Chapter 10 - The Horizon
The sun set over New Orleans, painting the sky in brilliant strokes of crimson, gold, and indigo.
Inside the grand dining room of the Ashford estate, laughter echoed off the crystal chandeliers and polished mahogany tables. Leo sat at the head of the table, proudly describing his soccer game to Mrs. Gable while she beamed with maternal pride.
At the far end of the room, near the tall French doors opening out to the courtyard, Dorian and Audrey stood together, watching the family they had built out of the ashes of betrayal and the chill of the river.
Dorian poured two glasses of champagne, handing one to Audrey.
“To the girl who pulled my son out of the river,” Dorian toasted, his eyes shining with a deep, unbreakable love.
Audrey clinked her glass against his, her smile radiant and completely free of shadows.
May you like
“And to the man who gave me a home when I had nowhere left to walk,” she replied softly.
They drank together as the city lights flickered to life across the Mississippi, casting a golden glow over a future that was limitless, bright, and safe forevermore.
