Chapter 6 - The Sunrise Over Greenwich
Six months later.
The spring sun rising over the Greenwich estate painted the pale stone walls of the mansion in warm shades of gold and rose. The iron gates stood open, but the security was tighter than ever—not to keep people out, but to protect the peace of a family finally reunited.
Inside the grand foyer, the marble floor was polished to a mirror finish.
The antique grandfather clock ticked rhythmically in the corner.
And in the center of the room, running across the Persian rug in her yellow duck socks, three-year-old Lily laughed as she chased a golden retriever puppy across the floor.
“Don't run too fast near the stairs, Lily-bug!”
Rosa called out from the doorway of the newly renovated family kitchen, wearing a soft cashmere sweater instead of a maid’s uniform. Her dark hair was still pinned back, but her eyes shone with an unshakeable, permanent peace.
From the open doorway of his glass-walled study, Ethan watched them.
He held a mug of black coffee in one hand, his suit jacket slung over his shoulder. He wasn't thinking about stock tickers, hostile takeovers, or board resolutions.
He was watching his niece—his little cousin, his blood—laughing in a house that was finally, truly a home.
Footsteps approached behind him.
Rosa walked over, leaning her shoulder gently against the wooden doorframe beside him, holding her own mug of tea.
“You know,” Rosa said quietly, her lips curving into a smile, “Mr. Patel still catches himself trying to fold my laundry when I walk past the linen closet.”
Ethan chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. “Let him try. You outrank him now.”
“I don’t care about outranking anyone,” Rosa murmured, her gaze following Lily as the little girl stopped to examine a fresh vase of spring lilies sitting on the mahogany table. “I just care that she’s safe.”
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“She’s safe,” Ethan promised, his grey eyes softening as he looked down at Rosa. “They both are.”
Outside, the fountain in the circular driveway bubbled cheerfully, throwing diamond-bright drops of water into the morning air. The secrets of the Harmon estate were no longer buried in the dark; they were out in the sunlight, where life could finally begin to grow.
