Chapter 8 - The Sunrise Mansion
Six months later, the Dallas mansion didn't feel empty anymore.
The heavy iron gates no longer felt like a prison wall. The dark hallways were filled with sunlight streaming through sparkling glass, and the scent of fresh coffee and pastries replaced the cold, sterile aura of grief.
Grandma Carmen was no longer living in a tiny, cramped apartment smelling of medicine. She now had a sunlit, beautifully furnished suite on the ground floor of the mansion, complete with her own personal medical specialist and a gorgeous view of the private rose gardens.
As for Mrs. Herrera? She had tried to hand in her resignation the week after Marcus was arrested, expecting Ethan to clean house completely. Instead, Ethan had given her a substantial raise and told her to smile more—advice she took with a very stiff, very polite nod.
On a warm Saturday morning in July, I stood on the grand balcony outside Lily's room, holding a cup of fresh coffee while watching the morning sun rise over the Dallas skyline.
Strong arms wrapped gently around my waist from behind, and a familiar chin rested comfortably on my shoulder.
"What are you thinking about?" Ethan whispered, kissing the side of my neck.
"I'm thinking about the employment agency," I smiled, leaning back against his chest. "If they hadn't warned me that you went through eleven housekeepers in eight months... I never would have taken the job."
Ethan laughed, turning me around in his arms so he could look into my eyes, his gaze filled with a fierce, unconditional devotion.
"And if you hadn't taken the job," Ethan murmured, sliding a stunning diamond ring onto my left finger—a ring that caught the morning sunlight and flashed brilliantly against the Dallas sky, "I would still be living in the dark."
May you like
I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck as he pulled me close.
The ghosts were gone. The empire was secure. And the rest of our lives was just beginning.
