Chapter 21 - A New Beginning Written In Blood And Survival
Three weeks after the chaos at Hawthorne Estate, the Chicago underworld had undergone a permanent, unbreakable restructuring.
The alliance between the Cross and DeLuca families was stronger than ever, cemented not by forced marriage, but by shared survival.
Grace Carter and Lily lived safely in a protected wing of the estate, where Grace now served as Adrian’s chief of security.
On a quiet Sunday afternoon, Adrian sat on the grand porch watching Lily chase butterflies across the immaculate lawn.
Grace walked up beside him, handing him a cup of black coffee without breaking her vigilant scan of the perimeter.
“You still haven't told me what’s in that new intelligence file from Washington,” Grace noted quietly.
May you like
Adrian smiled faintly, his dark eyes meeting hers with an unspoken promise.
“Just an old ghost from our past trying to reach out... but he won't get past my gates.”
