Chapter 10 - THE NEW DYNASTY
Ten years later.
The Triad Group was one of the largest firms in the world.
Our headquarters was a landmark in Chicago.
Our brand was synonymous with integrity and innovation.
I was standing in the lobby,
waiting for the graduation ceremony to begin.
Liam,
Noah,
and Caleb were fifteen now.
They were tall,
brilliant,
and kind.
They were the heart of everything I had built.
Ethan was there,
standing beside me.
We weren't back together,
but we were a team.
We were a family,
in our own way.
"They’re ready,"
Ethan said,
nodding toward the stage.
The boys walked out,
wearing their school uniforms.
They were being honored for their community service work.
I looked at them and felt a pride that was so vast it made me dizzy.
They knew their history.
They knew the story of their grandmother and the fire.
But they weren't defined by it.
They were defined by their own actions.
Their own choices.
As they received their awards,
I looked at the name on the plaque.
THE VANCE LEGACY.
It wasn't about bloodlines or heirs.
It was about the values I had fought to protect.
Honesty.
Strength.
Resilience.
After the ceremony,
we went back to the penthouse for dinner.
The boys were arguing about what kind of pizza to order.
Ethan was laughing.
Maya was there,
her own family joining us.
The room was full of light and noise.
I stood on the balcony,
looking out at the city I had conquered.
The lights of Chicago twinkled like diamonds.
I felt a sense of completion that was absolute.
I had taken the weapon Eleanor had sent me and turned it into a foundation.
I had taken the silence Ethan had given me and turned it into a voice.
I had taken the triplets she tried to erase and turned them into the future.
I was Ava Vance.
May you like
And I had won.
The end.
