Chapter 20 - The First Sunrise Of Forever
The morning sun broke across the horizon,
painting the sky in brilliant shades of amber,
rose,
and gold,
ushering in a brand-new era of absolute freedom and limitless possibility.
I walked out onto the expansive second-story balcony,
holding a ceramic mug of hot,
freshly brewed coffee,
feeling the crisp morning breeze gently brushing against my face.
Down below,
the manicured gardens sparkled with morning dew,
the neighborhood was peaceful and quiet,
and the horizon stretched out endlessly in every direction without a single shadow in sight.
Julian Thorne's black sedan pulled quietly into the circular driveway,
just as we had planned the evening before,
signaling the beginning of our new chapter together as business partners and equals.
I took a long,
deep sip of my coffee,
letting the warmth spread through my chest,
thinking back to the terrified woman who had been dragged out of bed by her wrist just a few weeks ago.
She was gone,
permanently replaced by a powerful,
wealthy,
and completely unbreakable woman who commanded her own destiny and owned her entire world.
I turned away from the balcony,
walked back into my stunning,
fully renovated home,
and locked the front door behind me—not to keep anyone out,
but to protect the magnificent life I had fought so hard to reclaim.
The nightmare was over,
May you like
the monsters were locked away in federal cages,
and my true story was finally just beginning.
