Chapter 20 - The Rose Blooms Forever

The next morning, the sun broke through the autumn clouds, casting a brilliant, golden warmth across the Duca estate.
Lucas sat on the grass in the side garden, carefully watering the newly planted red rose bushes with a small green plastic watering can his mother had left behind. Beside him, little Leo chased a stray butterfly, his high-pitched giggles echoing across the manicured lawns.
From the third-floor balcony, Lorenzo watched them with a quiet, unbroken peace settled deep in his chest. The shadows of the past had finally been swept away. The fortress was no longer a cage of fear and slow poison; it was a home, fiercely protected and eternally alive.
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Down at the base of the central rose bush, right where the tangled thorns met the rich, dark soil, a single, perfect red bud burst open into full bloom—strong, resilient, and ready to face the world.
Lorenzo turned away from the balcony, walked down the marble stairs, and stepped out into the bright morning light to join his son.