Chapter 10 - the golden horizon
Three months later, the warm morning sun rose bright and clear over Lake Como, painting the calm water in brilliant shades of gold and sapphire blue.
The dark clouds that had hung over the Vale estate for years were completely gone. The northern shipping terminals were operating under clean, transparent management, and peace had returned to the province.
Out on the sunlit stone terrace overlooking the lake, four-year-old Sadie sat at a small white wrought-iron table. She wore a bright yellow summer dress, her sandy-blond hair tied with a clean blue ribbon. In her hands, she held a brand-new set of oil pastels, carefully drawing a picture of a large stone house under a beaming yellow sun.
Megan sat beside her, wearing a simple white linen dress, reading a book in the quiet warmth of the afternoon. Her face looked healthy, radiant, and completely free of the anxiety that had shadowed her for years.
Roman walked out onto the terrace carrying two glasses of fresh lemonade. He wore a simple white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his muscular, tattooed forearms, looking more relaxed than his crew had ever seen him.
He set the glasses down and sat beside Megan, taking her hand in his broad palm.
"What are you painting today, little artist?" Roman asked, looking down at Sadie's pad.
Sadie picked up her pad and turned it toward him with a proud smile. "It's us, Mr. Roman. You, Mommy, and me. In our house."
Roman looked at the drawing for a long moment, a deep, genuine feeling of warmth settling into his chest. For the first time in his ruthless life, he felt a true sense of purpose that went far beyond territory and power.
"It's a magnificent drawing, Sadie," Roman said softly, stroking her head.
Suddenly, Marcus walked out onto the terrace carrying a thick, black leather envelope stamped with an unfamiliar red wax seal—a crest depicting a golden falcon holding a broken blade.
Marcus handed the envelope to Roman, his expression grave. "Boss. A courier just brought this from the airport in Milan. It came directly from the High Council in Marseille."
Roman took the envelope, breaking the heavy wax seal. He pulled out a single sheet of heavy parchment written in fine, sweeping gold calligraphy.
He read the first two lines, his relaxed expression slowly turning into an intense, razor-sharp focus.
Written on the parchment were only two sentences:
Roman Vale: The debt of Victor Vale is settled in Lombardy. But your late father's secret daughter in Paris has just claimed her share of the European throne.
Megan looked at Roman, noticing the sudden shift in his posture. "Roman? What is it?"
Roman slowly folded the parchment and placed it into his coat pocket. He looked out across the sparkling blue waters of Lake Como toward the distant northern mountains, where the shadows of another world were already beginning to gather.
May you like
He reached out, squeezing Megan's hand tightly, his stance tall, dark, and utterly unshakeable against the horizon.
"It seems our family is bigger than we thought, Megan," Roman whispered softly into the warm summer breeze. "Get your coats. We're going to France."
