Chapter 15 - Forever After
Five years later.
The iron gates of the Voss estate swung open to welcome a steady stream of guests, but this time, there were no black-clad mercenaries, no federal warrants, and no fear.
It was Lily’s tenth birthday.
The lawn was filled with bright pink and gold balloons, fairy lights strung through the ancient oak trees, and a long banquet table laden with every kind of sweet imaginable.
I stood on the front steps of the mansion, wearing a simple white summer dress, watching Lily—now a tall, laughing ten-year-old with bright eyes and boundless energy—run across the grass with her friends.
Strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind, resting comfortably as a familiar chin settled on my shoulder.
“You’ve been staring at the lawn for ten minutes,” Damian murmured, his voice rich and steady with the passing years. “Are you calculating tactical security angles again, or are you just admiring my landscaping?”
I smiled, leaning back against his chest and covering his hands with mine.
“I was just thinking about how far we’ve come from the day I opened that front door,” I said softly.
Damian turned me gently in his arms, his dark eyes filled with the same fierce, unwavering devotion that had saved us both all those years ago.
“Every single step,” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to my lips, “was worth it.”
May you like
From across the garden, Lily shouted our names, waving frantically for us to join the cake-cutting ceremony.
We walked across the sunlit grass together—hand in hand, side by side, into a future that belonged entirely to us.
