Hello everyone!

I am sorry for the lack of updating.

My grandmother died last month and I wasn't in the mood to write anything.

Anyway here is the epilogue.

Enjoy!!!

*****************

Anna groaned and put a pillow over her head. The knocking on her door was insistent and didn't stop even for a second.

"Anna, come on you have to wake up. We don't want extra laps early in the morning." Aiden's voice came through the door.

Anna sighed and sat up on her bed. She ran her hands through her untamed hair.

Like every day, the first thing Anna did was checking her phone hoping to find a missed call or at least a small message from Hunter.

And like always, her notification bar was empty. With another sigh, Anna got up and went to the bathroom. She made it quickly, changing her pajamas and wearing her gym's uniform. She tied her hair and exited the room.

Anna opened her door to find Aiden leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a scowl taking over his face.

"You are late." Those were the first words her brother said.

"Good morning to you too, dear brother," Anna said with her puppy dog eyes.

Aiden uncrossed his arms and smiled at Anna, "you will be the death of me." He kissed her forehead and together they headed to the yard, where Matt and Jacob were already there waiting for them.

"Good morning, sorry I am late." Anna apologized making her best to look innocent.

"Good morning to you all. Two additional laps after we are done," Jacob said and started running expecting them to obey his order.

"Your puppy eyes don't work on him," Matt commented and followed his father's lead.

Aiden chuckled and ruffled Anna's hair before he followed his brother. Anna shook her head and started running as well. Jacob was the same, he didn't change at all.

Well, he treated Anna better than the first time she met him but he remained the same overbearing controlling man.

Anna came to learn it was in his nature and it was his way of treating everyone close to him.

Anna can't deny her feelings about the man. He was like a father figure in her life which made her feel safe and cared for, two notions that were foreign to her until now.

As usual, the workout session was intense and tiring but Anna learned how to let it help her relax and feel refreshed.

This time, Karen saved them from the penalty laps with the excuse it was graduation night and her children must look stunning and not like some ragged dolls.

It stills amazes Anna how a strict man like Jacob melts in front of his wife. Karen had the man around her little finger and can make him so anything she wishes.

Anna went to her room and took a much-needed bath. She soaked in the hot tub and sighed in pleasure as relief washed over her aching muscles.

She dried her body with a fluffy white towel and wore her clothes. She opted for black skinny jeans and a simple blue shirt. She left her hair down to dry and went downstairs to have breakfast.

Anna was the last one to arrive at the table and sat next to Karen. Everyone started eating in comfortable silence.

"Are you going to the graduation party tonight?" Matt asked.

"Of course she is going. Anna will be the star of the party." Karen answered her son.

Anna looked at the woman she considered a mother and saw pure joy in her eyes. She wasn't planning to go to the party but the look in Karen's eyes was sincere and Anna didn't have it in her to disappoint her.

"Yes, I am going. Lillian will come later and we will go shopping together." Anna lied and hoped Lillian would be available to accompany her.

"Good, I will have the security prepared to escort you," Jacob said with his face hidden behind the morning newspaper.

After breakfast, Anna headed to her room to call Lilian and Diana so they can go shopping. The first thing Anna noticed upon her entry was a huge white box on her bed with a red rose on top of it.

Anna felt her heartbeats quicken. She took careful steps to her bed. She took the rose and smiled. She was one hundred percent sure Hunter was the sender.

She opened the box and she felt her breath getting caught in her throat. The stunning blue dress she saw back in Russia and fell in love with was in front of her.

Anna took it out of the box and a huge smile took over her face. A small note at the bottom of the box got Anna's attention. She placed the dress on her bed so she can read it.

"Meet me on the school's roof at 19:00. I will be waiting for you.

yours, H.S"

Anna was happy that after all these months she heard something from him. But at the same time, she felt anger crossing through her body.

How dare he? He was absent for a long time and then comes back and asks her to meet him like nothing was wrong.

Wait for a second! He wasn't asking you, dear. He was ordering you to meet him. Anna's conscience snarled at her.

Anna slumped on the mattress and ran her hand over her face. She was confused. On one hand, she was missing Hunter and eager to see him but on the other hand, she was beyond angry.

Anna took her phone and dialed Lillian's number. After the second ring, Lillian picked up the phone. "Good morning Anna, how are you doing?"

"I was good this morning but your cousin has to ruin my day," Anna said.

"What happened?" Lillian asked with concern.

"Can you come to the mansion?"

"Yes, I will be there shortly," Lillian said and ended the call.

It didn't take long for Lillian to arrive at the mansion. She went directly to Anna's room where she found her friend pacing the floor.

"What's wrong Anna?"

Anna didn't utter a word and mentioned with her hand towards the bed where the no. Understanding dawned on Lillian as she saw the dress and read the note and she gave Anna a sympathetic look.

Lillian got up from the bed and went to Anna's side. She held her hands and looked her in the eyes where she saw the hurt and pain her friend was feeling. She brought Anna to bed and they sat together.

"How are you feeling?" Lillian knew her question was stupid and its answer obvious but she still asked it nonetheless.

"I don't know, I want to see him. I missed him so much and I can't believe he will be here tonight but at the same time, I am so angry at him. I can't believe he didn't contact me for over four months." Anna said with her voice full of emotion.

"I know you are hurt, Anna. I don't excuse Hunter for what he did to you but I also know him too well to be sure he didn't do it on purpose." Lillian said with kindness in her voice.

"It was four months Lillian. Every morning I hoped I would at least find a simple Hello from him. Now, he comes back like it is nothing and orders me to meet him. I am going crazy here." Anna argued.

"Do you want to break up with him?" Lillian asked out of the blue.

"What!! Of course not, what are you saying, Lillian?" Anna asked with a frown.

Lillian smiled her victory smile "See! You love him Anna and that's the most important thing. You even forgot what happened back in Italy, you have never mentioned it. You should have been angry about what he did back there but here you are just put out with him because he didn't call and because you missed him."

"You are right. I don't know why but your heartless inconsiderate cousin warmed his way into my heart. I want to be angry at him, I want to make him pay for hurting me, but you know what? I can't do that. The moment I remember his blue eyes I forget everything." Anna closed her eyes and leaned against the headrest of the bed.

"I take it you will meet him?" Lillian asked.

"Yes, I will go," Anna answered, resigned to her fate.

Lillian clapped her hands happily and hopped out of bed. "We have a graduation party to prepare for."

Anna groaned and opened her eyes to see Lillian already rummaging through her drawers and throwing make-up tools on the vanity. It was going to be a long morning full of skin prodding and hair-pulling.

*************

"Wow! You look stunning Anna. Hunter will have a heart attack because of you." Lillian said as she put her last touches on Anna's make-up.

Anna stood before the long mirror in her room and stared at her reflection. She had come a long way since the first time she set a foot in this mansion.

Her face and body still the same. Physically, nothing changed in her, but she was a new person. She wasn't Anna Sanders, the innocent girl who entered the mafia world. She was Anna Black, the girl who is a part of this world. There was a new glimmer in her eyes that didn't exist before. She didn't know if it was a good change or not but she was proud of herself. She survived what others would have run from.

"Earth to Anna!! Anna where are you?" Lillian waved her hands in front of Anna's face to bring her back from whatever place she was in.

"Thank you so much, Lillian. You did great work." Anna said with a smile gracing her features.

Lillian waved her off, " You are the beauty here baby. It is time you go and have your man back."

As if on cue, a knock sounded on Anna's door.

"Come in," Anna said.

Matt entered the room. He whistled looking impressed by Anna's final appearance and took Anna's hand in his.

"I think we should increase security today. All hormonal teenagers will have their eyes on you tonight." Matt teased her as he twirled her around the room.

Anna shook her head and shot back "I think you will be the one needing security tonight. Girls will eat you alive with the way you are looking in your black tuxedo."

After more teasing and joking around, they made their way outside where Karen was waiting for them with a camera in her hand. She took a million photos for them. She made them pose in all positions and angles until Aiden stopped her complaining his feet were already sore from standing.

Anna wasn't surprised when she found a black limousine waiting for them. The car screamed luxury and wealth like anything Black/Salviatti related.

********************

The Black clan was among the last arrivers to the party. Anna looked at her phone and saw it was 18:45 already. She can feel her hands getting sweaty and her breath quickening.

Aiden and Matt offered her their arms with both of them standing on each side of her. She smiled and accepted their offer. Anna looked around the ballroom hoping to catch the intense blue eyes she missed in the past four months but to no avail, he wasn't here.

The music was calm and relaxing. The theme this year was purple and Anna was impressed with the work the organizers put in to make this event successful. It was a school for rich families, so it wasn't strange to see students wearing expensive jewelry and the latest fashion brands.

Anna smiled and shared pleasantries with a few students who she met through the year.

"Are you alright?" Aiden asked her.

"Yes, I am fine. I will go and speak with Diana and the girls. Go and have some fun with Eric and the others." Anna excused herself and made her way to the roof when she saw it was fifteen minutes past seven.

With her heart nearly beating out of her ribcage, Anna climbed the stairs slowly. She opened the small door and breathed in the fresh night air. She walked to the railing and leaned against it with her elbows resting on the metallic bars.

"I thought you were not coming." Hunter's voice came from behind her. Anna jumped and grabbed her chest with her hands.

"Oh my god! You terrified me." Anna said breathlessly.

Hunter came closer to her and gave her one of his contagious smiles. Anna found her mouth getting dry at the sight of him. He was wearing a black suit with a blue bowtie that matched Anna's dress in color. His black hair was brushed to perfection.

Like usual, Hunter's icy blue eyes captured her attention. Involuntary, she found herself drowning in their depths.

Without another word, Hunter drew Anna to his arms and kissed her deeply. The kiss was soft at the beginning but then it got more passionate and heated. Hunter didn't break the kiss until their bodies protested from lack of oxygen.

"I missed you so much." Hunter breathed against her lips.

Anna circled her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest.

"Not as much as I have missed you."

"You look stunning tonight," Hunter said.

"Thank you, you don't look bad yourself."

"Are you mad at me?" Hunter asked meekly which was strange for the usually confident man.

"Yes, I am beyond mad at you. I am furious, Hunter." Anna said with her voice wavering.

Hunter untangled Anna's arms from his neck and pushed her away gently. "Hey! shhh Anna, please don't cry." Hunter pleaded with her as he saw a tear trickling down her face. He caught it with his thumb and wiped it away.

"I can't help it, Hunter. My heart is hurting." Anna said, her voice sounding weak.

"Anna, I didn't mean to hurt you at all. I would shoot my head before allowing anyone to harm a single hair strand from your hair." Hunter spoke with regret in his voice. "I just wanted to give you a chance to rethink our relation. You deserve a normal life Anna, and my life isn't normal ma belle."

"And what makes you sure I don't have a new boyfriend?" Anna challenged.

Her words made Hunter roar in laugher until tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

"Anna, ma belle, it seems like you don't know me at all. I know every move you made in the past four months. I am aware of everything you did, every place you visited and even every meal you ate. Do you think I would have returned if I knew you had a new boyfriend?"

Anna was looking at him with her mouth wide open. She shook her head and muttered dryly "I don't think you would have let me get a boyfriend even if I tried."

"So, are we okay now?" Hunter asked hopefully.

"Count the lucky stars I love you Hunter Salviatti," Anna said with a smile on her face before a serious look replaced it. "Hunter, don't do this to me again. My heart can't take all of this. I want us to be together until the end. I don't want to live without you Hunter. I know our road won't be easy, and we will have to fight side by side. Promise me we will stick together. I don't want to relive the last four months ever again." Anna spoke her voice heavy with emotions.

Hunter brought her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

"I am so sorry ma belle. I promise you nothing like this will ever happen again. I won't blame you if you don't believe me but I will work on gaining you back."

Music blared from downstairs indicating the start of the first dance. Hunter took Anna's hand in his and gave it a gentle kiss. "May I have the honor of having your first dance?" Hunter asked doing his best in imitating middle era gentlemen. Anna laughed at his ridiculous accent and nodded her head.

Hunter was an experienced dancer, and with grace and agility, he led Anna across the dancing floor which was the roof in their case. The moment was magical and out of this world. Anna felt like she was living a scene from a romantic movie.

"Did I mention that you look gorgeous tonight?" Hunter said as he brought Anna closer to his chest.

"Do you think flirting with me will buy you brownie points?" Anna asked with a raised eyebrow. Hunter laughed and twirled her around two times before he slammed her body against his.

"I would never dream of such a thing ma belle," He whispered into her ear.

After dancing for what felt like endless hours but was, in reality, a few minutes, they stopped and sat together on a sofa.

"Do you realize I just missed my graduation party?" Anna asked as she snuggled into Hunter's side.

"I think my company is better than any party," Hunter spoke confidently.

Anna rolled her eyes and shook her head while muttering, "As arrogant as ever."

"You are wearing it," Hunter ignored Anna's remark and stated when he saw his necklace around her neck.

"I will never take it off. It is too special for me. I don't have the heart to keep it somewhere else."

"Her place is on your neck, ma belle," Hunter said and leaned over to kiss her on the lips. "Now, it is time for your graduation's gift."

Anna looked up at him with confusion which was doubled when he handed her a piece of paper with numbers written on it.

"What is this?"

"Those are the numbers of your best friends back in the orphanage."

Anna was speechless. She looked at Hunter with tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. She threw her arms around Hunter's neck and kissed his face over and over.

"Oh god! I love you so much. You are the best." Anna said happily. She laughed with all her heart. She can't remember the last time she felt joyful to the point of crying.

"Now, you can contact them to your heart's content," Hunter said with a smile on his face. Seeing your loved ones happy was more than enough to satisfy you.

They sat together silently enjoying the beauty of the stars. Anna was so happy and felt on cloud nine. It was the moment she waited for four months. Being in the arms of someone you loved was something inexplicable.

"You know, I have changed a lot." Anna broke the silence.

"Yes you changed a lot, you are no more an innocent girl in a mafia camp. Now, you are MY innocent girl in a mafia camp." Hunter spoke possessively.

"I am no longer innocent Hunter. I am tainted now." Anna smiled sadly.

"So what? We are all tainted. But you know something? We share the same scars and that will make us stronger. We will stand side by side forever." Hunter assured her.

"Promise?" Anna asked.

"Promise," Hunter confirmed and sealed his promise with a kiss they will always remember.

Life would never be easy for Anna and Hunter but as long as they held each other's hands, they will overcome every thorn in their way.

THE END.

************

It was hard to write the words "THE END".

I never thought I will finish this book but here I am. I did it.

I want to thank everyone for their support.

I want to thank the ones who voted and commented. Also, I can't forget my silent readers who their mere presence gave me the power to carry on.

Thank you so much!

Until the next book!

Stay tuned, the next book in these series will be perfect. Maybe I will start updating around May.

Can you guess who will be our next couple?

Comment! Vote and Share!!!!