Chapter 5 - The Sunrise Over Camelback Mountain
Three days later, the sun rose over Camelback Mountain, painting the Arizona sky in brilliant strokes of amber, violet, and gold.
The Paradise Valley estate looked different. The cold, sterile opulence that had once defined it under my mother’s reign had been systematically dismantled. Lorraine had packed her bags within two hours of my phone call, retreating to a modest townhouse in Tucson after realizing that my corporate empire—and my legal team—would dismantle her stone by stone if she fought back. Her trusts were frozen, her social standing quietly recalibrated, and her control over my life shattered beyond repair.
Inside the sprawling kitchen, the scent of fresh pancakes and strong coffee filled the air.
Leo and Lucas were sitting at the massive marble island, covered in powdered sugar and giggling uncontrollably as they watched a cartoon on a tablet propped against a fruit bowl.
I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, holding a steaming mug of coffee, watching the golden light hit the desert landscape.
A pair of arms slipped around my waist from behind, and a soft cheek pressed gently against my shoulder blade.
“You know,” Tessa murmured, her voice warm and grounded, “the resorts are nice, Grant. But this view is definitely my favorite.”
I turned around in her arms, wrapping my hands around her waist, pulling her flush against my chest. The lines of exhaustion around her eyes had already begun to soften over the last seventy-two hours, replaced by a radiant peace I hadn't seen since we were young and naive in this very house.
“It’s not just a view, Tessa,” I whispered, pressing a soft kiss into her chestnut hair. “It’s home.”
Across the kitchen, Lucas dropped his fork with a loud clatter, instantly shouting, “Mom! Grant! Leo spilled his milk again!”
Tessa laughed, shaking her head as she pulled away with a grin. “Duty calls, Mr. Whitlock.”
“Let them spill it,” I smiled, taking her hand as we walked back toward the heart of our newly reclaimed family. “We’ve got all the time in the world to clean it up.”
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For the first time in six years, I didn't check my watch. I didn't care about the time, the schedule, or the business meetings waiting in Seattle.
For the first time in my life, I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
