Chapter 10 - A New Dynasty
Two years later, the spring sun was warm and bright over the manicured lawns of Kade Manor in Chicago.
The heavy iron gates, once a symbol of isolation and fortress-like dread, were now wide open, welcoming delivery trucks, visiting friends, and the cheerful laughter of three six-year-olds running across the green grass with a golden retriever puppy snapping at their heels.
Leo, Maya, and Toby were racing toward the massive stone patio where a long wooden picnic table was set up for a Sunday family barbecue.
At the head of the table sat Weston Kade, wearing a casual linen shirt with his sleeves rolled up, flipping burgers on a professional grill while laughing at something Toby was shouting about dinosaurs.
Coming out through the French doors of the manor was Wren, wearing a breezy summer dress, carrying a large tray of fresh lemonade. Her dark hair was down, catching the sunlight, and her face glowed with a deep, radiant peace that had been missing for so many years.
Weston turned from the grill, caught sight of her coming down the stone steps, and immediately dropped the spatula. He crossed the patio in three long strides, scooped Wren up into his arms, and spun her around in a circle as she laughed, protesting playfully.
“Put me down, you idiot! The lemonade is going to spill!”
“Let it spill!” Weston grinned, kissing her deeply right in front of the kids, who groaned in theatrical disgust.
“Ew! Gross! Mommy and Daddy are kissing again!” Maya shrieked, running over to tackle her father’s legs.
Weston set Wren down gently, keeping his arm securely wrapped around her waist as he looked down at his three children, and then at the woman who had brought him back from the dead.
The underworld still existed. The Kade syndicate still operated in the shadows of Chicago. But the throne room had changed. It was no longer a cold, lonely fortress built on fear and blood.
It was a home.
Weston looked into Wren’s brown eyes, then down at Leo’s slate-gray gaze watching them with solemn approval.
“Some men spend their whole lives building empires they can rule alone,” Weston whispered softly, pressing a kiss to Wren’s temple as the sun began to set over the Chicago skyline. “I spent mine fighting to build a family that would outlive us all.”
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Wren smiled, resting her head against his shoulder as the children raced past them across the lawn.
The past was buried. The shadows were gone. And their story was only just beginning.
