Shattered Dynasty by Ava Harrison
Epilogue
Payton
Twenty-two.
I’m finally twenty-two.
Guess I made it.
The past few months have been a hell of a ride.
Not just because I almost died, twice, but also because in the end, I didn’t let Lorenzo just cover up the crime.
That would have been too easy for Erin.
We decided this pathway was for the best. We needed to move through the events as they happened. Not bury them deep and let the lies fester like they had in both our lives before we met.
Similar to what his mom said in the atrium the day I talked to her for the first time, we needed all the secrets we found after Ronnie’s death to come out in the daylight. That way, we could now start fresh and clean.
No secrets.
It wasn’t easy telling him about how Erin had wanted to sell me, nor was it easy having to relive the day Tony died. I admitted to years of guilt I had for my sister having to take his life. I always thought she had done it to protect me, but now knowing the truth, I have made my own peace with what happened that day. It was never my fault.
It was always Erin.
And we were lucky because Erin confessed to everything.
There would be no pain of a trial.
She will be in jail for the rest of her life.
Today, the calendar says another fresh start.
Today is the day the money transfers into my name.
I’m sure Trent is wondering what I’m going to do with it, but I already know, and now I’m off to tell him.
It’s Tuesday, so I know exactly where he is right now.
When we were at the lawyer’s office earlier, I didn’t mention my plan.
It didn’t seem right to talk about this big step in front of Mr. Baker.
It takes me only twenty minutes to get to Cresthill. Cresthill, the place I now know Trent owns. Yep. That came out too, this year.
A fact that made me fall even more in love with him.
When I walk through the doors, I smile broadly to myself.
This is the right decision.
I find him where I knew I would.
In the atrium, kneeling on the ground with his mother.
They’re in the middle of a row of plants, fussing over the leaves.
She sees me first, stands, and wipes her dirt-covered hands on her pants before waving to me.
The movement makes Trent stop what he’s doing and look in my direction. He places a small shovel down, stands, and strides to me. The moment he is standing in front of me, he looks down at me and places a kiss on my lips.
His thumb lingers on my lips, tracing the bottom one. “I thought you were going to the bank.”
“Been there, done that.” I smile coyly.
“You’re a very rich woman now.”
“Nope. I’m not . . .”
He lifts a brow, clearly not understanding what I am trying to say. I reach into my purse and pull out the check I made out to Cresthill.
His eyes go wide, and his mouth drops open.
It’s all there.
All twenty-two million of it.
I’m not even sure I can, technically, write a check this big. I’ve never had access to money like this in my life. But whatever I need to do to get it into Cresthill’s accounts, I’ll do. With a smile on my face.
I love this place.
I love Trent.
“I don’t need money, Trent.” I press a small kiss to his thumb, cheeks burning when his mom leaves to give us privacy. “I only need you.”
His eyes look glassy, and then, before I can say another word, he shuts me up with a passionate kiss.
“I’ll love you, forever,” he promises against my mouth.
“Forever is a long time.”
“Are you arguing with me, princess?”
“Who? Me? Would I do that?”
He presses his forehead against mine. “Hopefully every day for the rest of our lives.”
Our lives.
And then, just like that, in dirty jeans, with a smile on his face, he bends down on one knee. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a tiny velvet box, and opens it up. An oval-shaped diamond winks at me. It’s set high on a pave band.
“I was waiting for today to give you this,” he says, box raised up to me. “Will you marry me?”
Tears fall from my eyes. “Yes.”
I chant it over and over.
“Yes, yes, yes.”
Rising to his feet, he pulls me up with him, looping his free hand around me. He lifts me off my feet and seals his mouth to mine. When he drops me, he slides the ring on my finger. It’s a perfect fit.
And then his lips are back on mine, and he’s claiming me as his in ways words could never deliver.
There, in the garden, my life once again changes.
It was here, in this same place, that I learned Trent is more than I thought.
I learned that shades of gray do exist.
Your enemy can absolutely be your soul mate.
And a single moment can change your life.
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