Adele was moving slowly to the Rhythm of the tango at the centre of the ballroom. Francesco was holding her waist tightly and was looking at her with his piercing eyes watching her closely as he was smiling at her. They were alone in the middle of the ballroom. The crowed was dispersed around them and couples whom were dancing to the same song were keeping their distance. They didn't even need to know who Francesco was. If they took one look at Francesco's eyes, they would have known they had to keep away.

Antonio and Georgina had also been dancing for sometime but, then Antonio had cornered Georgina to a wall and they were making out now ever since at one side of the ballroom. At the other side of the ballroom, Anna was cheerfully dancing with Angelo not far from Adele. The new couple couldn't stop talking and laughing as they were starting to get to know each other.

Adele smiled weakly as she glanced at Anna and Angelo but they were too busy with their conversation to notice her smile. But Adele's heart broke at seeing Costanzo's sad face sitting on his table near the ball room floor drinking as Sancia was looking at her from the balcony from the same spot Adele had seen her last. She was most likely waiting for him to approach a girl only for her to order her demise. After all she had threatened Costanzo not to keep in touch with any women when she had sent him flowers earlier on. Those chilling words had really scared Adele. That woman had a heart of stone.

Francesco whispered " Sweetheart. What are you thinking about?"

Adele wasn't sure how to tell Francesco. She bit her lip and looked up into Francesco's piercing eyes and whispered back " I was ..... trying to .... distract myself." She spoke truthfully.

Francesco spoke curiously " Why sweetheart? What are you trying to distract yourself from."

Adele wasn't sure how well she could express what she was feeling as they had been dancing. She had been getting more emotional as their dance had gone on and she had started looking around the ballroom to stop thinking to what was in her mind.

Adele took a deep breathe and decided to say it " Memories of ten years ago came back. They make me very emotional. I miss the past.... more than you can imagine."

Francesco smiled " I was thinking about the past too. I was thinking about our last dance just before we said goodbye a decade ago. It's the same dance. Our matching movements are as perfect as they used to be..... but sweetheart, we are together now. We won't have to say goodbye again. The past was sad because we were forced to be separated but we are reunited now. Try to think of that night differently. Face the past baby. We are doing the same movements. Maybe we should mirror what we said to each other that night too. I want us to try to relive that moment to remind us how far we have come and how we should cherish our closeness after all these years."

Adele thought about what Francesco said and nodded. She then whispered " I said .... How long is left?"

Francesco leaned closer and touched his forehead to Adele as they continued dancing and whispered " I didn't say anything back when you asked me that. I didn't want to look at the clock. Go on."

Adele nodded "I looked at the clock and it was two in the morning. I said .... We have three hours. They were going to put us in a car to Oklahoma at 5.00 right? But we got 2 hours extra and left at 7.00 for some reason."

Francesco smiled " They were going to send your family away at 5.00 am but I asked Costanzo to rip the tires and change wires of batteries so the guards had to walk to the shops on foot to replace everything. So it could give me more time to spend with you."

Adele chuckled " He didn't? Really. Is that why they delayed the trip to fix the cars. They didn't have spare tires?"

Francesco nodded " They did. I didn't know they had so many in storage. But the sabotaged batteries bought me more time."

Adele smiled and looked up " Costanzo was so sweet. I had no idea."

Francesco spoke " Go on sweetheart. You went on."

Adele spoke " Let me think .... I asked you what you want to do when I leave in the morning."

Francesco spoke " I said I will spend every waking moment trying to get you back to me. I said I will spend every step I take and every breath on working hard to get closer to seeing you. I said I will .... remember you."

Adele closed her eyes and that was when emotions were getting to her. Francesco's words sounded sincere as they sounded back then. Francesco was right when he said his love hadn't changed for her. She tried not to get too emotional to cry. She tried to fight it and then opened her eyes " I said .... I will remember you too."

Francesco spoke " Then my favourite part happened." He then leaned close and gently kissed Adele.

Adele lifted her hands from Francesco's shoulders to his neck. She wrapped her hands around him and moved her lips against his. It was a lengthy and passionate kiss. Their kiss lasted so long. Much longer than their other intimate moments. Francesco made the grip on Adele's waist tighter as he pulled her closer towards himself as he deepened the kiss. Adele mirrored his actions too and she locked her arms tighter around Francesco's neck and continued matching her lip movements to his.

To Adele's surprise it was Francesco who pulled away first with his emotional eyes looking at Adele intently. He whispered " Thank you."

Adele raised an eyebrow as she was breathing hard " Why? Why do you thank me?"

Francesco took a deep breath " For being the reason for my existence. For making me happy. For making me feel alive. For making life beautiful just like how you did when i first laid eyes on you. I still relive that very first moment we met, every time I see your eyes. The first time I glanced at you...... I felt safe. I felt like nothing could hurt me. I felt fearless. I felt like I didn't need anything and anyone but .... you .... to make me feel alive. But more than anything, when I met you ..... I felt ...... loved."

Adele was speechless. She was gasping thinking of what to say. She was so touched at hearing Francesco's words. Her only response was to instinctively lean closer. She then slowly embraced Francesco and rested her head on his chest as they continued to move slowly keeping their dance rhythm. She, then whispered "I don't know what to say."

Francesco wrapped his arms around Adele's waist more tightly, mirroring what she was doing and rested his chin on her head. He then spoke "Then don't say anything sweetheart. Just let me hold you. Being with you is all I want. Do you know what you mean to me? I love you so much."

Adele closed her eyes shut and bit her lip. She knew this was a key moment. She could feel it that Francesco was expecting her to say those three words back to him. She could feel that his muscular chest had become tense and awaiting her response. She was sure of it. What was she to do. She was torn. She was afraid. She cared about Francesco. She wanted him too. But she was afraid of what it would have meant if she admitted it. She knew Francesco would have taken it as a sign that she was ready to say yes to his marriage proposal. But to her that was a terrifying thought. She knew if she entered Francesco's life as his wife there was no turning back. But part of her told her that there was never any turning back for her. The day Francesco had set his eyes on her, it was over. She was his. But was that really a bad thing? Francesco loved her ever since he had met her. Adele hadn't loved him but he made her fall in love with him too when .... he had saved her parents and Angelo from death at the hands of his uncle Piero. Adele had really loved him after he had honoured his word to protect her family. But now after ten years, her fear of Francesco as a criminal was suppressing her affection for him. But Anna's words kept haunting her "Love is love. It doesn't matter when you have fallen in love. It's still love."

Adele opened her eyes and took a deep breath. This was the moment she had to be truthful. She loved Francesco but she feared him for being a criminal. But part of her told her, Francesco was forced to become like how he was by his father. He never had a choice. She had to overlook that he was a criminal.

Francesco whispered as he was holding Adele as tightly as ever " Sweetheart. Why are you so quiet? What's the matter? Is there something you want to tell me?"