Chapter 16 - The Aftermath
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The fallout from the boardroom execution was swift and absolute. Rafe had planned for every contingency. The police arrived, but they were met by Rafe’s army of highly paid lawyers who presented irrefutable evidence of Bruno’s embezzlement, his murder conspiracy, and his attempt to assassinate the CEO in a crowded room. It was ruled a clear case of self-defense.
Harold Puit was arrested before he even reached the lobby of the building, weeping as federal agents slapped handcuffs on his wrists.
When they returned to Ravenscliffe that evening, the sprawling mansion felt entirely different. The dark, suffocating secrets that had haunted its halls for five years had finally been dragged into the light and destroyed.
Nell stood in the grand foyer, feeling a strange, profound sense of emptiness. The revenge she had unknowingly carried around her neck her entire life was complete. Her father was avenged.
She turned to find Rafe standing at the bottom of the grand staircase, watching her. He had discarded his suit jacket and tie, looking exhausted but undeniably victorious.
“It’s over,” Nell whispered, the reality finally sinking in.
“The war is over,” Rafe agreed, closing the distance between them. He stopped just inches away, his dark eyes searching hers with a terrifying, beautiful vulnerability. “But your presence in this house is not.”
Nell’s heart skipped a beat. “I can't go back to cleaning the east corridor, Rafe.”
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“I would burn the east corridor to the ground before I let you pick up another duster,” Rafe murmured, reaching out to gently cup her face. “You aren't a maid, Nell. You never were. You are the woman who saved my life, my empire, and my sanity.”
He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was deep, bruising, and fueled by the adrenaline of survival and absolute, undeniable possession.
