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HE STEPPED OUT OF THE SHADOWS WITH A SMOKE IN HIS HAND AND SAID: "YOUR FATHER OWES ME A LIFE, LITTLE BIRD. BUT I THINK I’LL TAKE YOURS INSTEAD." / Chapter 10 / 10

Chapter 10 - Heart Alterations

The grand opening of Heart Alterations was the talk of the Chicago fashion district.

The shop was beautiful—a massive corner building with pristine glass windows, a polished brass bell over the door, and rows of the finest silks and wools from around the world. Elite women from high society lined up around the block, desperate to have their gowns altered by the woman who wore the Moretti emerald on her finger.

Elena stood behind the beautiful mahogany counter, adjusting a vintage sewing machine. She wore a simple, elegant black dress, her hair pinned up neatly. She looked out the window, watching the rain tap against the glass.

The bell over the door chimed, and the entire shop fell into a hushed, respectful silence.

Lucian walked in, wearing a heavy wool coat over his shoulders. He didn't look at the high-society clients who immediately scrambled to get out of his way; his eyes fixed entirely on his wife. Behind him, two massive guards carried three large, heavy boxes of premium Italian silk threads.

"Your delivery has arrived, Mrs. Moretti," Lucian said, a dark, handsome smirk playing on his lips as he walked up to the counter.

Elena smiled, leaning over the mahogany wood to straighten his tie, her thread-worn fingers gentle against the fine silk. "You're late, Mr. Moretti. I had three clients ask why my assistant was slacking."

Lucian reached out, his long fingers catching her waist and pulling her slightly forward, completely unbothered by the eyes of the crowd watching them. He leaned down, pressing a soft, possessive kiss against her lips.

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Dr. Mercer looked down at the ultrasound monitor, her fingers moving with practiced ease over the trackball. The quiet hum of the machine filled the room, punctuated only by the rhythmic, heavy breathing of Dorian Cross standing near the door. He hadn't sat down once. His tall frame cast a long, imposing shadow across the sterile room, hand resting near the button of his suit jacket—a posture born of years of constant vigilance.

Dr. Mercer looked down at the ultrasound monitor, her fingers moving wit...

The ambulance siren wailed in the distance, a rising shriek that cut through the rainy night like a knife. I didn't wait for them. I held Arianne against my chest, feeling the terrifyingly erratic rhythm of her pulse, and bolted down the grand mahogany staircase.

The ambulance siren wailed in the distance, a rising shriek that cut thr...

The heavy cabin door hissed shut behind me, sealing in the scent of expensive cologne, manufactured corporate harmony, and betrayal. As I stepped back onto the sun-baked tarmac of the private aviation terminal, the stifling afternoon heat hit me like a physical blow. Behind the thick, tinted glass of the jet's windows, I could see Carter’s silhouette—his jaw set in that familiar, arrogant angle of a man who believed he had just successfully disciplined a disobedient pet.

The heavy cabin door hissed shut behind me, sealing in the scent of expe...

"The assistant was busy ensuring your evening was clear," Lucian whispered against her skin, his grey eyes burning with the same beautiful obsession that had saved her life. "Your father is arriving for dinner at the estate at seven. And I don't like to be kept waiting."

"I'll be ready," Elena whispered back, her heart full, finally knowing that the life she had surrendered to a monster had given her the ultimate, beautiful freedom to love.

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