Chapter 18 - The Rose Garden
Two weeks after the collapse of Vittoria’s syndicate, the Valente estate was quieter and more secure than it had ever been.
The autumn chill was giving way to the crisp air of early winter. In the western garden, Elena was pruning the rose bushes, humming a soft tune while Mia played nearby, tossing a red rubber ball for the Doberman.
Rex trotted after the ball, picked it up gently in his jaws, and trotted back, dropping it right at the little girl's feet with a soft huff.
Adrienne stood on the stone balcony of the second-floor master suite, watching them through the clear lens of his binoculars. He had spent his entire life believing that love was a weakness—a liability that could be exploited by rivals and crushed by tragedy.
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Yet, looking down at the little girl who had given him a chalk-drawn stone, he realized the truth. Love wasn't a weakness. It was the only reason the stone in his chest had finally started to beat again.
He lowered the binoculars, placed them on the table, and turned away from the balcony to head downstairs.
