Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
“That’s not possible.” Jace is standing now too, and he looks indignant.
“The petition was filed today, and the judge made a motion this afternoon. It’s in Fiona’s best interest that she’s looked after by someone who doesn’t drain her assets for their own personal gain.”
“You can’t do this.” Matthew gets in my face, but he’s so much shorter than me it’s almost comical.
“It’s done.” I shrug and let myself smile. “You two gambled away millions on a lifestyle you were desperate to have. It's desperate and quite frankly embarrassing.”
“Fuck. This wasn’t my idea,” Jace pleads. “I swear it was Matthew the whole time. He wanted her, but I knew he wasn’t going to be good to her, and I tried to protect Ella. Please, Leo, you have to believe me.”
“Ella told me everything,” I say to him and let out a deep sigh. “No matter what you tried to do, you still managed to keep her locked away and isolated while you stole from your sick mother. You don’t deserve an ounce of mercy.”
“You won’t get away with this. I’ll fight it.” Matthew is desperate as he tries to cling to some sense of control.
“After your things are off the Cinder Estate, I plan on informing the Internal Revenue Service of your new address. When I told them about your situation, they seemed really curious about the mismanagement of estate funds. Weird, right?”
“Goddamn it,” Jace whimpers. “We’re so fucked.”
“Oh, and you were right about one thing,” I say as my office door opens and my gorgeous girl walks through the door. “There will be a wedding before the week is over.”
She smiles and comes straight to me as she ignores her former stepbrothers and walks right past them.
“Ella,” Matthew starts, but I give him a deadly look, and he closes his mouth.
“They were just leaving,” I tell Ella, and the guards appear in my office. “These men will escort you to the estate.”
“It didn’t have to be this way,” Jace says to Ella.
She pretends she doesn’t hear him as she cuddles against my chest. The guards come in and grab the twins before they finally give in and leave. They make some noise outside, but as soon as the front doors close, the silence that falls over us is peaceful.
“I heard everything you said.” Ella looks up at me, and I kiss her forehead. “I love you.” She finally voices the words that I’ve seen in her eyes for weeks, and it takes my breath away. “I loved you before this, but I think I was afraid to believe that it was real and that I could trust you.”
“And now?” I ask as I brush my lips over hers.
“My heart is in your hands, Leo Prince. From now until the end of time.”
“I love you,” I tell her back as I pull her close. “And I’ve got another surprise for you.”
“How could you possibly make me any happier?” She’s got the happiest sparkle in her eyes as I lead her out of my office and into the kitchen.
As soon as she steps inside, she gasps. Oliver is at the stove cooking, and Fiona is sitting at the counter watching him. When she sees Ella, her face lights up, and she rushes to hug her.
“I’ve been waiting so long for you.” She wraps her arms around Ella and gives her a kiss on the cheek. “Happy birthday, darling.”
Ella has tears streaming down her face as she looks at her stepmother. “Well, the good news is you don’t have to wait again.”
“I think this calls for cake,” I tell my almost-wife, and she beams at me as Oliver comes around to get his birthday hug.
Now the happily ever after can truly begin.
Epilogue
ELLA
I watch the snow fall out the hospital window. My room is utterly silent. It’s the first snow of the year. I place my fingers against the cold glass. When I stare out the window now, the world is different. I don’t have the urge to run or break free.
My eyes drift back to my husband Leo, who is sleeping in the chair with it leaning back, our son wrapped up in his hold. A tear slips free seeing them together. My heart aches but not in pain.
“Thank you, Dad,” I whisper.
My father always got his way. I don’t mean that in a bad way. Often I felt he was four steps ahead of all of us. I suppose to have built the company he and my mom had, you’d have to be. His will that sounded crazy to me had inevitably led me to find what he always wanted for me.
True love. A family.
I turn when I hear the door to see Oliver. I motion for him to be quiet. This is the first time Leo has slept in a few days. The labor might have been harder for him than me. It all happened so fast. I’m ready to go home. The doctor said we’ll get to head out in the morning.