Chapter 8 - NATALIE FINALLY STOPPED APOLOGIZING FOR NEEDING HELPThe truth about Ethan shattered Natalie.
For three years she had blamed herself.
He had gone out on the water after an argument.
She had spent years wondering if he had been distracted because of her.
Now she knew.
It had never been her fault.
Dominic found her sitting in Catherine’s cottage.
“I should have told you about the letter.”
“Yes.”
She looked up, surprised.
He sat beside her.
“You should have.”
Natalie cried.
“I was scared.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t want Noah growing up around all this.”
Dominic looked around the cottage.
“Neither did Mom.”
Natalie smiled through tears.
“She loved this place.”
“She loved you.”
Natalie lowered her eyes.
“I always felt like I was living here because you allowed it.”
Dominic frowned.
“What?”
“Brooke wasn’t the first person to make me feel dependent.”
He understood.
Family members.
Business associates.
People who saw Dominic’s wealth and assumed everyone near him lived on his charity.
Natalie continued.
“After Ethan died, I stopped feeling like an adult.”
Dominic’s voice softened.
“You survived losing your husband while raising a child.”
“That doesn’t feel strong.”
“It is.”
He handed her a new document.
She looked down.
“What is this?”
A revised trust structure.
The cottage and surrounding land were placed under Natalie’s direct control.
Protected.
No one could remove her.
Not Dominic.
Not a future spouse.
Nobody.
Natalie started crying.
“Dom…”
He shook his head.
“This isn’t a gift.”
“What is it?”
“Something that was always yours.”
Then Noah ran inside.
“Mom?”
Natalie wiped her face.
“Yeah?”
“Uncle Dom says I can build a treehouse.”
Dominic frowned.
“I said we’d discuss it.”
Noah grinned.
“That means yes.”
Natalie laughed.
A real laugh.
May you like
Dominic had not heard it in months.
That sound meant more to him than all the recovered money.
