Chapter 20 - The Light After the Dark
One Year Later.
The porch of the newly purchased farmhouse in upstate New York was bathed in warm, afternoon sunlight. There were no hidden cameras, no armed guards, and absolutely no velvet-wrapped packages.
Elise sat on the porch swing, smiling softly as she watched Julian chase their one-year-old daughter, Lily, across the bright green grass. Lily was laughing hysterically, her chubby legs carrying her as fast as she could go before Julian scooped her up into the air, blowing raspberries on her stomach.
The nightmare of the acid attack felt like a lifetime ago. Victoria had pled guilty to attempted murder and domestic terrorism, effectively locked away in a supermax prison. Marcus had turned state's evidence against Victoria's father, dismantling the Sterling empire entirely.
Vance had retired, taking a hefty payout from Julian to buy a fishing boat in Florida. Even Eleanor Vanderbilt had kept her promise, sending a ridiculously extravagant, diamond-encrusted rattle for Lily's first birthday, though she respected their distance.
Julian walked up the porch steps, holding Lily against his hip. He looked at Elise, his eyes entirely free of the dark, paranoid shadows that had haunted him a year ago.
"What are you smiling at?" Julian asked, kissing Elise softly.
"Just looking at my family," Elise said, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Thinking about how far we've come."
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Julian looked out over the quiet, peaceful acres of land they now owned. The monsters of his past were dead and buried. He had fought through hell to protect his family, and looking at the beautiful, healthy little girl in his arms, he knew he would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
"We're home," Julian whispered. And for the first time in his life, he truly meant it.
