Chapter 9
They walked together toward the family dining room, a smaller, more intimate space bathed in soft elegant warmth. Ben was already sitting at the table, swinging his legs in his little navy suit, happily eating a plate of pancakes.
"Daddy! Hannah!" Ben cheered, his rosy cheeks glowing with happiness as they entered the room.
"Do you think he has room for actual food, or is he entirely made of sugar now?" Garrett asked, his deep voice filled with a warm, genuine amusement that had been absent from the house for years.
He sat down beside his son, while Hannah took the chair on his other side. It was a picture of domestic tranquility, a stark contrast to the blood that had been spilled on the marble floors just hours before.
As the morning progressed, the heavy machinery of the mafia syndicate began to churn outside the walls, dealing with the fallout of the Voss family's destruction. Capos arrived for meetings, ledgers were balanced, and territories were divided. But Garrett remained in the private wing, prioritizing the fragile peace he had finally secured.
Later that afternoon, Garrett and Hannah walked together through the pristine rose gardens. The clean whites and gentle golden highlights of the sun caught the edges of the blooming flowers.
"Will you be able to handle this life, Hannah?" Garrett asked, stopping near a marble fountain. His tone was serious, his cold, observant eyes searching her face. "Will the violence of my world chase away the gentleness in yours?"
"Do you think I am so easily broken?" Hannah replied, a fierce spark in her expressive eyes, holding up her bandaged hands. "I stood up to Sienna. I stood in a room while bullets hit the walls. I am not fragile, Garrett."
"Are you certain you want to stand beside a man who solves his problems with a gun?" Garrett asked, stepping closer, his hands gently resting on her waist.
"Are you certain you want a woman who will constantly question you?" Hannah countered, a small, genuine smile playing on her lips.
Garrett’s jaw relaxed, a low, rumbling chuckle escaping his chest. It was a rare, beautiful sound. "Would I have it any other way?"
He leaned down, capturing her lips in a deep, consuming kiss. The quiet mutual affection they had harbored for so long ignited into a burning, undeniable passion. He held her tightly against his broad shoulders, a king finally finding his queen.
When they parted, Garrett looked toward the horizon, where the city skyline loomed. The war with the Voss syndicate was over, but in his world, peace was always temporary.
"Are you ready to meet the commission tomorrow, Hannah?" Garrett asked, his eyes hardening back into the cold, calculated stare of a boss.
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"I am ready," Hannah whispered, looking out at the city with him. "What happens if they don't accept me?"
"Do you truly believe anyone in this city can tell me no?" Garrett asked, the open-ended promise of a new conflict hanging in the beautiful, luminous air as they turned back toward the mansion.
