Chapter 10 - Sunlight Through the Iron Gates
The sun dipped low over the horizon of Lake Forest, painting the sky in brilliant shades of amber, violet, and gold.
The estate was filled with the sounds of real life—Tyler and Noah playing video games in the den, the golden retriever barking softly in the yard, and the rich, comforting aroma of dinner simmering on the kitchen stove.
I sat out on the wide stone patio, sipping a cup of herbal tea, watching the shadows lengthen across the perfectly manicured lawn.
My journey from a tired, desperate girl working double shifts in a Cicero diner to the woman sitting on the terrace of Chicago's most feared estate felt like a lifetime ago. I hadn't come here to save a mafia boss, and I certainly hadn't come looking for a fairy tale.
I had come for money to save my brother's heart.
Instead, I had found something far greater: a home for a frightened little boy who just needed someone brave enough to sit outside his door, and a man who had traded his fortress of isolation for a real family.
Dominic stepped out onto the patio, carrying two glasses of iced tea. He handed one to me, sat down in the chair beside mine, and reached across the table, lacing his fingers securely through mine.
His calloused hand felt warm, steady, and entirely safe.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Dominic asked softly.
I looked out past the security gates toward the open road stretching away into the twilight, then turned back to meet his slate-gray eyes, which held nothing now but absolute devotion and peace.
"Just thinking about how heavy that bronze horse was," I smiled.
May you like
Dominic let out a deep, rumbling laugh that echoed across the terrace, pulling me closer against his side as the evening stars began to blink into existence above us.
The past was behind us. The darkness had retreated. And for the first time in our lives, the future was wide open, bright, and entirely our own.
