Chapter 7 - The Empire We Built TogetherTwo years later.
The Chicago waterfront was lit by a brilliant autumn sunset, casting a warm amber glow across the newly expanded shipping terminals of Moretti Logistics.
From my corner office on the top floor of the downtown headquarters, I watched the container ships glide smoothly across the river. My desk was a mix of corporate financial reports, logistics spreadsheets, and a framed photograph of Mom smiling proudly at my university graduation ceremony, which I had finally finished online.
The office door opened quietly, followed by the familiar, comforting scent of cedar and espresso.
Dominic walked in, carrying two cups of coffee, wearing a charcoal suit with his tie loosened at the collar. He stopped behind my chair, resting his large hands gently on my shoulders, leaning down to press a soft kiss against my temple.
“You’ve been staring at those shipping manifests for three hours,” Dominic murmured, a hint of amusement in his voice. “The board meeting isn't until tomorrow morning. Even my most ruthless enforcers take a break on Friday nights.”
I leaned back against his chest, closing my eyes for a moment as his hands massaged the tension from my neck.
“I’m not looking at manifests,” I smiled, tilting my head back to look up at him. “I’m looking at the quarterly profit margins for our new community health initiative, funded entirely by recovered assets from Paul Moretti’s shell accounts.”
Dominic’s lips curved into a proud, knowing smile. “And how are the numbers looking?”
“Better than expected,” I said, turning in my chair to face him directly. “Turns out, running a legitimate logistics empire with an iron fist is a lot easier when your chief operations officer used to deliver food in a car with a broken window and a plastic-patched passenger seat.”
Dominic laughed, a rich, resonant sound that still made my heart skip a beat. He handed me one of the coffee cups, then reached down, pulling me out of the chair and flush against his chest.
“You never lost your edge, Avery,” Dominic whispered, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an unshakeable, fierce devotion. “And thank God for that. Otherwise, I might never have survived you.”
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“You always survived, Dominic,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around his neck. “We just finally learned how to win.”
Outside, the Chicago night fell across the city, bright, secure, and entirely ours.
