Chapter 9 - A New Dawn
That night, after Avery and Sophie were fast asleep in their beds—with Bunny placed carefully on Sophie’s left—I walked down the quiet hallway toward the sunroom at the back of the house.
Elena was standing near the French doors, looking out at the moonlit garden, holding a mug of chamomile tea.
I stepped up behind her, gently wrapping my arms around her waist, pulling her back against my chest. She let out a soft, contented sigh, resting her head back against my shoulder, placing her hands over mine.
“They’re sleeping peacefully,” I whispered into her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of jasmine and rain.
“They always do when you’re home,” she replied softly.
I turned her around in my arms so she was facing me. The silver moonlight illuminated her face, making her look like an angel in the quiet night.
“I officially spoke to my legal team today,” I revealed gently.
Elena blinked. “About what?”
“We’ve finalized your legal identity,” I said, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a small blue passport and a new state ID. “Elena Valdez is legally gone. The government has granted you full witness protection immunity and a permanent legal identity. You are officially Clara Bennett. No one can ever hunt you again.”
She stared at the official documents in my hand, her lips parting in shock. She touched her name on the plastic card, tears spilling over her lashes.
“I’m free?” she whispered, looking up at me. “Really free?”
“You’re free,” I said firmly. “You can go anywhere you want, Clara. You can go to college, buy a house, start fresh anywhere in the world. I’ve set up a trust fund in your name that will ensure you never have to work a day in your life if you don't want to.”
Clara stared at me, her expression shifting from shock to a deep, agonizing confusion.
“Are you… are you asking me to leave?” she asked, her voice cracking with heartbreak.
I gently took the documents from her hand and set them on the side table, then took both of her hands in mine, looking deeply into her eyes.
“I am giving you the choice I never gave you before,” I said softly. “You came here as an employee. You stayed as a protector. I will never keep you here out of obligation or fear. But if you ask me what I want…”
I paused, my heart pounding in my chest with a force I hadn't felt in years.
“What do you want, Ethan?” she whispered, taking a trembling step closer to me.
“I want you to stay,” I said, my voice filled with raw, unshielded emotion. “Not as our maid. Not as an employee. I want you here as my partner. As the woman I love. As the mother my daughters already choose every single day.”
Clara let out a choked sob, throwing her arms around my neck, burying her face in the crook of my collarbone.
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“I don't want to go anywhere,” she wept happily into my skin. “I’ve been home for a long time, Ethan. I love you. I love you and the girls so much.”
I pulled her tight against me, lifting her slightly off her feet, pressing my lips to hers in a deep, passionate kiss that sealed our promise under the moonlight.
