Chapter 43 - Shadows DispelThat evening, after the celebration dinner had wound down and Maya had fallen fast asleep upstairs in her bed, Roman and Celeste sat out on the wrap-around porch of their cliffside home.
A harvest moon hung low over the dark, rolling waves of the Atlantic, casting a silver shimmer across the water.
Roman poured two glasses of aged scotch, handing one to Celeste as she leaned back against the wooden railing, the hem of her cardigan fluttering gently in the ocean breeze.
"You looked magnificent up there today, Your Honor," Roman teased gently, clinking his glass against hers.
Celeste smiled, taking a slow sip of the scotch. "It still feels surreal sometimes. From corporate espionage and underground ledgers to county courthouse benches."
"You earned every single inch of it," Roman said firmly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. "You didn't just build a new career, Celeste. You built a legacy that our daughter can be proud of."
May you like
"We built it together, Roman," she corrected softly, resting her head against his chest. "You walked away from an empire of fear to learn what it actually means to be a family."
"It wasn't a sacrifice," Roman murmured, kissing the top of her dark hair. "It was the best trade I ever made."
