Chapter 11 - THE SUNRISE WE EARNED
One year later.
The morning sun reflected brilliantly off the waters of Boston Harbor. I stood on the balcony of our penthouse, sipping a cup of coffee that didn't taste burnt, breathing in the salty air. Inside the massive, sunlit living room, chaos reigned.
Leo was attempting to walk, wobbling dangerously toward the glass coffee table, while Mia sat on the rug, aggressively chewing on a stuffed rabbit with one bent ear.
“I’ve got him,” a deep voice rumbled.
Kaelen swept into the room, scooping Leo up just before disaster struck. He was dressed in a sharp, perfectly tailored charcoal suit, his dark hair slicked back. He looked every inch the legitimate billionaire CEO he had become. The scars on his body were still there, hidden beneath the expensive silk shirts, but the ghosts of his past had finally been laid to rest.
He walked out onto the balcony, balancing Leo on his hip, and wrapped his free arm around my waist, pulling my back flush against his chest.
“You look beautiful,” he murmured, kissing the side of my neck.
“I am wearing sweatpants and spit-up, Mr. Vance,” I laughed, leaning back against his solid warmth.
“Perfection,” he countered smoothly. “Are you ready for your final exam today?”
I took a deep breath. Today was my final practical exam for my nursing degree. It had been the hardest, most rewarding year of my life. “I’m terrified. But yes. I’m ready.”
Kaelen turned me around, his icy blue eyes completely melted with love and devotion. He kissed my forehead, then my lips, soft and lingering.
“You saved my life in a diner pantry, Ella,” he whispered against my lips. “A nursing exam is nothing compared to the fire inside you. You’re going to be brilliant.”
May you like
I smiled, resting my head against his chest, listening to the steady, strong beat of his heart. The journey from a bloody linoleum floor in South Boston to this sunlit penthouse had been paved with violence, terror, and grief. But as I looked up at the man who loved me, and the children who called me mom, I knew I wouldn't change a single second of it.
I had saved the most dangerous man in Boston. And in return, he had given me the world.
