Chapter 8 - The RebuildingThe restoration of the Vale estate took three weeks.
The shattered front doors were replaced with reinforced steel-core mahogany. The bullet holes in the wainscoting were repaired by master craftsmen. Even the Ming dynasty vase, though impossible to truly fix, was carefully reconstructed using the Japanese art of kintsugi—its cracks filled with gleaming lines of gold, turning its destruction into something stronger and more beautiful than it had been before.
During those three weeks, Ruby didn't just clean the house. She moved into the east wing master suite upstairs, right beside Dominic’s office.
The rules of the mansion changed overnight.
No music in the west wing? Cancelled. Now, smooth jazz and soulful R&B played softly through the estate’s audio system every morning while Ruby made breakfast.
No shouting between rooms? Replaced by Dominic calling out sweet, exasperated questions from his study while Ruby laughed from the kitchen.
No chaos? The house was filled with the warm, vibrant, beautiful chaos of a real home.
One crisp December evening, Dominic sat at his mahogany desk, reviewing the final restructuring papers for the syndicate’s transition into entirely legitimate commercial logistics.
The door swung open without a knock.
Ruby marched in, wearing an oversized sweater, carrying a plate piled high with chocolate chip cookies and two glasses of cold milk.
“Break time, boss,” she announced, setting the plate right in the middle of his legal documents.
Dominic leaned back in his leather chair, a slow, contented smile spreading across his face. He looked at the cookies, then up at her.
“You’re spoiling me, Ms. Bennett.”
“Someone has to,” Ruby retorted, leaning over the desk and stealing a kiss from his cheek before sitting down on the corner of the wood. “Besides, the board of directors—aka Marcus and me—voted that you’ve worked enough today.”
Dominic wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her onto his lap as she let out a delighted squeak of surprise. He buried his face in her neck, breathing in the scent of vanilla and lavender.
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“I used to think quiet was the only way to survive,” Dominic whispered against her skin. “Now, I realize I was just waiting for the right voice to make me want to listen.”
Ruby smiled, resting her hands in his dark hair, feeling the steady, powerful beat of his heart against hers.
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