Chapter 10 - The Long-Awaited Peace
The warm light of the cabin spilled across the snowy porch, casting a golden glow over the wooden floorboards where my heavy combat boots rested side by side.
Dad stepped out onto the porch behind me, draping a heavy wool blanket over my shoulders. We stood together, looking out over the peaceful valley.
The wedding night—the shouting, the champagne, the slap, the shattered glass—felt like something that had happened in another lifetime. That girl in the white veil was gone, reborn in the fires of discipline and tactical precision.
In her place stood a woman who knew her worth, honored her father, and brought a corrupt empire to its knees without firing a single bullet.
"Coffee's getting cold, Juliet," Dad said softly, clapping a calloused hand gently against my shoulder.
May you like
"Let's go inside, General," I replied, turning away from the snowy horizon with a deep, cleansing breath of mountain air.
We stepped back across the threshold, and the heavy oak door swung shut behind us with a solid thud, locking out the cold and sealing our hard-won peace forever.
