Chapter 7 - Dominic Took My Daughter and Ethan to a Quiet Lake House—Then Asked Me to Stay for the One Reason Money Could Never BuyThe lake house was beautiful.
Quiet.
Private.
Safe.
For the first time in months, there were no guards inside.
Only outside.
The children played.
Mara came too.
Isabella stayed nearby.
Dominic cooked.
Badly.
I laughed.
“You nearly burned dinner.”
“I run billion-dollar businesses.”
“And yet you can't cook pasta.”
“Not relevant.”
The children laughed.
For a few hours, we were normal.
Then Dominic asked me to walk with him.
We stood beside the lake.
He was quiet.
“What's wrong?”
“I don't know how to ask this.”
“Ask.”
“Would you stay?”
I looked at him.
“With the family?”
“Yes.”
“As a housekeeper?”
He laughed.
“No.”
“As what?”
He stepped closer.
“As the woman I love.”
My heart stopped.
I wasn't ready.
Neither was he.
But it was true.
“I love you too.”
He smiled.
Then kissed me.
Slowly.
Carefully.
There was no fear.
No power.
No transaction.
Only two people who had survived too much.
Behind us, Ethan shouted.
“Ew!”
Lily laughed.
We broke apart.
I smiled.
“This is going to be interesting.”
He laughed.
Then the lake house alarm sounded.
Security rushed in.
A boat had crossed the restricted water.
Nobody was supposed to be there.
Dominic looked toward the lake.
A figure stood on the dock.
An elderly man.
He raised one hand.
Dominic went pale.
“Father?”
I froze.
His father was supposed to be dead.
The man smiled.
Then disappeared.
We searched.
Nothing.
May you like
But he left a message.
The family isn't finished.
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