Chapter 10 - A New Crown of Steel and Softness
Six months later.
The spring air in Central Park was alive with blooming cherry blossoms and the bright, cheerful laughter of children playing on the grass.
Ava stood near the edge of a shaded walking path, pushing a sleek, double stroller lined with pastel pink blankets. Little Lily and Rose, now nine months old, babbled happily, their bright, curious eyes taking in the vibrant colors of the spring afternoon.
Ava looked radiant. The pale, hollowed-out look of survival had been replaced by a quiet, effortless elegance. She wore a tailored cream trench coat and sunglasses, her dark hair catching the golden sunlight.
Footsteps crunched softly on the gravel path behind her.
A familiar, strong arm wrapped securely around her waist, pulling her back against a warm, solid chest.
“Are they behaving?” Elias murmured into her ear, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple.
Ava smiled, leaning back into his embrace as she handed him a pacifier that Rose had dropped. “They’re angels. Though I think Lily is plotting to steal a daisy from the flower bed.”
Elias chuckled, tossing the pacifier into the diaper bag with practiced ease. Life in Vance Tower had changed him in ways his closest capos still found hard to believe. The most feared criminal organization in New York now answered to a boss who spent his Sunday mornings reading bedtime stories to twin baby girls and holding their mother’s hand through the park.
“Good,” Elias said, his dark eyes softening as he looked down at his daughters, then back up at Ava. “Because we have a dinner reservation tonight, and I need my favorite girls looking their absolute best.”
Ava turned around in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. The skyline of Manhattan rose grandly behind them, a city of steel, glass, and power—a city that bowed to the man holding her.
“Are you ever going to let me go, Elias?” she teased softly, a playful smile touching her lips.
Elias tightened his grip, his gaze locking onto hers with absolute, unyielding devotion.
May you like
“Never,” he whispered. “I found you in the dark, Ava. I’m never letting you walk back out into the cold.”
And as the spring breeze swept through the park, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the laughter of her daughters, Ava knew she was finally home.
