Chapter 6 - The Empire We BuiltSix months later.
The spring sun warmed the cobblestone courtyard of our new estate in Chestnut Hill—a sprawling, historic stone manor surrounded by blooming dogwood trees and quiet gardens, far away from the toxic halls of the Vance family.
Inside my private art studio on the third floor, canvas easels stood bathed in natural light, covered in vibrant oil paintings of cityscapes, stormy skies, and abstract portraits that had recently been featured in a sold-out solo exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
My gallery assistant—a sweet, brilliant art school graduate named Chloe—knocked softly on the open studio door.
"Diana, your publisher is on line two," Chloe smiled, holding out the cordless phone. "They want to confirm the book tour schedule for your new art memoir."
"Tell them I'll call them back in ten minutes, Chloe. Thank you," I smiled, setting down my paintbrush and wiping my hands on a cloth rag.
As Chloe left, heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Carter walked into the studio, wearing a crisp charcoal suit with an open collar, looking every bit the ruthless billionaire who still controlled half the corporate and financial infrastructure of the East Coast. But when his eyes landed on me, the cold edge in his expression vanished completely, replaced by that quiet, fierce warmth that only I ever got to see.
He walked up behind me, wrapping his strong arms securely around my waist, pressing a warm kiss into the crook of my neck.
"You're working too hard," he murmured, resting his chin on my shoulder as he looked at the half-finished canvas on my easel.
"I'm not working, Carter. I'm creating," I corrected, leaning back against his chest with a soft sigh of contentment. "How was the board meeting with the port authorities?"
"Boring," Carter chuckled. "They agreed to every single term we demanded once they remembered who holds their debt."
I turned around in his arms, looping my hands around his neck, looking up into his dark, intense eyes. "You're a terrifying man, Mr. Battalia."
"Only to people who deserve it," he whispered, his hands sliding down to rest securely on my hips.
"Have you heard from my mother or Vanessa recently?" I asked softly, though my heart didn't even skip a beat at the thought anymore.
Carter shook his head. "Your mother sold the Main Line estate last month to pay off her mounting debts. They moved into a modest townhouse in the suburbs. Vanessa tried to call my office last week to ask for a 'family loan' for her new boutique."
"And what did you tell her?"
"I told Thomas to forward her application to our corporate charity fund," Carter smirked. "Under the category for poverty relief."
I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up from my chest. I buried my face in his chest, letting his arms hold me tighter, knowing that every storm I had ever weathered had only led me straight to this exact moment.
May you like
Men had spent my entire life looking past me to admire someone else—until the most feared and desired man in Philadelphia walked into a crowded ballroom, looked through the noise and the red dresses, and decided I was the only world worth conquering.
And as Carter pulled me closer, kissing the top of my head as the afternoon sun flooded the art studio with golden light, I knew that the shadows were gone forever.
