Chapter 15 - RECKONING AND A NEW DAWN—THE END
Three months later, the autumn chill gave way to a crisp, bright Chicago morning.
The Sun glistened off Lake Michigan, turning the choppy waters into sheets of liquid gold.
I stood on the balcony of a penthouse apartment overlooking the skyline, holding a steaming mug of coffee.
The medical bills were all paid in full.
Chloe had transferred to a safer university upstate with a full scholarship provided by a mysterious anonymous donor.
And my name was no longer hiding in the shadows.
Footsteps approached softly from behind.
Strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back against a warm, familiar chest.
“You’re thinking too hard,” Dante murmured, resting his chin on my shoulder.
“I was just remembering how I used to serve champagne to ghosts,” I smiled, leaning back into his embrace.
“You’re not a ghost anymore, Emma,” Dante whispered, turning me around to face him.
His gray eyes were warm, bright, and completely free of the dark past that had once chained them.
“Neither am I.”
He lowered his head and kissed me softly, the cold rain of our first night together finally washing away into memory.
We had survived the fire, the blood, and the lies.
May you like
And for the first time in our lives, the future was entirely ours to write.
THE END
