Chapter 7 - The Morning After

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The morning sun filtered through the cheap blinds of my suburban kitchen, illuminating the absolute chaos of raising four five-year-olds.

Elise was meticulously separating the marshmallows from her cereal, arranging them by color. Noah was trying to negotiate more screen time, while Henry quietly dismantled a toy truck to see how the wheels worked. Clare was singing loudly to the family golden retriever.

It was a beautiful, deafening reality that felt millions of miles away from the silent, marble halls of the Gallow estate.

Maya walked through the front door, carrying two massive trays of coffee. She set them on the counter, her expression grim.

"There's a black SUV parked at the end of the street," Maya whispered, leaning in close so the kids wouldn't hear. "Tinted windows. Illinois plates. It’s them."

My stomach tightened, but I forced my face to remain perfectly calm. I grabbed a mug of coffee, taking a long sip.

"Dominic doesn't wait," I said quietly. "He probably had his men track your license plate the second we drove away from the gates."

"Are you scared?" Maya asked, her eyes darting toward the window.

"No," I replied, and to my surprise, it was the absolute truth. The intimidated, broken woman who had lived in the Gallow estate was dead. Raising four infants alone had forged me into iron. "He has no legal rights to them. And once the DNA results come back, he is going to be dealing with a crisis so massive he won't have time to threaten me."

My phone vibrated on the counter. The caller ID was a blocked number, but I knew exactly who was on the other end.

I picked it up.

"The clinic is secured," Dominic's deep, authoritative voice stated without a standard greeting. "Advanced Genetics in Oak Park. My men have cleared the building. Be there at noon."

"No guards inside the building, Dominic," I reminded him coldly. "If I see a single weapon, I turn around and walk away, and you can spend the next five years fighting me in family court."

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There was a tense pause on the line. "Noon," he repeated, before hanging up.

I looked at my four beautiful children, completely oblivious to the war that was about to break out. I took a deep breath. It was time to introduce the heirs to the king.