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Chapter 95
Morning broke sharp and gray, the kind of dawn that dripped bad headlines from every branch outside the estate’s frosted windows. Cold mist clung to the hedges like breath that wouldn’t leave, and the security lights that lined the driveway flickered under the weight of the coming stormInside, the air buzzed with staff members shuffling fast on soft soles, the scent of burnt coffee and paper ink mixing with the hush of hurried whispers. Radios crackled from belt clips at every door, stitching together stray fragments of chatter from DC—snippets of lawyers’ voices, a governor’s demand for calm, a news anchor repeating the same rumor in a different pitch.The once-celebratory warmth that had filled these halls only hours ago was gone, replaced by something tauter than fear—resolve, maybe, but frayed at the edges. New security details stood braced at every hallway intersection, dark suits and colder eyes, radios clipped to lapels, fingers ghosting near earpieces as they listened for the
Chapter 94
After the vow was sealed, Julia reopened the box which housed the Aurelian's Mark, lifting the lid with careful hands, with the hinges protesting with a soft groan that echoed off the stone walls.The ring was indeed ancient, as Chance took a much careful look at it this time around. But at thesame time, it was unblemished, made from gold so deep it looked almost molten, the engravings around the band alive with tiny symbols that seemed to shift when Chance’s shadow fell over them. Julia reached for it but hesitated—her fingertips trembling a hair’s breadth from the band. Instead, she looked at Chance. “It’s time,” she said, voice soft but edged with a fear she could no longer hide. “Once you wear it, there’s no turning back.”Chance’s throat felt tight. He held her gaze for a heartbeat, then dipped his head in a single nod. He reached forward, his fingers brushing the ring—and a spark danced up his wrist, like touching a live wire. His breath caught, but he didn’t pull back. He lift
Chapter 93
Chance followed Julia down the back hall, past her old study, and to a door he’d always thought led to nothing but dusty storage. Tonight, she paused there, her hand hovering on the handle as if the weight of what lay beyond pressed against her palm.“Are you sure you want this tonight?” she asked, not quite turning to look at him. Her voice sounded softer than the silk robe brushing her ankles. “There’s no turning back when you see it. Or when it sees you.”Chance’s jaw tightened. He didn’t flinch. “As long as it's not something that's gonna kill me, I'm ready. I understand that you kept the ring from me to protect me but I’m done being protected.”Julia’s lips curved into something that was almost a smile—too weary to reach her eyes. She pushed the door open.Inside was a narrow stone stairwell, old enough that Chance could smell the cold earth. She lifted an old lantern from a peg—its flame flickered as she passed it to him.“Stay close. The generator’s never reached down here,” sh
Chapter 92
“Chloe!” Chance continued to call out, but it was met with defiance as Chloe, Jessica, Nora, and Sophie pulled out of the driveway."What's with her?" He asked, even if there was no one in particular that he was talking to.He stood there for a beat, hand half-raised like he could pull her back with sheer will. But the cold bit deeper than the warmth Wilfreda had left behind. He let out a breath, still trying to understand what had suddenly come over Chloe that would make her act in the way that she just did.Since he couldn't do anything to stop Chloe from leaving, he decided to go back inside and confront his mother with the matter regarding the heirloom which the anonymous caller from Tuscany had told him about.All through the party, the thought of the heirloom had been on his mind, but he just couldn't confront Julia right away owing to the number of people who were around and the purpose of the gathering.But now, that they are all gone, it was the perfect opportunity to ask her
Chapter 91
The last of the glasses clinked. Music hummed low and sweet as the final guests drifted out into the soft night, laughter echoing down the stone drive of the grand house. Inside, Julia had slipped away to a private corner with her chief of staff, voice low with the first quiet plans of a new presidency already taking shape.Chance found himself leaning against a marble pillar near the foyer, his tie loosened, his sleeves pushed halfway up his forearms. The champagne buzz had faded; what lingered was the memory of the speech, his mother’s eyes shimmering with fierce pride—Who reminded me that our family’s name is not a ruin—it’s a rebirth.When Julia returned to his side, she was no longer the president-elect in that moment but just his mother again, lines soft around her smile as she brushed a thumb against his smooth face.“She’s waiting by the doors,” Julia said gently, tilting her head toward the open entryway. “Be a gentleman and see her off properly, will you?”Chance didn’t need
Chapter 90
Inside the sprawling ballroom, Julia stood near the head table, her face alight in a way even the cameras couldn’t quite capture. For once, the lines around her eyes were from laughter, not worry.Chance lingered at her side, one hand resting on the back of her chair as he murmured quiet asides only she could hear—words that pulled low chuckles from her throat between handshakes and photo ops with well-wishers.Gary, red-cheeked from champagne and handshakes, floated nearby too, a constant source of rib-cracking jokes and protective nudges that kept the older donors entertained and the newer aides wide-eyed.When the MC tapped the mic at the front of the stage, the hum of the room settled to a hush. The quartet fell quiet. All eyes turned to the woman who’d just rewritten a page of history.“Ladies and gentlemen,” the MC beamed, voice echoing over the hush. “Tonight, we celebrate more than a victory. We celebrate the woman who showed us it could be done. The first female President of
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