Chapter 10 - The Safe Haven of the North Shore
Five years later.
The gates of Blackwood Point remained guarded, but the stone wolves looked less like monsters and more like silent protectors of a peaceful kingdom.
The garden was filled with the colors of summer—red roses, blue hydrangeas, and green ivy climbing the stone walls of the manor.
The triplets were eleven now. Leo was tall and confident, Mateo was a quiet, brilliant student, and Isabella was a talented young artist whose paintings decorated the hallways of the mansion.
And running through the grass, chasing a golden retriever puppy, was a small, dark-haired boy with gray eyes.
Little Roman.
Claire stood on the patio, wearing a bright yellow sundress that celebrated the full, beautiful curves of her body. She looked radiant, her skin glowing in the warm summer sun, her gold wedding band catching the light.
Roman walked up behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist, his hands resting on her hips.
"The catering wing is finished," Roman said, pointing to the beautiful, modern building that sat on the edge of the property—the headquarters of Claire’s new, highly successful gourmet food company.
"It’s perfect, Roman," she said, leaning back against his chest.
"You're perfect," he murmured, his lips brushing her ear.
They looked out at the water of the sound, the waves sparkling under the blue sky.
Claire had walked into this house with only forty-three dollars and a broken suitcase, seeking nothing but a temporary shelter from the rain.
But in the arms of the mafia boss and the three children who had refused to let her leave, she had found something that money could never buy.
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She had found her throne.
And she was finally, beautifully home.
