Chapter 10 - The Warmth of Winter
The snow continued to fall outside the massive glass windows of Harrington Tower, turning downtown Chicago into a silent, glittering postcard of winter.
But inside the penthouse, the air was warm, smelling of cinnamon tea and roasted apples.
On the plush rug by the fireplace—a fireplace that had finally been lit for the first time in eleven years—Lily was sitting with Mr. Buttons, coloring a picture of a blue bird in a brightly colored book.
Maria stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the glittering expanse of the city lights below. The gray, sharp edges of Chicago didn't look terrifying anymore. They looked full of possibility.
Behind her, the private elevator chime sounded softly.
The doors slid open, revealing a woman with kind brown eyes, silver-streaked hair, and a warm, radiant smile that bore an unmistakable resemblance to the man standing beside her.
Clara Harrington stepped out into the hallway, her gaze sweeping over the room until it landed on her brother.
For a second, neither of them moved. Then, the multi-billionaire titan of industry and his long-lost sister crossed the room in two strides and wrapped their arms tightly around each other, erasing eleven years of cold silence in a single embrace.
Lily looked up from her coloring book, watched the two adults hugging by the fire, and smiled brightly.
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“See, Mama?” Lily whispered, holding up her red crayon. “I told you he wasn't a monster. He just needed someone to help him find his smile.”
Maria smiled back, resting her hand gently on her daughter’s shoulder, knowing that the coldest winter of their lives had finally come to an end.
