Chapter 5 - The Night at the LakeThree months after the boardroom purge, a crisp autumn chill settled over Lake Michigan.
Victor's private oceanfront estate in Lake Forest was quiet, the grand stone terrace illuminated by warm lantern light and a roaring outdoor fireplace.
I stood near the marble balustrade wearing a breathtaking floor-length dark emerald silk gown that celebrated every line of my tall, radiant figure. My dark hair fell in glossy waves over my shoulders, my hazel eyes shining with absolute inner peace and victory.
Down on my right hand rested a simple, magnificent ten-carat emerald signet ring—the official Seal of the Castle Family Matriarch.
Victor walked out onto the terrace wearing a tailored black suit without a tie, holding two glasses of sunlit cider. He stepped up beside me near the balustrade, wrapping his broad, warm arm around my waist, pulling my back flush against his solid frame.
He leaned down, pressing a sweet, lingering kiss against my temple.
"What are you thinking about, my queen?" Victor whispered softly into my ear.
I looked out over the vast, sparkling blue waters of Lake Michigan stretching before us into the unbroken horizon, leaning my head comfortably back against his broad chest.
"I was thinking about room 4201, Victor," I answered softly, a radiant smile lighting up my face. "And how an exhausted mistake brought me straight to my true home."
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Victor offered a soft, dark smile—a look of pure, eternal love that lit up his severe, handsome features.
"You saved my life, Hazel," Victor promised, his deep voice thick with emotion, pulling me closer under the autumn stars. "And I will spend the rest of my life making sure your world is filled with light."
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