Chapter 9 - The Garden of Crowns
Two weeks later, the autumn chill gave way to a crisp, brilliant Indian summer.
The gardens of the Marchetti estate were bathed in the amber glow of late afternoon. The stone pathways were lined with blooming chrysanthemums, and the air smelled of woodsmoke and damp earth.
Maeve sat on a wrought-iron bench near the central fountain, reading over a draft proposal for the new community burn recovery center funded by the foundation—a project she was spearheading in honor of the physical and emotional scars they both carried.
Footsteps crunched softly on the gravel behind her.
A pair of warm, strong arms wrapped gently around her shoulders, and Elias rested his chin softly against her hair.
“You were magnificent in that boardroom, you know,” Elias murmured, pressing a warm kiss to her cheek. “The union foremen are still calling my office asking if you’ll run for city council.”
Maeve laughed, leaning back against his chest. “I think managing you is more than enough politics for one lifetime.”
Elias turned her around on the bench so she was facing him. His dark gray eyes were soft, stripped of every trace of the cold calculation that had once defined his entire existence.
“Victor Vance’s assets are fully liquidated,” Elias said quietly. “The syndicate is gone. The old world of fear and shadows is dead, Maeve. Everything we built—everything I am—belongs to this house now.”
Maeve reached up, her fingers gently touching the heavy black onyx ring on his right hand. She didn't feel fear when she looked at it anymore; she only felt the weight of a man who had finally learned how to let go of his armor.
“And what about the throne, Elias?” she whispered with a teasing smile. “Are you still worried someone will try to take it?”
May you like
Elias caught her hand, kissing her knuckles one by one before pressing her palm flat against his heart.
“Let them try,” Elias smiled, his eyes burning with absolute, unshakable devotion. “I already gave it away to the only person in Chicago who was brave enough to stand in front of me when she thought I couldn't protect her.”
