Chapter 10 - The Reign of the Sun
Six months later.
The summer sun shone brilliantly over the private estate of the Vance family in Lake Forest, Illinois.
The massive lawn rolling down toward the blue waters of Lake Michigan was covered in white silk tents, fresh roses, and light acoustic music. Over three hundred guests—politicians, business moguls, foreign dignitaries, and legal leaders—gathered in high spirits under the warm sky.
In the center of the lawn, sitting on a soft velvet armchair beneath a shaded canopy, was Isabella Vance, holding her healthy, three-month-old baby boy, Gabriel. She was laughing as Mrs. Alvarez sat beside her, showing her photos of Nora’s first week at her new private academy.
Near the edge of the lawn, six-year-old Nora was running around in a bright yellow summer dress, playing with two white German Shepherd puppies while three discrete security guards watched over her from a respectful distance with warm smiles.
Standing on the grand marble terrace overseeing the celebration was Delaney.
She wore a simple, breathtaking pale-blue linen dress that caught the soft summer breeze. Her skin was glowing, her dark hair shone in the sunlight, and the small crescent-shaped birthmark at her neck was highlighted by a simple silver chain holding the silver pocket watch.
A pair of strong, familiar arms wrapped gently around her waist from behind.
Dante pulled her back against his broad chest, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder, his breath warm against her cheek.
"What are you thinking about, Mrs. Vance?" Dante whispered smoothly, his dark gray eyes looking out over the happy scene below.
Delaney rested her hands over his arms, leaning back into his absolute warmth and strength.
"I was thinking about the rain," Delaney admitted with a soft, beautiful smile. "I was thinking about how six months ago, I was standing in a muddy parking lot behind a diner, holding four dollars in my pocket and worrying about fuel light in my car."
Dante leaned down, kissing the sensitive spot right behind her ear, making her chuckle softly.
"And now?" Dante asked, his voice low, deep, and filled with infinite devotion.
Delaney turned in his arms, wrapping her hands around his neck, looking into the eyes of the man who had torn a city apart to save her, who had rebuilt her life from the ash, and who loved her with a ferocity that defied time itself.
May you like
"And now," Delaney whispered, leaning up to press her lips gently against his, "I know that no matter how dark the storm gets... the prince of the castle will always bring us home."
Dante smiled—a bright, blinding smile that illuminated his sharp face—and pulled her tight into his arms, kissing her deeply under the warm, unbroken light of the Chicago sun.
