Chapter 7 - Unraveling the Empire
Back at the Reyes estate, the atmosphere had shifted from panic to cold, calculated restoration. Federal agents and local authorities—those on the Reyes family payroll, at least—had quietly removed Victor Lane from the premises, taking him to a private holding facility where his extensive digital empire would be systematically dismantled piece by piece.
Damon walked through the double doors of the main entrance, his arm supporting Selena as she limped slightly from the ordeal.
Before they could even reach the grand staircase, the doors to the private study swung open.
Ruby stood on the threshold, clutching her stuffed rabbit so hard its stuffing was practically bursting out of the seams. Her eyes locked onto Selena.
“Mommy!”
Ruby dropped the rabbit and sprinted across the marble floor as fast as her little legs could carry her. Selena dropped to her knees just in time to catch her, wrapping her arms around the child and burying her face in her curls, weeping openly as they held each other on the polished floor.
Damon stood a few feet away, watching them. The massive, echoing foyer—the one Margaret had once described as feeling like a cemetery—was filled with the sound of a child’s laughter mixed through tears of relief.
Margaret emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of warm cinnamon cookies, stopping beside Damon with a knowing look in her wise, aging eyes.
“You look like you need a drink, Damon,” the old housekeeper murmured, offering him a small smile.
“I need a lot of things, Margaret,” Damon replied quietly, his gaze resting on the little pink suitcase sitting near the base of the stairs.
“Well,” Margaret said, nudging his arm with the tray. “Start with a cookie. You’ve got a household to run now, and for the first time in twenty years, this place actually sounds like a home.”
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Damon looked down at the cookie, then back at Ruby, who was now chattering excitedly to her mother about how she had guarded the suitcase all by herself.
For the first time in his life, Damon Reyes didn't feel the need to secure the perimeter. The walls were standing, the fortress was intact, and the quiet had finally been broken for good.
