Chapter 7 - Unbroken and Forever HomeAt 8:30 PM, as the autumn sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky over Gold Coast in brilliant shades of indigo and gold, the private terrace was illuminated by dozens of soft, twinkling fairy lights.
Viktor raised his champagne glass toward our table, his voice echoing happily across the quiet grounds.
"To Don Roman and Donna Clara Gallagher!" Viktor toasted cleanly. "The sovereign leaders who rule Chicago with unbroken strength, grace, and eternal love!"
"To Roman and Clara!" the entire terrace echoed in a warm, triumphant chorus, dozens of crystal glasses clinking together under the open sky.
Roman raised his glass, taking a slow sip of fine wine, holding me tight against his beating heart under the vast, open sky.
The orchestra began playing a slow, romantic waltz that drifted through the quiet evening air, mixing with the gentle sound of the lake waves crashing against the rocks below.
Roman took my hand, guiding me out onto the center of the stone terrace under the twinkling lights, sweeping my body into a smooth, effortless turn beneath the stars.
There were no selfish boyfriends draining my bank account. There were no arrogant rivals making cruel threats. There were no tears swallowed in dark club kitchens.
May you like
The exhausted, lonely waitress was dead forever. The sovereign matriarch had claimed her throne.
And standing under the vast, unbroken sky, wrapped in the arms of the man who loved every inch of my body and soul, holding my head high, I knew that my life, my heart, and my future were finally, beautifully, and forever home.
