Chapter 10 - The Hidden Safe
The fire had burned down to glowing embers by the time we finished cataloging the documents from the desk. Dominic stood by the window, watching the rain taper off into a soft mist that drifted across the dark surface of the lake outside. I sat on the edge of the stone hearth, rocking a sleeping Grace in my arms, the heavy weight of the conspiracy finally settling into our bones.
"We have everything we need," Dominic said, his voice low and steady in the dark room. He turned away from the glass and walked slowly toward me, stopping just a few inches away. The scent of pine and rain clung to his beige suit jacket. "Vance is finished. Tomorrow morning, I'm taking these records straight to the federal prosecutor downtown."
"And what happens to the company?" I asked, looking up at him.
"Let it burn," he replied without a moment's hesitation. He reached out, his hand gently brushing a stray lock of dark hair away from my forehead—a touch so tender, so completely at odds with the high-rise executive I had met just days ago, that my breath caught in my throat. "For the first time in my life, I care about something real, Hannah. Not the legacy. Not the tower."
His fingers traced down the side of my face, resting softly against my jawline. I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes as the years of fear, exhaustion, and hidden grief seemed to melt away under the steady pressure of his thumb.
"Julian knew what he was doing," I whispered, opening my eyes to meet his intense, dark gaze. "When he left her with me... he knew you would find us."
May you like
"He knew I wouldn't stop until I found the truth," Dominic murmured. He leaned down, his lips brushing softly against mine in a lingering, deliberate kiss that tasted of cedar smoke and long-suppressed longing. There was no hesitation left in him, no corporate armor—only the undeniable truth of a shared past and an uncertain, beautiful future.
Grace stirred softly in my arms, letting out a tiny, contented sigh that broke the spell. Dominic pulled back slightly, a faint, rare smile touching the corners of his mouth as he looked down at his niece, then back at me, his hand sliding down to interlock his fingers securely with mine. The storm outside had passed, leaving the deep woods silent and still, waiting for the dawn that would change everything.
