Chapter 11 - BEYOND THE SHADOWS
Two years later.
The summer breeze swept off the ocean, catching the white linen curtains of our coastal villa in Italy. Nathan had kept his promise. The organization was mostly legitimate now, running real estate and shipping empires, allowing us to spend summers away from the heat of the city.
I sat on the sun-drenched patio, rubbing my swollen belly. I was seven months pregnant with our daughter.
Down on the private beach, an eight-year-old Jacob and Jonah were splashing in the surf, tackling their father into the waves. Nathan emerged from the water, laughing, tossing Jacob over his shoulder while Jonah clung to his leg. They were strong, vibrant, and completely healthy. The dark years of the poison were nothing more than a distant nightmare.
Nathan walked up the wooden stairs to the patio, shaking water from his dark hair like a large dog. He grabbed a towel, his eyes softening instantly as he looked at me. He dropped to his knees in front of my chair, placing a wet, warm hand on my stomach.
"She's kicking again," I smiled, feeling the strong flutters.
Nathan leaned in, kissing my belly before looking up at me with profound adoration. "I have everything I ever wanted," he said quietly. "Because of you."
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I brushed the wet hair from his forehead, looking out at the boys playing on the sand. The impossible world I had stepped into with a worn suitcase had become my paradise. There would always be shadows in Nathan Coleman’s world, but as long as we were together, we would always be the light.
And in this beautiful, chaotic, perfect life, we had finally found our happily ever after.
