Chapter 20 - The New Foundation
Three weeks later, Hale Manor looked entirely different.
The scars of the siege had been repaired—the shattered bay windows replaced, the scorched marble foyer polished to a mirror finish, and the security grid upgraded to military-grade specifications that made the estate virtually impenetrable.
The sun was setting over the Atlantic, painting the sky in brilliant shades of violet, gold, and deep crimson.
We were sitting in the dining room again. The crystal chandelier—replaced with a newer, sturdier model—hummed quietly overhead.
Two plates were set at the table. But tonight, there were four chairs pulled up close.
Chloe and Amara were busy arguing over who got the last strawberry on their star-shaped plates, while Grace stood nearby, pouring fresh lemonade with a relaxed, genuine smile on her face.
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I sat at the head of the table, nursing a glass of bourbon, watching the two little girls laugh without a care in the world.
The lonely man who used to sit in this massive dining hall under a shroud of silence was dead. The mafia boss who ruled through fear had found something far stronger to build his empire upon.
