Chapter 9 - Paris in the Springtime
Word count: ~1,500 words
True to my promise, when June arrived and school let out for summer break, Ava and I packed our bags and boarded a direct flight across the Atlantic.
Standing on the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower, the warm Parisian wind whipping through our hair as the golden lights of the City of Light began to twinkle across the evening sky, I felt a profound sense of triumph wash over me.
Ava was leaning against the glass railing, clutching a brand-new, beautiful stuffed rabbit she had bought in a quaint toy shop near the Luxembourg Gardens—a rabbit with two bright, matching button eyes and soft, clean fur.
“Mommy, look! It’s sparkling!” Ava cheered, pointing down at the shimmering Seine below.
I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, pulling her close against my chest.
“It’s beautiful, baby,” I whispered, kissing her cheek.
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We had survived the betrayal of our own bloodline. We had looked corporate corruption, family narcissism, and financial abuse dead in the eye and dismantled every single obstacle they threw in our path.
We hadn't just survived; we had conquered.
