Chapter 9 - THE NEW EMPIRE
Bang.
Maya squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the burning impact. But it never came.
She opened her eyes to see Roman standing in front of her. He hadn't drawn a weapon. He had simply stepped into the line of fire. He grabbed Victor’s wrist with his good hand, twisting it with a sickening crunch. The gun fell.
Victor dropped to his knees, howling in pain.
Roman stood tall, bleeding from a fresh graze on his ribcage, but looking down at his father with absolute authority. The guards stepped forward, grabbing Victor by the arms.
"Take him to the warehouse," Roman ordered his men. "The police will find him there tomorrow, along with the ledgers proving he ordered the bombing at the Grand Continental."
Roman looked down at David, who was whimpering in the mud, clutching his bloody face. "And leave this trash for the IRS. They'll have a lot of questions about his sudden resurrection."
David reached out a pathetic hand toward Maya. "Maya, please... I'm your husband."
Maya looked at the man she had cried over for three years. The man who let her scrub floors while she starved. She felt absolutely nothing.
"My husband is dead," Maya said softly. She turned her back on him, picking up Elara.
---
Three weeks later.
The penthouse of the Grand Continental was fully restored. The morning sun poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the pristine Persian rug.
Maya stood by the glass, looking out over the Chicago skyline. She wasn't wearing a maid's uniform. She wore a tailored navy dress.
The bedroom door opened. Roman walked in. He looked healthier, the dark circles under his eyes gone, though he still moved with that quiet, lethal grace.
"The paperwork cleared," Roman said, handing her a thick manila envelope.
Maya opened it. It was the deed to her apartment building. Not just her unit—the entire building. Paid in full. Along with an employment contract making her the Chief Financial Officer of Cassian Enterprises' legitimate real estate holdings.
"Roman, this is too much," Maya breathed, tears pricking her eyes.
"You saved my life, Maya. You saved Elara," Roman said, stepping closer. He gently reached out, his scarred hand brushing a stray tear from her cheek. "You gave me my family back."
Footsteps padded rapidly across the hardwood floor. Elara ran into the room, holding a new drawing. She crashed into Maya’s legs, hugging her tightly.
Maya stroked the little girl's curls, looking up at Roman. He wasn't a monster. He was a protector who had been forced into the dark, and she had helped pull him into the light.
"Are we going to the park today?" Elara asked, looking up at them with bright, hopeful eyes.
May you like
Maya smiled, a real, full smile, her dignity restored and her heart finally at peace. She took Roman's hand. It was warm, and it held hers firmly.
"Yes, sweetheart," Maya said. "We're going together."
