Chapter 10 - Dawn
Six months later, the dust had finally settled.
Maya’s annulment went through smoothly. The Sterling name became a cautionary tale in Chicago’s high society, a joke whispered at cocktail parties.
Victor and I didn't magically fall back in love, but the shared trauma of protecting our daughter had thawed the ice between us. We learned to be parents together again, sharing Sunday dinners at Maya’s brownstone.
Maya used the massive settlement she won from the civil suit against the Sterling family to completely renovate the brownstone. She transformed the dark, historic wood into bright, open spaces filled with light.
On a warm summer evening, I stood on the balcony of the brownstone with Maya, looking out over the Chicago skyline. She was radiant, her scars completely faded, her spirit unbroken.
"Are you happy, sweetheart?" I asked her, handing her a glass of wine.
May you like
Maya took a sip, smiling as the wind caught her hair.
"I am, Mom," she said, looking down at the street where Liam had once stood crying in the rain. "I learned a hard lesson. But I also learned that I have an army behind me. And I’ll never let anyone try to conquer my castle again."
