Chapter 10 - Dawn of a New DynastySix months later, the morning sun poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of a sunlit penthouse overlooking the glittering skyline of downtown Chicago.
In my arms cradled a healthy, beautiful baby girl with wide, curious eyes and a full head of dark hair.
The federal trial against Michael Carter had concluded three weeks prior. Armed with the complete ledgers recovered from Viktor Petrov’s office—along with Ashley’s damning testimony—the judge threw the book at my ex-husband. Michael received two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole in a maximum-security federal penitentiary. Ashley received a mitigated ten-year sentence in exchange for her cooperation, safely tucked away in witness protection.
As for Viktor Petrov and his syndicate, they were currently standing trial under heavy federal indictment, facing decades in federal prison while the Sokolov family peacefully absorbed their former shipping channels into our legitimate global logistics network.
A pair of warm, muscular arms wrapped gently around my waist from behind. A familiar, calloused hand rested over mine, guiding our baby’s tiny fingers.
Dmitri pressed a soft kiss to the back of my neck, inhaling the sweet scent of baby shampoo and jasmine.
"She has your eyes," Dmitri murmured, his deep voice rich with quiet adoration.
I leaned back against his solid, powerful chest, smiling as I looked out over the city.
"She has your stubbornness," I corrected softly, turning my head to kiss his cheek, right across the old scar that told the story of a man who survived every war he ever fought.
"Good," Dmitri whispered, pulling us both a little closer. "She’s going to need it to run this empire one day."
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I smiled down at our daughter, running my thumb gently across her soft cheek.
Michael had tried to erase me from the world for fifty million dollars. Instead, he had handed me a kingdom—and the only man in the world strong enough to rule it by my side.
