Chapter 7 - The Cleansing
With Vincent stripped of his power and handed over to the authorities alongside Elena for their numerous financial and criminal conspiracies, the dark cloud that had hung over Dominic’s life for five years finally vanished.
Elena was sentenced to ten years for extortion, conspiracy, and fraud, while Vincent faced a lifetime behind federal bars. The syndicate was secure, but more importantly, Dominic was free to walk away from the dark side of his legacy. He restructured the Romano empire into a fully legitimate international logistics corporation, handing the day-to-day operations over to Marco.
He returned to Maine on a bright, sunny Tuesday morning. The Atlantic was calm, its blue waters sparkling under a cloudless sky.
He walked into Harbor Light Café. The smell of fresh coffee grounds and cinnamon was just as he remembered. Abby was behind the counter, and when she saw Dominic, she actually smiled and pointed toward the back patio.
Clara was sitting at a wooden table, watching Noah and Lily draw with crayons on large sheets of paper. Lily was carefully drawing a picture of a large black car and a tall man with a silver pocket watch.
Dominic walked out onto the patio. The children looked up, and this time, Noah didn't look guarded. He stood up and ran toward Dominic, wrapping his arms around the man's legs.
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"You came back," Noah said against Dominic's trousers.
Dominic knelt down, hugging the boy tightly, his heart finally feeling whole. "I promised I would, Noah. I’m never going away again."
