Chapter 10 - The Healer's KingdomA year later.
The Highland Park estate was no longer a cold, sterile fortress of secrets. The dark draperies had been replaced with light, airy linens, and the grand gardens were now filled with the sound of laughter and a golden retriever puppy chasing tennis balls across the lawn.
Arthur Costello, now eight years old, was running through the grass, his cheeks flushed with healthy, vibrant color. His neurological trauma was entirely gone, replaced by the boundless energy of a normal, happy boy.
Fiona sat on the sun-drenched patio, sipping a cup of coffee. She wore a light summer dress, her left arm completely healed, showing only a small, faint scar from that fateful night. She had resigned from Northwestern Hospital to run a private pediatric foundation funded entirely by Dominic, helping children from underprivileged backgrounds get the specialized medical care they deserved.
A pair of strong, warm hands settled on her shoulders.
Dominic stepped out onto the patio, wearing a simple white linen shirt, his dark hair catching the warm afternoon sun. The icy coldness in his blue eyes had softened, replaced by a deep, protective warmth whenever he looked at her.
"The board approved the new clinic site in Cicero," Dominic murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of her neck. "It’s all yours, Fiona."
"Thank you, Dominic," she smiled, leaning back against his broad chest. "You really didn't have to fund the entire project."
"I told you the night we met," Dominic said, his voice dropping into that familiar, gravelly baritone that still sent a delicious shiver down her spine. "Save my boy, and I will give you anything you desire. You gave me my son back. You gave this house a soul."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, exquisite platinum ring set with a brilliant blue sapphire—the exact color of the lake on a clear summer day.
"No more cages, Fiona," Dominic whispered, sliding the ring onto her finger. "Be my partner. Be my wife. Help me protect this family."
Fiona looked at the ring, then up at the man who had once been a terrifying myth, but was now her anchor.
May you like
"Only if I get to keep checking the pillows," she teased, a bright, beautiful smile breaking across her face.
Dominic laughed, a sound that was no longer a stranger in this grand house, and pulled her into a deep, loving kiss as the sun set over the calm waters of the lake, painting their new, safe world in gold.
