Chapter 10 - The Reign of the Sun
Six months later, the Lake Forest estate was filled with the scent of blooming orchids and fresh lake air. The conservatory had been completely rebuilt, its glass walls sparkling under the warm summer sun.
Dominic sat at a small iron table, a cup of black coffee before him. He looked completely healed, the scars on his face faded into faint lines that gave his sharp features a rugged, seasoned wisdom. He was reviewing the quarterly logistics report for the newly legitimized Bellandi International Shipping Corporation. The transition was complete; the family was now an entirely clean, multi-billion-dollar enterprise.
Maya walked out from the main house, wearing a simple, flowing white summer dress. She carried a plate of fresh fruit, her dark skin radiant in the sunlight.
Dominic stood up as she approached, pulling her into his arms with a gentle, fierce devotion. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips, his hands resting on her waist.
“The council approved the final restructuring this morning,” Dominic said, a genuine smile illuminating his dark eyes. “Silvio Moretti retired. Claire is running their shipping lines now, and she’s already signed the new compliance contracts. The old guard is completely gone, Maya. The city is quiet.”
Maya leaned her head against his chest, listening to the steady, strong beat of his heart—the pulse she had saved in the dark of a freight yard six months ago.
“It’s the life you wanted,” she whispered, looking out at the calm, blue waters of Lake Michigan. “A life without the shadows.”
“A life we wanted,” Dominic corrected, lifting her chin so she had to look into his eyes. “I spent ten years thinking I had to be the shield for you, Maya. I never realized that the safest place in the world was standing right beside you.”
From the driveway, the sound of a horn honked softly. Marcus Vance was waiting in a clean, ordinary sedan to take them to the airport for their long-delayed vacation to the Mediterranean—a trip where no one knew their names, and no one spoke the language of the outfit.
May you like
Dominic picked up his jacket, offering his arm to his wife.
Maya smiled, slipping her hand through his. The quiet wife who had made every traitor kneel before dawn had returned to her peace. But as they walked toward the car, the sun high and bright above them, both of them knew that the empire they had built was unshakable—because it was guarded by a king who ruled with vision, and a queen who ruled from the shadows.
