Chapter 7 - Epilogue — Sovereign of the CitySix months later.
The penthouse suite overlooking the glittering expanse of the Chicago skyline was bathed in the warm, golden glow of a spring sunset.
I stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, wearing a soft white linen dress, watching one-year-old Sophie take her first wobbly, triumphant steps across the hardwood floor toward her father.
Ethan dropped to one knee, a wide, breathtaking smile breaking across his face as Sophie tumbled right into his arms. He scooped her up, lifting her high into the air as she squealed with pure delight.
“Look at you, little boss,” Ethan laughed, kissing her chubby cheek. “Walking already? You’re going to be running this city before I am.”
I smiled, walking over and wrapping my arms around Ethan’s neck from behind, resting my head against his broad shoulder.
The newspapers still called him the King of Chicago. The police still kept a wary eye on his business empire, and rival syndicates still whispered his name with a mixture of fear and awe.
But behind closed doors, in the home we shared, he wasn't a mob boss or a feared titan. He was simply Ethan—the man who had picked up a tired, broken mother on a red-eye flight and given her the world.
Ethan turned around, wrapping one arm securely around my waist while holding Sophie with the other, pulling us both tight against his chest.
“You know,” Ethan murmured, pressing a warm kiss to my lips, “buying that red-eye ticket to Chicago was the best investment I ever made.”
“You didn't buy my ticket, Ethan,” I teased, resting my forehead against his. “I bought it with my last rent money.”
“And I’ve spent every day since making sure you’ll never have to worry about rent again,” he replied softly, his eyes shining with absolute devotion.
Outside the glass, the lights of the Chicago skyline began to twinkle one by one, painting the night in brilliant strokes of gold and silver.
May you like
The storm was gone. The past was behind us.
And as I held onto the two most important people in my universe, I knew that no matter what came our way, we were finally, completely, and eternally safe.
