Chapter 4 - The Cabin in the Rockies
By dawn on Christmas morning, the blizzard had broken.
The storm clouds parted to reveal a blindingly bright Colorado sunrise reflecting off four feet of fresh, untouched powder across the Rocky Mountains. But the city of Denver remained gridlocked, and the private airspace was restricted for another twenty-four hours.
Damon didn't wait. Using his corporate clout and a private snow-cat transport, he moved Cassandra and the twins out of the city and up into his private mountain estate—a sprawling timber-and-glass lodge nestled deep in the pine forests outside of Aspen.
The lodge was warm, smelling of cedarwood, cinnamon, and pine needles. A massive Christmas tree stood in the center of the vaulted living room, unadorned and waiting.
Luke and Violet had discovered the floor-to-ceiling windows and were currently pressing their faces against the glass, squealing with delight as a family of mule deer picked their way through the snow outside.
Cassandra stood in the industrial kitchen, whisking pancake batter while watching Damon through the open archway. He was kneeling on the rug, helping Violet place a stuffed reindeer beneath the unlit tree, his expensive cashmere sweater dusted with wood ash from the fireplace. Watching the fierce, feared corporate titan gently adjust a toy for a two-year-old girl who had his dimple felt like watching a miracle.
"You're staring," Damon said without looking up, a faint smile playing across his lips.
Cassandra didn't deny it. She set the bowl down and leaned against the counter. "I still feel like I'm dreaming. Or living inside a very strange movie."
Damon stood up, dusting off his knees, and walked slowly toward the kitchen. He stopped on the other side of the marble island, watching her with that intense, unnerving focus that had always made her feel like she was the only person in the world.
"It's not a dream," he said softly. "Though I admit, waking up this morning and hearing my son ask for pancakes in the next room is an adjustment I never expected to make."
"Are you angry?" Cassandra asked quietly, her eyes dropping to the marble surface. "About how I handled it back then? Even if Marcus intercepted the mail... I still signed those papers, Damon. I let pride win. I didn't fight."
Damon rounded the island, closing the distance until he stood right in front of her. He reached out, taking her hands in his. His palms were warm, calloused from years of hard work before the billions rolled in.
"You were nineteen weeks pregnant, exhausted, heartbroken, and alone in an apartment we used to share," Damon said, his voice thick with self-loathing. "You didn't have a security detail or a legal team. You had fear. I don't blame you for a single second of those three years, Cassie. The blame belongs entirely to me for building a life that made you feel like you had to run away to survive."
Cassandra looked up, tears stinging her eyes. "We were both so young, Damon. We wanted the world so badly, we forgot to protect each other."
"I won't forget again," he promised.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the living room, followed by Luke’s triumphant shout: "The deer jumped!"
Damon chuckled, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to Cassandra’s forehead before turning toward the living room. "Come on. Let's see what else our son is planning to demolish before breakfast."
For the rest of the morning, the billionaire executive who controlled thousands of employees became a full-time jungle gym. He let Luke climb onto his back like a horse, read three different holiday board books to Violet while she played with his tie, and helped them string popcorn onto red thread for the Christmas tree.
It was domestic, chaotic, exhausting, and utterly perfect.
But as the afternoon sun began to dip behind the jagged peaks of the mountains, casting long shadows across the snow, Damon’s phone buzzed in his pocket.
It was Ethan Brooks from Seattle.
Damon excused himself to the glass-walled study, closing the door behind him. He swiped the screen. "Talk to me, Ethan."
"Boss, we just executed the search warrants on Marcus Vance’s personal accounts and his secondary office in Bellevue," Ethan said, his voice taut with excitement. "We found the backup server drives. Not only did he intercept Cassandra’s emails, but he’s also been leaking confidential acquisition data to a rival hedge fund for the last six months. We have him dead to rights on corporate espionage, wire fraud, and identity theft."
Damon’s eyes narrowed into slits of pure ice. "Is the FBI involved?"
"Federal marshals picked him up at his Seattle penthouse twenty minutes ago. He’s currently in custody."
"Good," Damon said, his voice cold as a glacier. "Make sure he never works another day in this industry. Strip him of every stock option, every bonus, and every asset he accumulated while working for Prescott Global. I want him legally and financially erased."
"Consider it done, boss. Merry Christmas."
Damon ended the call. He slipped the phone back into his pocket, turning to look back through the glass wall toward the living room.
Cassandra was sitting on the floor by the tree, reading a book to the twins while the fire crackled behind them. The golden light caught the dark waves of her hair and the soft smile on her face.
May you like
The monster who had stolen three years of their lives was gone. The prison he had built had crumbled to dust.
Now, there was only the future.
