Chapter 12
Z
Two days after the chaos at Key Biscayne, the storm had finally cleared, leaving behind a crisp, spotless blue sky over Florida.
The penthouse felt different now. The heavy, invisible cloud of fear that had hovered over the Moretti family for four years was completely gone.
Isabella, along with her international network of conspirators, was being held without bail in a federal detention facility, facing charges of treason, kidnapping, attempted murder, and corporate fraud. The story had shattered global headlines, but inside our home, the world was quiet.
I was sitting on the terrace, watching Lucas and Leo happily coloring in their drawing books. They were healthy, vibrant, and for the first time in their lives, entirely free of fear.
"Claire?" Leo called out, looking up from his paper with a bright blue crayon in his hand.
"Yes, Leo?"
"Is the bad lady ever coming back?"
I walked over, kneeling beside his chair, taking his small hand in mine. "No, Leo. She is locked away where she can never, ever reach you or Lucas again. You are completely safe."
Lucas grinned, holding up his drawing. It was a picture of four people standing in front of a giant house with a sunny sky above them. There was a tall man, two little boys, and a woman with long hair holding hands with all of them.
"That's us," Lucas announced proudly. "And that's our new house."
My heart swelled with a warmth so deep it brought tears to my eyes. I pulled both boys into a tight hug, pressing kisses into their soft hair. "It's beautiful, Lucas. The most beautiful picture I've ever seen."
The terrace door slid open, and Vincent walked out.
He was wearing comfortable clothes—no suits, no ties, no armor. He looked lighter, younger, his dark eyes sparkling with a peace I hadn't seen since the day I met him in that dark hallway in New York.
"Boys," Vincent said with a dramatic whisper. "The ice cream truck just parked downstairs. And I heard they have double chocolate."
"DOUBLE CHOCOLATE!" Lucas screamed, jumping up from his chair.
"I'm getting three scoops!" Leo yelled, already sprinting toward the front door.
"Put your shoes on first!" Vincent called after them, laughing as their frantic footsteps echoed down the hallway.
He walked over to where I was standing by the glass railing, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and resting his chin softly on my shoulder. We looked out at the glittering turquoise ocean together.
"The federal prosecutors wrapped up their final depositions this morning," Vincent murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. "It's officially over, Claire. The company accounts are cleared, the estate in New York is being sold, and Isabella will spend the rest of her life behind bars."
"What are you going to do with the company?" I asked, leaning back against his chest, enjoying the warmth of his embrace.
"I resigned as CEO an hour ago," he whispered.
I turned around in his arms, staring at him in shock. "You what?"
Vincent smiled, a genuine, beautiful expression that lit up his entire face. "I appointed a trusted board of directors to run day-to-day operations. I don't want to spend my life in boardrooms anymore, Claire. I spent four years fighting for control of an empire, and almost lost the only things that actually matter."
May you like
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the mahogany ring box he had opened days before.
"Now," Vincent said softly, taking my hand, his gaze locked onto mine with absolute devotion. "Where were we before we were so rudely interrupted by international drama?"
