last night I slept really well,.That alone felt strange.What felt stranger was the warmth as I turned to see the source of this warmth I felt an arm was draped around my waist, heavy and solid-, pulling me back against a chest that rose and fell in a steady rhythm,.My first instinct was confusion. My second was stillness,.Damian.The realization settled quietly-, not with panic-, not with resistance—just awareness,.His hand rested just above my hip-, fingers relaxed-, not possessive,. His forehead was near the back of my head, breath warm against my neck,.Somewhere during the night-, I had shifted closer to him,. Or maybe he had,.I didn’t know which possibility unsettled me more,.For a moment, I stayed exactly where I was-, afraid that moving would break something fragile,. Not the moment its