Chapter 10 - Planting New Roots
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Three weeks passed, and the heavy atmosphere that had once choked the Rourke estate completely dissolved.
The wedding plans that Maren had forced upon the household were completely scrapped and forgotten.
Instead of expensive white roses and ostentatious ice sculptures, the estate was filled with the sound of children playing.
Every afternoon after school, Toby and Sophie ran through the sprawling orchards, collecting acorns and chasing butterflies.
I had officially transitioned from being a floor maid to the estate’s personal household manager, with my own private cottage on the grounds.
Yet, despite having my own home, I found myself spending every evening inside the main mansion’s conservatory.
On a warm Tuesday afternoon, Sophie stood in the center of Elena’s rose garden, holding a small green watering can.
Silas knelt beside her in the damp soil, wearing old leather gardening gloves and digging through the rich earth.
I walked out carrying a pitcher of fresh lemonade and three glasses on a tray.
“Look, Miss Hannah!” Sophie shouted, pointing proudly toward a row of newly planted green stems.
“Daddy bought fifty new wildflower bushes from the mountain valley!”
“We’re making Mommy’s garden twice as big as it was before!”
Silas looked up, wiping a streak of dirt from his forehead with the back of his wrist.
The hard, dangerous mob boss who had terrified city officials was nowhere to be seen in this flowerbed.
“She insisted on planting the yellow daisies closest to the walking path,” Silas said, smiling warmly at me.
“Sophie remembered that those were Elena’s favorite summer blooms.”
“They look beautiful, Sophie,” I said, handing Silas a cold glass of lemonade.
His fingers brushed against mine as he took the glass, sending a sudden flutter of warmth through my veins.
He held my gaze for a moment longer than necessary, his dark eyes carrying an unsaid question that made my heart race.
“Hannah,” Silas spoke softly as Sophie ran over to water a nearby rose bush.
“Yes, Silas?”
“The board of trustees for the harbor shipping lines held an emergency meeting this morning.”
“I officially stepped down as executive chairman of the syndicate operations.”
I stared at him in complete shock, nearly dropping the tray in my hands.
“You gave up the syndicate?” I whispered, knowing how much blood and power that seat represented.
“Elena always begged me to turn the family business toward legitimate international trade,” he said, looking at his daughter.
“I was too arrogant, too proud, and too angry to listen to her back then.”
“I thought power was the only thing that could keep my daughter safe from harm.”
“But watching you protect Sophie with nothing but your bare hands taught me what real strength looks like.”
He took a step closer, the scent of fresh pine, earth, and cedar surrounding him.
“I don't want blood on my hands anymore, Hannah.”
“I want to build a life that my daughter can be proud of, with people who truly care about what is good.”
Tears prickled the corners of my eyes as I smiled up at him.
May you like
“Elena would be so proud of you, Silas,” I whispered.
“And so am I.”
