Chapter 9 - THE IMPERIAL SUNSETSix months later.
Late August, 2026.
The sun was setting over Puget Sound, casting a brilliant orange and purple light across the glass terrace of the newly renovated Cross Estate on Orcas Island.
The heavy steel security gates were still there, but they were now open, welcoming guests for the first time in thirty years.
Music played softly from speakers hidden in the garden beds. High-society guests, legitimate corporate executives, shipping magnates, and local community leaders mingled on the lawn, drinking champagne and admiring the breathtaking ocean views.
The Cross Syndicate was dead. In its place stood Cross Global Logistics—a multi-billion-dollar, fully legitimate shipping corporation that employed five thousand people across the Pacific Northwest.
I stood on the primary terrace wearing a stunning emerald green silk dress that swept the floor, my hair styled in soft, elegant waves down my back. In my arms, eight-month-old Maya sat dressed in a tiny white lace dress, giggling happily as she reached her chubby hands toward the glowing sunset.
Beside me, Victoria Cross sat in a comfortable teak armchair, holding a glass of sparkling water. She looked younger now—the severe, cold lines on her face softened by months of spending time with her granddaughter.
"She’s trying to stand up, Elena," Victoria noted, a genuine, warm smile gracing her lips as she reached out to let Maya grab her finger. "She’ll be walking before her first birthday."
"She gets that from her father," I smiled back. "Once she sets her mind on a direction, there’s no stopping her."
At the far end of the terrace, Damian stood talking with three high-ranking shipping executives from Tokyo. He wore an immaculate navy suit, his dark hair neatly styled, looking like the absolute king of the industry. But every two minutes, his dark hazel eyes would drift away from the executives, searching the crowd until they landed on me and Maya.
When our eyes met across the terrace, he offered me a soft, private smile that made my heart flutter just as fast as it had the day I met him.
He excused himself from the executives and walked across the lawn toward us.
"Is the board satisfied?" I asked as he reached my side, wrapping one arm comfortably around my waist and pressing a kiss to my cheek.
"The board just ratified the five-hundred-million-dollar green energy transition for the Tacoma fleet," Damian reported softly, his eyes shining with profound satisfaction. "We are officially the cleanest shipping line on the West Coast."
"Your father would be spinning in his grave," Victoria remarked dryly, though her eyes were filled with immense pride.
"My father built an empire that lasted twenty years and ended in a prison cell," Damian replied gently, taking Maya from my arms and lifting her high into the air, making her let out a delighted screech of laughter. "I built an empire that will belong to my daughter for the next hundred."
The guests began to head toward the main dining hall for dinner as the stars began to twinkle in the clear summer sky.
Damian, Victoria, Maya, and I remained on the terrace, watching the last golden rays of the sun disappear beneath the horizon of the Pacific Ocean.
"Thank you, Elena," Damian whispered into my ear, pulling me tight against his side as Maya rested her head against his chest.
May you like
"For what?" I asked, looking up into his dark, beautiful eyes.
"For breaking into my garden," Damian whispered, kissing my lips softly under the starlight. "And showing me that the only thing stronger than fear... is love."
