Chapter 10 - The Answered Text
Later that evening.
The penthouse at Locke Tower was quiet, filled with the soft, golden glow of the setting sun over Lake Michigan.
Harper sat on the velvet sofa in the living room, wearing a comfortable silk robe, sipping a cup of chamomile tea. Little baby toys sat in a neat wicker basket near the fireplace—she and Gideon were expecting their first child in five months.
The private elevator chimed softly.
Gideon walked out. He set his briefcase aside, shed his dark wool coat, and walked straight across the room toward her.
He dropped to his knees beside the sofa, reaching out to lay his large, warm hand over her slightly rounded stomach, pressing a soft kiss against her lips.
"How are you feeling today?" Gideon asked softly, looking up into her eyes.
"Wonderful," Harper smiled, running her fingers through his dark hair. "The foundation received over two million dollars in private donations today."
"I know," Gideon smirked gently. "I wrote the check."
Harper laughed softly, leaning down to press her forehead against his. "You're terrible, Mr. Locke."
"I’m a man who takes care of his family," Gideon replied, his tone warm and filled with deep contentment.
Gideon reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, sleek object.
It was the old burner phone—the phone that had sat in a drawer for seven years, the phone that had received her desperate text on a rain-slicked afternoon in South Chicago.
Gideon flipped the phone open. He tapped the screen a few times, then handed it to her.
Harper took the phone, looking down at the screen.
A new message sat in the private chat log, sent from Gideon’s personal phone just two minutes earlier.
Harper read the words typed across the screen:
I am here. You are safe. I will love you forever.
May you like
Harper looked up from the screen, tears of pure, overwhelming happiness shining in her eyes.
She pulled the billionaire mafia boss into her arms, kissing him with all the love in her heart, knowing that the wrong number had led her to the only right place in the world.
