Chapter 10
Three months later.
The world had changed.
The Voss Financial scandal was the biggest story in a generation.
Every day brought new revelations.
New arrests.
New resignations.
Politicians.
Judges.
CEOs.
Cops.
All of them falling like dominoes.
Victoria was in prison.
Awaiting trial.
No bail.
No visitors.
She would spend the rest of her life behind bars.
If she was lucky.
Most of the other board members were already convicted.
Some had flipped.
Testifying against the others in exchange for lighter sentences.
The whole rotten system was being torn down.
Brick by brick.
Richard had rebuilt Voss Financial.
Cleaned it out.
Fired everyone even remotely connected to the scandal.
Hired new people.
Honest people.
He had given billions to charity.
Set up funds for the victims of Victoria and Adrian’s crimes.
Pension funds had been made whole.
Shareholders had been reimbursed.
He had done everything he could to make it right.
And now… he was stepping down.
The press conference was being held in the main lobby of the Voss Financial tower.
Every camera in the world was there.
Every reporter.
Richard stood at the podium.
He looked good.
Healthy.
The bruises were gone.
The arm was healed.
Only a faint scar on his cheek remained.
A reminder.
“Good morning,” he said. His voice carried through the room. Strong. Steady. “Three months ago, I stood in this very lobby and I thought my life was over. I thought I had lost everything. My company. My reputation. My son. I was wrong. Because the things that matter most—family, loyalty, love—those are the things you can never lose. Not really.”
He paused.
Looked out over the crowd.
Found Leo in the front row.
Sitting between Elena and Mia.
Smiling up at his dad.
“Today, I am announcing my retirement as CEO of Voss Financial,” Richard continued. “This company has been my life’s work. But it’s not my legacy. My legacy is sitting right there. My son, Leo. He is eight years old. And in the last three months, he has shown more courage, more wisdom, and more heart than most people show in a lifetime. He walked into a bank alone when he was scared. He stood up to men with guns. He never gave up. Not even for a second. And he reminded me what’s really important in this world.”
He stepped out from behind the podium.
Walked down the steps.
To Leo.
Pulled him to his feet.
Held his hand.
Together, they walked back to the podium.
Richard lifted Leo up.
Set him on the stage beside him.
Leo waved at the cameras.
Not scared.
Not shy.
Just a kid.
Happy.
“From now on,” Richard said, “I’m just a dad. I’m going to baseball games. I’m going to school plays. I’m going to teach my son how to ride a bike without training wheels. How to throw a curveball. How to be a good man. The company will be in excellent hands. But my hands… they belong to Leo now.”
The room erupted in applause.
Reporters were standing.
Cheering.
Cameras flashed.
Leo leaned over and whispered something in his father’s ear.
Richard laughed.
Nodded.
Leo turned to the microphones.
The room went silent.
“Hi,” he said. His small voice came through the speakers. “I just want to say thank you. To Elena. To Mia. To Jax and Marcus and Zero. And especially to my Uncle Rook. You guys saved me and my dad. You’re the best family a kid could ever have. And I just want you to know… I’m never going to forget what you did for us. Ever.”
More applause.
Louder this time.
The press conference ended.
Reporters swarmed.
But Richard’s people held them back.
We left through a private exit.
Out the back.
A black SUV was waiting.
Rook was driving.
Mia was in the passenger seat.
Elena, Jax, Marcus, and Zero were already inside.
We all piled in.
“Where to?” Rook asked.
Richard looked at Leo.
“Where do you want to go, kid?”
Leo thought for a second.
“Can we get pizza? And then go to the park? And then can we go home?”
Richard smiled.
The biggest, happiest smile I had ever seen.
“Pizza. Park. Home. Perfect.”
Rook pulled away from the curb.
We drove through the city.
The windows were down.
Summer air blowing in.
Music playing on the radio.
Everyone was laughing.
Talking.
Joking.
Normal.
For the first time in months… everything felt normal.
We got the pizza.
Pepperoni.
Extra cheese.
Leo ate three slices.
Got sauce all over his face.
Richard wiped it off with a napkin.
Laughing.
Then we went to the park.
Central Park.
A beautiful Saturday afternoon.
Kids everywhere.
Dogs running.
Sun shining.
Richard taught Leo how to skip stones on the lake.
Rook taught him how to throw a proper punch.
Mia taught him how to climb a tree.
Elena pushed him on the swings.
Jax and Marcus played catch with him.
Zero sat on a bench.
Smiling.
Watching.
I sat beside her.
“Can you believe it?” I said. “All that chaos. All that death. And now… this.”
Zero nodded.
“Richard is talking about buying the island back. Rebuilding the house. Bigger. Better. Safer. He wants it to be a place where all of us can come. Whenever we want. Family.”
“That sounds nice.”
“It is nice. But…”
“But what?”
Zero looked around.
Lowered her voice.
“Victoria has friends. Powerful friends. People we didn’t catch. People who are still out there. Still angry. Still dangerous. And Richard’s money… it’s still four point seven billion dollars. People kill for a lot less than that. This isn’t over. Not really. It’s just… paused.”
I looked at Leo.
He was running around with a dog he had just met.
Laughing.
Carefree.
“Let him have this,” I said. “Even if it’s just for today. Even if it’s just for a little while. He deserves it.”
Zero nodded.
“Yeah. He does.”
An hour later, we were all tired.
Full of pizza.
Sunburned.
Happy.
We walked back to the SUV.
Rook opened the door for Leo.
The boy climbed in.
Stretched out on the back seat.
His head in Elena’s lap.
Eyes closing.
“Dad?” he mumbled.
“Yeah, buddy?”
“Today was the best day ever.”
Richard kissed his forehead.
“Mine too, kid. Mine too.”
Leo was asleep in seconds.
Snoring softly.
Rook pulled out into traffic.
We drove through the city.
Quiet now.
Content.
Richard looked out the window.
At the people walking by.
At the buildings.
At the life he had almost lost.
He looked at his sleeping son.
At the people in the car with him.
His family.
Not by blood.
Most of them.
But family just the same.
He caught me watching him.
Smiled.
“Thank you,” he mouthed again.
I smiled back.
Nodded.
Outside, the sun was starting to set.
Another beautiful day ending.
Rook turned onto the highway.
Heading north.
To the new house.
In the suburbs.
Big yard.
White picket fence.
Normal.
As normal as it gets for the Voss family.
Somewhere behind us, in the city, there were still enemies.
Still threats.
Still danger waiting around the next corner.
And someday… we would have to face them.
Someday… the war would start all over again.
But not today.
Today, we were together.
We were alive.
And for the Voss family… that was more than enough.
Because at the end of the day… money comes and goes.
Companies rise and fall.
Empires are built and destroyed.
But family?
Family is forever.
And nothing.
No one.
Could ever take that away from us.
The SUV disappeared over the hill.
Heading home.
And somewhere in the back seat, an eight-year-old boy slept peacefully.
Safe.
Loved.
Ready for whatever came next.
Because he knew.
No matter what happened.
No matter who came for him.
His family would be there.
May you like
They would always be there.
And that… was all he ever really needed.
