Chapter 10 - The Secret in the Walls
Six months later, the rebuilt Ashford estate was filled with the warm, joyous sound of a child's laughter.
Damon sat at his mahogany desk, watching Zuri color a picture of a golden lion in her notebook.
He smiled as Naomi walked into the study wearing a stunning white summer dress that perfectly matched her glowing smile.
Damon stood up, walked around the desk, and pulled the woman he deeply loved into a passionate kiss.
They had legally married in a small, private ceremony the previous month, cementing their beautiful new family.
Trent was serving twenty years in federal prison for extortion and kidnapping.
Victoria's entire corporate empire had been dismantled, and she was rotting away in a high-security facility.
Damon legally adopted Zuri, ensuring the entire world knew she was the beloved heir to the Ashford fortune.
They finally had the peaceful, happy life they all desperately deserved.
Later that evening, Damon walked into the study to lock up the documents for the night.
He noticed a plain white envelope resting perfectly in the center of his clean leather blotter.
There were no security breaches reported, and no staff had been inside the room for hours.
Damon opened the envelope with trembling fingers and pulled out a single, glossy photograph.
It was a picture of Elena, looking perfectly healthy and alive, holding yesterday's morning newspaper in a foreign city.
May you like
He flipped the photo over and read the handwritten note on the back that made his blood freeze entirely.
"Thank you for protecting our daughter, my love, but now it is time for me to take my family back."
