Chapter 12 - THE QUIET EVENINGS
Even empires built on peace require quiet moments of reflection.
On a crisp autumn evening, five years after their wedding, Niko and Ava sat together on the private terrace of their estate, watching the sun dip below the Chicago skyline.
Their twin children—a boy with dark curls and a girl with sharp, curious grey eyes—were fast asleep in the nursery upstairs.
Niko poured two glasses of aged bourbon, handing one to Ava as she leaned back in her lounger.
"Do you ever think about that night in the ballroom?" Niko asked quietly, a playful glint in his gray eyes. "The night your dress was torn?"
Ava took a small sip of the smooth liquor, smiling as she looked out over the sprawling, peaceful lawns.
May you like
"Every time I look at my closet," Ava laughed softly, raising her glass to his. "Though I have to admit... the replacement coat you gave me was an incredible upgrade."
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