Chapter 10 - The Sanctuary on the Lake
The evening air over Lake Norman was cool and crisp as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, painting the sky in deep shades of violet, gold, and crimson.
Inside the $4.8 million villa, the warm under-floor heating radiated a cozy, luxurious heat through the limestone floor. The two-story stone fireplace crackled with a low, roaring fire, casting an amber glow across the walnut shelving, the hand-finished timber beams, and the floating oak staircase.
There were no velvet curtains over the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The black water outside glittered under the rising moon, completely open, majestic, and peaceful.
I stood by the kitchen island, pouring two glasses of high-end red wine, wearing a soft, oversized cashmere sweater and comfortable jeans.
Footsteps approached behind me. Warm arms wrapped gently around my waist, and David rested his chin lightly against my shoulder, breathing in the scent of my hair.
“You know,” David murmured softly, kissing the side of my neck, “the federal prosecutor’s office called this afternoon. Grant accepted a plea bargain. Twelve years in a medium-security facility without the possibility of early parole.”
I set the wine bottle down, leaning back against his chest, enjoying the solid, comforting weight of his presence.
“And Sabrina?” I asked quietly.
“Working as an entry-level leasing consultant at a commercial property firm in Greensboro,” David said, taking a glass of wine from my hand. “She had to surrender the twenty-eight-thousand-dollar bracelet last Tuesday. The proceeds were returned to our corporate community outreach fund.”
I turned around in his arms, resting my hands against his chest, looking up into his warm, clear eyes.
“Good,” I said softly. “Then tonight, we finally close that chapter for good.”
David raised his glass to mine, the crystal ringing with a clear, perfect tone that echoed through the quiet villa.
May you like
“To the master builder,” David said, his eyes filled with profound love. “And to the home that will never fall.”
We clinked our glasses together and took a slow sip, standing together before the roaring fireplace in our sanctuary on the lake—a home built on truth, guarded by strength, and sealed forever by love.
