Chapter 20 - The Forever Dawn
Five years after that rainy October night, the neon sign of Ali’s Pub still flickered with its sickly pink hum in the forgotten corner of the city, but its patrons now whispered legends about the mysterious billionaire who had once sat in the back booth—and the brave bakery girl who had changed his destiny forever.
Inside the grand courtyard of the Mercer Estate, the scene was one of pure, unadulterated magic. Soft fairy lights twinkled in the trees, classical music drifted through the warm evening air, and the joyous laughter of family and friends echoed across the lawn.
Mave stood in the center of the terrace, wearing a flowing emerald evening gown, holding a sleeping infant wrapped in soft cashmere in her arms. Their daughter, little Elena Rose Mercer, had her father’s striking dark hair and her mother’s peaceful, radiant smile.
Rowan walked up behind her, his footsteps silent and graceful as always. He wrapped his arms securely around both of them, resting his cheek gently against Mave’s hair as he looked down with absolute, fierce adoration at the tiny child in her arms.
"She has your courage," Rowan whispered softly, pressing a tender kiss to Mave's temple. "And thankfully, she has your kind heart."
Mave turned her head, leaning back against his chest with a deep, contented sigh. She looked up at the man who had once been an untouchable shadow king, and smiled as she traced the strong line of his jaw.
"Do you ever regret walking into that dive bar, Rowan?" she teased quietly.
May you like
Rowan tightened his embrace, burying his face in her neck as a slow, deeply happy smile spread across his face.
"Never," Rowan murmured against her skin, watching the brilliant golden stars sparkling across the night sky above their forever home. "It was the only night of my life that actually mattered."
