Chapter 20 - Shadows on Lake Michigan
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Six months later.
Summer had arrived in Chicago. The forty-floor Meridian Tower stood gleaming beneath a bright blue sky, its reflection dancing across the warm waters of Lake Michigan.
On the top floor executive terrace, a private celebration was underway.
Teddy stood near the grill, laughing with Nell, who was now walking comfortably with only a light cane. Little Grace was sleeping peacefully in a custom bassinet under the shade of a white umbrella.
Dela stood near the glass railing, dressed in a stunning navy dress, holding a glass of sparkling water. Her mother's blue fountain pen was clipped neatly to her collar.
Gus walked out onto the terrace, wrapping his arms gently around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder as they looked out over the sparkling lake.
"What are you thinking about, Counselor?" Gus asked softly.
"I was thinking about five in the morning," Dela smiled, leaning back against his chest. "When I used to polish crystal in the dark, wondering if tomorrow would ever come."
"And now?" Gus asked, slipping a magnificent diamond band onto her left finger—a ring that matched the strength and brilliance of the woman wearing it.
"Now," Dela whispered, turning in his arms and kissing his lips gently, "I know tomorrow belongs to us."
Suddenly, down in B2—the private basement holding garage—a dark, unregistered sedan quietly pulled into the shadowed loading bay.
The driver’s side door opened. A man dressed in a sharp Italian suit stepped out, holding an encrypted satellite phone to his ear.
"Mr. Sinclair is in federal prison, sir," the driver reported in a low, cold voice. "Vandermir has taken complete control of Dock 44 with his new wife."
On the other end of the encrypted line, an unknown, powerful voice echoed through the speaker—a voice far more dangerous than Victor Sinclair ever was.
May you like
"Let them enjoy their summer," the shadowy voice replied smoothly. "When autumn arrives, we take the Meridian Tower back. Prepare the secondary files on Delilah Hawthorne."
The man closed his phone, a dark smile spreading across his face as he looked up toward the top floor of the tower...
