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The sound of shattering crystal echoed like a gunshot across the sunlit courtyard of the Montgomery estate. Up on the second-floor balcony, Eleanor Montgomery stood frozen, her manicured fingers trembling where her champagne flute had just slipped from her grip. / Chapter 30 / 40

Chapter 30 - Forever a Queen

A soft breeze swept across the lake, rustling the autumn leaves around the estate.

Footsteps echoed softly behind me on the wooden planks. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Three pairs of steady, reassuring footsteps stopped right beside me.

Liam, Noah, and Caleb stepped up to the edge of the pier, linking their arms through mine, staring out across the vast, dark water toward the sparkling lights of the Chicago skyline in the distance.

"Penny for your thoughts, Mama?" Noah asked softly, squeezing my hand.

I smiled, looking up at my three grown sons, whose strength, honor, and brilliance were the greatest legacy I could ever leave behind.

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The applause slowly faded as Maya stepped off the graduation stage, the heavy wooden steps creaking beneath her feet. Little Lily stirred against her chest, letting out a soft yawn that sounded entirely too peaceful given the emotional hurricane that had just swept through the auditorium.

The applause slowly faded as Maya stepped off the graduation stage, the...

Pain rippled through my lower back as the front door clicked shut, the heavy wooden frame sealing off the warmth of the house. The rain didn't fall; it drove sideways, sharp and icy, slicing through my thin cardigan and soaking into my maternity clothes.

Pain rippled through my lower back as the front door clicked shut, the h...

The sound of shattering crystal echoed like a gunshot across the sun-drenched gardens of the Lake Geneva estate. High above the courtyard, Eleanor Montgomery’s pristine white-gloved hand hovered in empty space, her fingers trembling violently.

The sound of shattering crystal echoed like a gunshot across the sun-dre...

"Just thinking about how lucky I am," I whispered, resting my head against Liam's shoulder as the cool night wind blew around us. "To have built the best kingdom in the world."

And together, standing shoulder to shoulder against the night, we watched the stars shine down on an empire that would never, ever fall.

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