Chapter 7 - Waking Up in an EmpireWhen I opened my eyes, the harsh fluorescent lights of Ali’s Diner and the damp, miserable chill of the Boston alley felt like a distant, feverish nightmare.
Instead, I was staring up at a vaulted, silk-paneled ceiling lit by soft crystal sconces. The sheets beneath me were made of heavy Egyptian cotton, and the air smelled faintly of lavender and old leather.
I bolted upright, gasping, instantly reaching for the backpack.
"Easy, Anna. They're safe."
I whipped my head around. Sitting in a plush velvet armchair beside a massive floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the sun-drenched Boston harbor was Daniel Sterling. He looked remarkably different in a fresh black cashmere sweater, though a pale, tight line of white surgical tape visible beneath his collar hinted at the heavy medical stitching hiding underneath.
Across the room in a state-of-the-art dual bassinet, the twins were fast asleep, soft cream blankets tucked neatly under their chins.
"Where... where are we?" I asked, my voice raspy as I clutched the sheets to my chest.
"My private recovery estate on the Cape," Daniel answered, setting a steaming ceramic mug of tea on the bedside table. "You've been asleep for thirty-six hours. The doctors removed the bullet, patched me up, and gave you a clean bill of health after treating your exhaustion."
The memories of the penthouse, the gunfire, and Julian's betrayal rushed back in a tidal wave. "Julian? The company? The police?"
"Julian is currently awaiting arraignment in a federal maximum-security penitentiary with no bail option," Daniel said calmly, taking a slow sip of his own tea. "The board of Sterling Global has formally reinstated me as CEO and Chairman, and the federal investigators have confirmed that my brother acted entirely alone in the assassination attempt."
He paused, setting his cup down and turning his piercing blue eyes directly toward me.
"More importantly, federal child protective services attempted to initiate temporary custody placement for the twins yesterday."
My heart plummeted straight into my stomach. The familiar, sickening dread of being discarded, of watching children get thrown back into the cold, uncaring machinery of the foster system, rose in my throat.
"No," I whispered, my voice trembling as tears welled in my eyes. "No, you can't let them do that. They need stability. They need someone who won't let the world break them."
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"I agree," Daniel said softly.
I blinked, staring at him in utter confusion. "What?"
