The CEO Above My Desk (Mckenzie Shinabery) novel Chapter 257

Chapter 257

Violet

Three Months Later

The house felt different now,

Not just a structure of wood and stone but lived in. Loved. Home.

For so long, houses had been nothing more than places I stayed, apartments, rental rooms, temporary spaces that never truly belonged to me. But this one? This one belonged to us.

Every picture hanging on the walls told a story. Every blanket folded over the couch whispered comfort. Every coffee mug sitting in the cabinet held memories yet to be made.

This house was more than bricks and mortar. It was our sanctuary, our future in tangible form.

Sometimes the realization hit me in quiet moments like this when I least expected it.

I sat in one of the rocking chairs on the wraparound porch, the evening sun painting the sky in breathtaking shades of gold, pink, and orange. The air was heavy with the scent of freshly cut grass and wildflowers, while crickets began their gentle, rhythmic chorus somewhere in the distance.

My hand rested absentmindedly over my stomach.

Our daughter had apparently decided bedtime was the perfect time to practice martial arts. Again.

I smiled softly, the warmth of the moment settling deep in my chest.

Just a few months ago, I wouldn’t have believed any of this was possible. Not the house. Not the baby. Not the family. Not the peace.

Especially not the peace.

Laughter drifted across the yard, pulling my eyes upward.

Theo stood near the edge of the property, holding his daughter close to his chest. Camille hovered nearby, like she physically couldn’t stop herself from checking on them both every few seconds.

The baby had arrived six weeks ago, a healthy little girl with Thes’s dark hair and Camille’s stubborn streak. Honestly, that should have terrified everyone.

Theo, somehow, had morphed into the most overprotective father on the planet.

Yesterday, he’d spent twenty minutes researching baby–safe laundry detergent. Last week, he called the pediatrician because the baby sneezed twice. Capille hadn’t let him live that one down. Watching them was a quiet joy, a reminder of how far we’d come.

A little farther away, Avery was helping unload supplies from a truck for the rehabilitation center construction project.

The building was finally underway.

Months of planning, permits, meetings, and paperwork had finally given way to actual construction crews filling the old headquarters property every day

The foundation had been poured, and the framework was rising.

People were excited. Hopeful.

And somehow, against all odds, Avery had become one of the people making it happen.

She looked different these days, not because life had magically become easy, because it hadn’t, but because she’d finally stopped trying to be someone she

wasn’t.

For the first time since I’d met her, she seemed genuinely happy.

A burst of laughter caught my attention again.

Bennett stood near one of the construction trailers, holding a cup of coffee, while Devin said something that immediately made her roll her eyes. The roll was impressive–professional even.

Devin looked entirely too pleased with himself. Bennett looked entirely too pleased with Devin. Neither seemed to realize everyone else had figured it out or maybe they did and just didn’t care anymore. Either way, it was adorable.

Nearby, Agent Locke was attempting to flirt with one of the project coordinators. Again. The poor woman looked exhausted; Locke looked determined. Some things never changed. Honestly, I hoped they never would.

Movement behind me caught my attention.

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