Chapter 10 - Dawn on the Bolaro Estate
The sun rose over the Bolaro estate like a brushstroke of liquid gold, burning away the lingering mist that clung to the surface of the private lake behind the property.
Inside the master nursery, the room was bathed in a warm, peaceful light.
Elena sat in the rocking chair by the window, holding baby Nico against her shoulder as he drifted off to sleep after his early morning feeding. His breathing was deep, even, and entirely natural.
The door opened softly, and Roman stepped into the room.
He had changed out of his clothes from the night before. He wore a clean dark shirt and trousers, his hair still damp from a shower, the hard lines around his eyes softened by the quiet sanctuary of the nursery.
He walked over to the rocking chair, stopping beside her. He reached out, his large, calloused fingers gently brushing the edge of the thermal blanket tucked around his son’s tiny shoulders.
“Is it over?” Elena asked quietly, not looking up from the baby.
“It’s over,” Roman said. His voice was steady, calm, and completely at peace for the first time in nineteen months. “The department will rule Marcus’s death as an isolated shootout with an unidentified fugitive. The federal investigation into Vanguard is closed, classified, and sealed by a judge who understands discretion.”
Elena looked up, meeting his dark eyes. “And the key?”
Roman reached into his pocket and pulled out the old vintage brass key she had received in the manila envelope. He walked over to the open window, raised his arm, and tossed it out.
It vanished into the deep, clear waters of the lake below, sinking silently into the mud without a single ripple.
“Gone,” Roman said, turning back to face her.
Elena let out a long, slow breath, feeling the last remaining knot of tension uncoil from her shoulders. She looked down at the baby sleeping peacefully in her arms, then up at the man who had torn down a city to bring him home.
The machines in the hospital had beeped a lie every single morning at 6 a.m. for nineteen days. They had lied about the baby dying, they had lied about the medicine, and they had lied about the world being a place where monsters in white coats always won.
But looking out across the emerald lawns of the estate as the morning sun warmed the glass, Elena knew one thing with absolute certainty:
May you like
The lie was over.
And the true heir of the Bolaro family was finally safe where he belonged.
