Chapter 8 - THE KING’S DAUGHTERSix months later.
The summer rain had returned to Chicago, but inside the Moretti estate, the atmosphere was entirely different.
The drafty, sterile medical equipment was long gone. The master suite had been renovated into a warm, light-filled library. Outside, the security perimeter had been tripled—steel-reinforced gates, fifty elite loyal guards, and state-of-the-art surveillance systems guarded every inch of the Gold Coast mansion.
I stood on the glass terrace, looking out over Lake Michigan, sipping a hot cup of black coffee.
My health had fully recovered. The blood tests were completely clean, the tremors were gone, and the icy paralysis at 2:17 a.m. was nothing more than a bad memory from a past life.
The door behind me opened softly.
Elena walked out onto the terrace, wearing a simple, elegant dark green dress. She looked radiant, her skin glowing with peace and security.
"She’s ready," Elena said with a smile.
"Is she wearing the cap?" I asked, turning around.
"Of course she is," Elena laughed. "She refuses to take it off."
A second later, Lily stepped out onto the terrace. She was wearing a tailored navy blazer, black trousers, and her favorite oversized Chicago Cubs cap pulled low over her eyes.
She looked like a mini mob boss.
"How do I look, Dad?" Lily asked, holding out her arms.
Hearing her call me Dad still sent a shockwave of warmth through my chest—a feeling far powerful than any throne or empire I had ever built.
"You look like a Moretti," I said, kneeling down to fix her collar. "Are you ready for your first day at the new school?"
"Is Dominic driving the bulletproof car?" she asked, her eyes glittering with excitement.
"Dominic is driving," I confirmed with a laugh. "And two chase cars behind him."
"Good," Lily nodded sagely. "Safety first."
Elena stepped up beside us, wrapping her arm around my waist. I pulled her close, kissing her forehead. Nine years ago, I thought my life was defined by violence, power, and eventual betrayal. I thought a man like me was destined to die cold and alone.
Vanessa had tried to kill me with ice, but she had accidentally given me the one thing that made me invincible: a family.
"Julian," Elena whispered softly, leaning her head against my chest. "What happened to Vanessa?"
I looked out at the dark, deep waters of Lake Michigan stretching into the horizon.
"She got what she wanted," I said quietly. "A quiet place where no one will ever bother her again."
Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and looked at the screen. It was an encrypted text message from my head of intelligence in New York.
[UNKNOWN NUMBER]: The New York Syndicate just learned about your daughter. They are sending a team to Chicago.
I stared at the screen for three seconds. Then, a slow, dark smile spread across my face.
I tucked the phone back into my pocket, grabbed Lily’s small hand in mine, and put my arm around Elena’s shoulders.
"Let’s go to school, kiddo," I said calmly. "We have a big day ahead of us."
THE END... OR IS IT?DRAMATIC TWIST HOOK FOR FACEBOOK TRENDING:
Think the story is over? You have no idea.
When Julian dropped Lily off at her elite private school, he noticed a woman sitting in a sleek black limousine across the street.
She pulled down her sunglasses, revealing piercing blue eyes and a wicked smile.
It wasn't Vanessa.
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It was Vanessa’s TWIN SISTER—and she just hired the world's deadliest assassin to take Julian's daughter!
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