CHAPTER 84: PEACE
Three weeks after Carlos's arrest, I woke up to sunlight streaming through our bedroom window and the sound of birds actually singing. Like the universe finally got the memo that we'd survived.
William was already up, sitting by the window with his laptop. Some things never changed.
"Working on our day off?" I stretched, my growing belly making it harder to move gracefully.
"Just checking the news." He closed the laptop and came over to kiss me. "Two more arrests this morning. The other heads of the hydra Carlos mentioned."
My stomach tightened. "Who?"
"A city councilman and someone high up in the financial district. Both connected to the SE network, both singing like canaries to avoid life sentences." He sat on the edge of the bed. "It's really over Kate. The whole operation is collapsing."
I wanted to believe him. But after months of looking over my shoulder, peace felt foreign.
"Show me the articles."
He pulled them up on his phone. Photos of men in suits being led away in handcuffs. Headlines screaming about corruption and conspiracy. My parents' names mentioned as victims, finally getting the justice they deserved.
"The board wants to throw you a celebration." William said carefully. "For reclaiming Jones Corp and exposing the SE."
"A party sounds exhausting."
"That's what I told them." He smiled. "But Kate, people want to honor what you did. Your parents would be proud."
My throat went tight. "Can we visit them today? My parents?"
"Already planned on it." He helped me up. "Whenever you're ready."
---
The cemetery looked different in autumn. All golden leaves and soft light, nothing like the gray miserable day we'd buried Carlos's supposed body months ago.
My parents' graves sat side by side under an old oak tree. Fresh flowers from my last visit had been replaced by new ones. Someone else had been here recently.
"Mr Howard probably." William noticed me looking. "He visits every week."
I knelt down carefully, my hand on my belly. "Hi Mom. Hi Dad."
The words felt silly but also necessary.
"Sorry it took so long to come back. Things got complicated." I traced my father's name carved in stone. "But we did it. Carlos is in prison for real this time. And Jones Corp is mine again, just like you wanted."
William crouched beside me, his hand on my back.
"There's something else." I took a shaky breath. "You're going to be grandparents. I know you won't get to meet them, but I promise I'll tell them everything about you. The real you, not the sanitized version everyone else remembers."
Tears spilled over. William pulled me against him and just let me cry.
"They'd love you." I told him when I could speak again. "Dad would pretend to be all stern and protective but he'd soften the second you talked business. And Mom would corner you in the kitchen and tell you embarrassing stories about me."
"I would have liked that." William kissed the top of my head. "Meeting them."
We stayed until the sun started setting, just sitting with them. Telling them about the baby, about the trial, about how their daughter had turned into someone who could take down criminal empires.
"We should go." William helped me stand. "You have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning."
"The third one this week." I groaned. "I'm starting to think Dr. Raymond is more paranoid than you are."
"He's being thorough. After everything you've been through—"
"I know." I squeezed his hand. "And I'm grateful. Really."
---
Downtown Greensville had a new coffee shop that apparently everyone was talking about. Tina dragged me there the next afternoon after my appointment.
"You have to see this place." She pulled me through the door. "Trust me."
The café was small but perfectly designed. Exposed brick, plants everywhere, the smell of fresh coffee and pastries. And behind the counter—
"Jeremy?" I blinked. "Emma?"
Emma grinned and waved. "Surprise!"
"What are you doing here?" I looked around confused. "I thought you were still working on the Donovan files."
"Finished those two weeks ago." Jeremy came around with two mugs. "Decaf for you, full octane for Tina. On the house."
"But this—" I gestured at the café. "You opened a business?"
"We needed something normal." Emma set a plate of cookies in front of us. "After months of encrypted files and death threats, serving coffee seemed appealing."
"Plus the basement has our real setup." Jeremy lowered his voice. "Full tech lab. We're still taking freelance security jobs, just with better coffee breaks now."
"This is amazing." I bit into a cookie and it was perfect. "When did this even happen?"
"Been planning it for a while." Emma poured herself an espresso. "Figured if we survived the SE, we could survive small business ownership."
Tina was already on her second cookie. "They've been open a week and already have a line out the door every morning."
"Success looks good on you both." I meant it. "You deserve normal."
"So do you." Jeremy nodded at my belly. "How's the baby?"
"Growing. Kicking. Keeping me up at night." I smiled despite the exhaustion. "Dr. Raymond says everything looks perfect."
"When's the baby shower?" Emma asked. "Because I make a mean cake."
"Oh God, don't encourage her." Tina laughed. "She's already planning to control every detail."
"Someone has to." I shot back. "You'd probably have it at a sports bar."
"That's not a bad idea actually—"
"No."
We spent the next hour just talking, laughing about normal things. Jeremy told terrible jokes, Emma showed us photos of the café's construction, Tina complained about her boss being unreasonable.
It felt surreal. Like we were different people from who we'd been three months ago.
"Where's Liam?" I asked Tina casually. "Thought he'd be here."
Her face went red. "He's picking me up in twenty minutes."
"Picking you up?" I leaned forward. "Like a date?"
"It's not—" She stopped at our expressions. "Okay fine, it's our fourth date this week."
"Fourth?" Emma squealed. "Tina!"
"I know, I know." But she was smiling. "It's going really well actually. He's sweet and honest and he makes me laugh. After Clark, I didn't think I'd trust anyone again but—"
"But Liam's different." I finished. "I'm happy for you."
"Thanks." She checked her phone. "And speaking of, he just texted. He's outside."
We walked her to the door where Liam waited by his car. His whole face lit up when he saw Tina.
"Gross." Jeremy muttered. "They're disgustingly cute."
"You're just jealous." Emma elbowed him.
"Maybe."
I watched Liam open the car door for Tina, saw her laugh at something he said. They looked happy. Really, genuinely happy.
"Everyone's moving on." I said it without meaning to.
"Not moving on." William appeared beside me. I hadn't even heard him come in. "Moving forward. There's a difference."
"When did you get here?"
"Five minutes ago. Jeremy texted that you were being sappy." He wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Ready to go home?"
"Yeah." I leaned back against him. "Let's go home."
---
That night I couldn't sleep again but for different reasons. The baby was doing gymnastics and my mind wouldn't stop racing.
"Kate." William rolled over. "You okay?"
"Just thinking." I turned to face him in the dark. "About everything. How different life is now compared to six months ago."
"Different good or different bad?"
"Both maybe?" I tried to find the right words. "Six months ago we were strangers in a contract marriage. My uncle was alive, my parents' killers were free, and I was so angry all the time."
"And now?"
"Now my uncle is in prison where he belongs. The SE is dismantled. I have my parents' company back." I put his hand on my belly where the baby was kicking. "And I'm having a baby with someone I actually love. It's overwhelming."
"Good overwhelming?" He could feel the kicks, I saw his expression change.
"The best kind." I kissed him. "I never thought I'd get here. Never thought I deserved this kind of happiness after everything."
"You deserve all of it Kate. You fought for it, survived for it, refused to let them break you." He pulled me closer. "And I'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure you never doubt that again."
The baby kicked hard like they agreed.
"I think that's approval." I laughed. "Your daughter agrees with you."
"Daughter?" William's eyes widened. "Wait, did Dr. Raymond tell you—"
"No, I'm guessing." I grinned. "But I have a feeling."
"Either way." He kissed my forehead, my nose, my lips. "I love you both more than I thought possible."
"We love you too." I settled against his chest, finally feeling sleepy. "All of us."
Outside our window, the city lights twinkled like stars. Somewhere out there, Jeremy and Emma were probably still cleaning up their café. Liam and Tina were hopefully having a perfect date. Mr Howard was sleeping soundly for the first time in years.
And here in our bedroom, wrapped in William's arms with our baby dancing between us, I finally understood what peace felt like.
It felt like coming home.