Chapter 19 - Sunrise over Michigan Avenue
Dawn broke over the Chicago skyline in shades of brilliant gold and rose.
The smoke had cleared. The bodies had been removed. The police reports were already filed under “corporate industrial sabotage,” scrubbed clean by Adrian’s network of judges and aldermen.
I stood on the open balcony of the fifty-fifth floor, leaning against the stone railing, watching the city wake up below. The wind whipped through my dark curls, cold and clean, carrying away the lingering scent of chemicals and blood.
Footsteps approached silently behind me.
A heavy, warm coat was draped over my shoulders.
Adrian stepped beside me, his hands resting on the railing, looking out over his empire. His bandages were freshly dressed beneath a crisp charcoal suit. He looked tired, bruised, but undeniably victorious.
“Leo is safe,” Adrian said quietly. “He was moved to the private recovery penthouse at Northwestern Memorial an hour ago. The bone marrow procedure is scheduled for next Tuesday. The doctors say his prognosis is excellent.”
My throat tightened. A heavy weight that had rested on my chest for two years finally dissolved into the wind.
“Thank you,” I whispered, looking up at him.
Adrian reached into his pocket and pulled out a leather-bound folder. He set it on the railing between us.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Your freedom,” Adrian replied, his voice devoid of emotion, though his eyes burned with something raw and tightly controlled. “Inside is a deed to a townhouse in Lincoln Park. A trust fund in Leo’s name that will pay for his education, his housing, and his medical care for the rest of his life. And a clean passport, clear background record, and five hundred thousand dollars in cash.”
I stared at the folder, then at him. “What are you saying?”
Adrian looked away, staring out at the lake. For the first time since I met him, he looked vulnerable.
“You’re out, Maya,” he said softly. “You saved my life three times. You broke into my world, survived my enemies, and gave me back my throne. I won't drag you into the darkness with me any longer. You can take your brother, walk out of this tower, and never see a gun, a body, or me ever again.”
My heart hammered against my ribs.
Everything I had ever fought for was in that folder. Security. Wealth. Health for my brother. An ordinary, quiet, safe life.
I looked down at the leather folder.
May you like
Then, without breaking eye contact with Adrian, I picked it up... and tossed it over the edge of the balcony.
***