Chapter 9 - A King Without a Crown
He slashed her ropes with a pocket knife, pulling her tightly into his arms as she began to tremble violently against his chest.
"I have you," Dominic whispered repeatedly, his hands cradling the back of her head, pressing kisses onto her hair, her forehead, her cheeks. "I have you, Norah. You're safe. You're safe."
Norah buried her face into his neck, her arms locking around his shoulders as tears of relief finally spilled down her face. "I knew you would come."
"I will always come for you," he vowed softly.
In the weeks that followed the warehouse raid, the city experienced a seismic shift.
Dominic utilized the evidence Norah had gathered from Julian's hidden files to dismantle his cousin's rogue network completely. He turned over key evidence on corrupt politicians to the federal task force through anonymous channels, securing a clean slate for his remaining legitimate businesses.
He systematically cut ties with the syndicate.
He stepped down as the head of the Gallow family, handing control of their remaining legal enterprises over to a board of trustees.
He gave up the crown he had worn for fifteen years.
On a sunny spring afternoon, Dominic and Norah stood on the balcony of his mountain estate, watching the sunset paint the sky in shades of crimson and gold.
Norah leaned back against his broad chest, his arms wrapped securely around her waist.
"Do you regret it?" she asked softly, looking down at his ringless hands. "Giving up the empire?"
Dominic rested his chin on her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her lavender shampoo.
"An empire is just a pile of cold stones, Norah," he murmured, turning her around in his arms so he could look into her eyes. "It kept me alive, but it never made me feel human. You did that."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.
He opened it to reveal a stunning solitaire diamond ring that sparkled brilliantly in the evening light.
Norah’s breath hitched.
"Norah Miller," Dominic said, his eyes filled with a deep, genuine warmth she had never thought possible when she first met him. "You came into my life with nothing, expecting death. You gave me everything, giving me a life worth living. Will you marry me?"
Tears of joy brimmed in Norah’s brown eyes as a bright, radiant smile broke across her face.
May you like
"Yes, Dominic," she whispered, stepping up on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck. "Yes!"
He slipped the ring onto her finger, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around on the sunlit balcony before pulling her into a passionate, breathtaking kiss.
