Chapter 6 - The Empire We Built
Two years later, the ballroom of the Landry-Carter Foundation in downtown Barcelona was glittering with crystal chandeliers and overflowing with champagne. It was our annual charity gala, raising millions for children's hospitals across Europe. Standing near the grand balcony, I caught my reflection in the glass doors. I was thirty-four, but I felt like I had just started living. The trauma of my past marriage felt like a distant, faded nightmare. Arthur was gone—working as a mid-level shift manager at a logistics warehouse in New Jersey—while Brooke and Vanessa had vanished completely from my world.
“You’re hiding,” a deep, familiar voice whispered against my ear. I smiled, leaning back against the solid, warm chest of Thomas Landry as his arms wrapped around my waist. “I’m not hiding,” I murmured, turning to press a kiss to his jaw. “I’m observing my empire.” Thomas chuckled softly. “Our empire,” he corrected gently. A year ago, we had merged Landry Holdings and my reclaimed assets into a massive global conglomerate, and six months ago, we had merged our lives. The quiet, powerful man who rescued me was now my husband, and a fiercely loving father to Leo and Chloe.
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“Mom! Thomas!” Leo, now significantly taller and handsome in a miniature tuxedo, ran toward us. Chloe followed closely behind in a beautiful sapphire blue dress, grabbing Thomas’s hand. “They’re playing the waltz! You promised me the first dance!” she announced. Thomas laughed, bowing dramatically to his daughter. “A promise is a promise, princess,” he smiled, leading her onto the dance floor and spinning her around while she giggled uncontrollably.
Leo stepped up beside me, handing me a small flute of sparkling cider. “Having a good time, Mom?” he asked, trying to sound sophisticated. I looked at my son, his bright eyes unburdened by fear, and watched my daughter dancing with a man who would move mountains to keep her safe. I thought about the broken woman in that divorce conference room, completely unaware that the end of her world was actually the beginning of her universe. I pulled my son close against my side. “Yes, Leo,” I smiled, tears of pure happiness shining in my eyes. “I’m having the best time of my life.”
