She won't.
She can't.
Epilogue
Dexter
5 years later
"Adeline! Flora!"
His melodic voice rings out in the garden. I look at my wife, lying on a lounger in a one-piece white swimsuit and looking as sexy as ever.
"Which one do you think he'll find first?" I grin.
"Well, Flora will probably giggle so much he'll spot her right away," Pandora grins, pushing her sunglasses up her nose and meeting my gaze. "But Adeline might try to get busted first just so she can make her sister happy."
"Are you happy, toy?" I asked in hushed tones, my voice soft enough so the kids won't hear.
"Yes, Master," she whispers, giggling. I've been loving playing these games with her when the kids can't hear. And I live for the traitorous rouge in her cheeks every time I make her blush.
"Good girl." I return to my newspaper, keeping an eye on the kids while I read. But really, I'm not worried about the girls misbehaving. It's Reign that's got me worried.
At almost twelve years old, my son is my pride and joy. And yet there's something about him, something almost cold, off-putting. It's as if Lily Anna has left her mark on him. Like her shadowy fingers are wrapped around his soul, clenching, gripping it for dear life. He has such a pure soul. But that bitch tried her hardest to spoil it.
It's been years since I've seen her.
She lives with Emilian now, suffering as his victim. We could save her. Pandora and I could work out a way to get her away from my toy's twisted father. Use our influence to make ourselves her legal guardians. But neither one of us is willing to do that. And even though I can still hear the ring of Lily Anna's screams as she was locked up at Oakes Estate, I have no regrets.
She deserved what she had coming.
It was lucky enough she survived the fall off the cliffs. But when Lily Anna found out the fall had broken her spine, that she'd be forced to a lifetime in a wheelchair, she broke.
There's gossip among the help. They say Lily Anna hasn't spoken in years. That Emilian Oakes is just as obsessed as her. That's she's more beautiful than ever. That he ruined her.
I don't care about any of it.
Since my parents died in the fire she lit, I've been looking for vengeance. And watching Lily Anna lose everything that mattered to her one by one has more than fulfilled my need for revenge.
"Think we can sneak off?" I mutter as Reign starts running toward a figure giggling behind an old oak tree.
"Now?" Pandora glances nervously at the kids, and guiltily, I realize she's probably thinking the same thing I am.
Is it safe to leave Reign alone with the twins?
I never believed he'd hurt them, and my son never gave me a reason to worry. But sometimes, his behavior is truly troubling.
I've caught him hurting animals before. I've seen him pin a butterfly down by its wings. I've seen him poking at dead birds in the garden. Reign is a polite, well-mannered young boy. But on the rare occasions we had to punish him, Pandora and I witnessed anger and stubbornness neither of us had seen before. He'd lie through his teeth to get out of trouble. But if you caught him in a lie, the kid lost it. He'd hurt himself to get his way. He'd threaten you. Those moments were rare, but they happened. And they made me worry.
But I shake my head to get the thought out. I can't allow the negative thoughts to take over now. I can't let Pandora see I'm worried, too.
"Let's stay until they finish their game," I decide for us. Her relieved smile tells me everything I need to know.
We watch the kids play until they come back to where we're lounging, giggling and laughing. My wife admires the twins' daisy crowns while I ask Reign to come over.
"Having a good day, son?" I ask him, and he nods. He won't quite look at me, probably still upset with me for scolding him the previous day. The kid sure can hold a fucking grudge.
"It's alright," he drawls, refusing to meet my gaze.
"Reign," I speak up calmly. "You're being such a good brother to your sister."
At this, he lights up. He really does love the girls, has formed a bond with them like nothing I've ever seen before.
"When are we going back to Grandfather's?" Reign asks.
My expression darkens. Despite my best efforts to keep the kids away from Emilian, Reign has formed a bond with the man. He's been insisting we let him visit his grandfather. All the other visits have been on our terms, at our home, but now Reign wants more freedom to visit his grandfather whenever he wants.
"I can invite Emilian over for tea," I offer.
"No." Reign's eyes are dark and stormy. "I want to go to Oakes Manor. I deserve it, I've been good."
I don't bother arguing with him. He hasn't been good. He's misbehaved multiple times in school only this week. I haven't even told Pandora yet, not wanting to worry her, but the kid needs a firm hand, and we both love him too much to discipline him properly.
I also have another reason I don't want him at the Manor - Lily Anna. He doesn't know she's there. We thought it best to tell Reign she was gone, dead. We didn't want to hurt him any more by preventing him from seeing the woman. But now it's been six years, and the kid still hasn't stopped asking about her. And every time he brings her up, I see the fire in Pandora's eyes die down a little.
Lily Anna's shadow is still here, and will follow us for a long time to come.
"We'll arrange something," I tell Reign, but his dark expression tells me he doesn't buy it.
I shift my attention to the girls and Pandora while watching my son out of the corner of my eye. He's an unusual kid. And as much as he frightens me sometimes, I love him more than I ever thought possible.
We never got a paternity test.
We didn't need to.
Lily Anna was right about one thing, if nothing else. One look at Reign tells me whose son he is.
Lai is right there - in the blue of his eyes, in the smirk on his face. He looks just like him. And in a way, I'm happy things worked out the way they did. This way, we have a reminder of the boy who died much too soon by Lily Anna's cruel hand. Lai is still with us. And one day, when Reign is old enough, we'll explain everything to him.
I just hope he'll understand.
"Let's head inside, it's getting cold." I usher my family into the Manor. It's been a few years since Anders passed away, but we have a full new staff headed by a wonderful woman who makes sure we're all fed and taken care of. Most of my days are spent at the office now. I've taken a big role in my father's company, and Pandora is busy running the town until Reign is of age.
We both worry about what will happen after. The moment Reign turns eighteen, he'll be the most powerful person in Eden Falls. But power corrupts people. And our son is susceptible to it, to being overwhelmed by the possibilities. So we need to steer him on the right path before we hand over the responsibilities.
We settle in front of the fireplace. It's too early for a fire, but when my son asks to set one up, I allow it.
Pandora and I watch hand-in-hand as Reign starts a fire and the girls read a book in front of it. It's the picture-perfect image of a family, and it's our well-earned reward after everything we've been through.
Not everything is perfect.
Nothing can ever be perfect - it's one lesson I've learned since I was nineteen and lusting after a girl I wanted to hate. The girl, who is now a woman, sitting by my side and watching me with love in her eyes.
I'd do anything for her.
I will do anything for her.
"Pandora." I speak up, and she turns to face me, the ghost of a smile making her face prettier than ever. "Are you happy?"
I can't help but ask her that, all the time, any chance I get. I need her to tell me this is what she wants. I took everything from her when we were younger. I tortured her, made her life a living hell. It's a wonder these days, the only thing that matters to me is her happiness.
"I'm happy, Dexter," she whispers in response. "I'm happy becau
se of you."
It's all I needed to hear, and a reluctant, rare smile pulls at my lips as I watch them.
Reign, my son, my best friend's last legacy for Eden Falls.
Adaline and Flora, my beautiful daughters, innocent, sweet and pure.
And my wife - Pandora.
All those years ago, she came into my life and taught me everything I needed to know to be a better man. She made me who I am today. She loved my punishing touch, and even though she resisted it in the beginning, she came to love it, crave it. And now she can't live without it, just like I can't live without her.
My soulmate. My happiness, personified.
"I'm happy, too," I tell her calmly, and she grins before turning back to our children.
I close my eyes. There's a glass of my father's scotch in my hands. I only allow myself to drink it on days like this. When everything's perfect.
I lift the glass to my lips and sip the amber liquid, remembering my parents again.
They would be happy to see me here, like this. I hope they are resting in peace now, knowing I'm happy with the right woman, the right life.
I toast to the ceiling, imagining them looking down on me.
"What are you doing, Dad?" Reign asks.
"Remembering someone, son," I tell him with a smile. One day, I'll tell him everything about the sordid history of my life. Today is not that day though. Today is a day for making new memories, beautiful memories that will make me a happy man. "Come on, let's join your mother and sisters."
We all sit down on the carpet in front of the fireplace, reading from the twins' book in funny voices. I'm laughing along with my family, wondering how I got so lucky.
I don't deserve this happy ending. I was a bully, a monster, a dick. And to be honest, I'm still all those things.
My eyes devour Pandora with hunger and lust.
But somehow, I found the woman who wants my cruelty as much as she wants my love. Pandora lives for my punishing touch, craves it as much as she does my warm embrace, the sweet kisses I leave on her lips. They're a sharp contrast to the spankings I still give her, to the sting of my belt against her pale skin. Somehow, I found the woman who wants both sides of me.
The dark, twisted, cruel nature I can never escape.
And the light, kind, softness only she and my children awaken in me.
I thought I was a man when I first met Pandora Oakes.
But the truth is, she made me a man. Her relentless talking back, her bravery, her willingness to turn the pain I give her into something beautiful.
An ache develops in my chest, not because I'm unhappy, but because I have everything I've ever dreamed of.
My heart swells with the love I feel for all of them, mixing with hopes and fears for our future. We'll be okay. We're a family. We can take anything life throws at us. The pain, the pleasure. It doesn't matter. We've been through worse before, and we lived through it.
All that's left is our happily ever after.
THE END
Epilogue
Dexter
5 years later
"Adeline! Flora!"
His melodic voice rings out in the garden. I look at my wife, lying on a lounger in a one-piece white swimsuit and looking as sexy as ever.
"Which one do you think he'll find first?" I grin.
"Well, Flora will probably giggle so much he'll spot her right away," Pandora grins, pushing her sunglasses up her nose and meeting my gaze. "But Adeline might try to get busted first just so she can make her sister happy."
"Are you happy, toy?" I asked in hushed tones, my voice soft enough so the kids won't hear.
"Yes, Master," she whispers, giggling. I've been loving playing these games with her when the kids can't hear. And I live for the traitorous rouge in her cheeks every time I make her blush.
"Good girl." I return to my newspaper, keeping an eye on the kids while I read. But really, I'm not worried about the girls misbehaving. It's Reign that's got me worried.
At almost twelve years old, my son is my pride and joy. And yet there's something about him, something almost cold, off-putting. It's as if Lily Anna has left her mark on him. Like her shadowy fingers are wrapped around his soul, clenching, gripping it for dear life. He has such a pure soul. But that bitch tried her hardest to spoil it.
It's been years since I've seen her.
She lives with Emilian now, suffering as his victim. We could save her. Pandora and I could work out a way to get her away from my toy's twisted father. Use our influence to make ourselves her legal guardians. But neither one of us is willing to do that. And even though I can still hear the ring of Lily Anna's screams as she was locked up at Oakes Estate, I have no regrets.
She deserved what she had coming.
It was lucky enough she survived the fall off the cliffs. But when Lily Anna found out the fall had broken her spine, that she'd be forced to a lifetime in a wheelchair, she broke.
There's gossip among the help. They say Lily Anna hasn't spoken in years. That Emilian Oakes is just as obsessed as her. That's she's more beautiful than ever. That he ruined her.
I don't care about any of it.
Since my parents died in the fire she lit, I've been looking for vengeance. And watching Lily Anna lose everything that mattered to her one by one has more than fulfilled my need for revenge.
"Think we can sneak off?" I mutter as Reign starts running toward a figure giggling behind an old oak tree.
"Now?" Pandora glances nervously at the kids, and guiltily, I realize she's probably thinking the same thing I am.
Is it safe to leave Reign alone with the twins?
I never believed he'd hurt them, and my son never gave me a reason to worry. But sometimes, his behavior is truly troubling.
I've caught him hurting animals before. I've seen him pin a butterfly down by its wings. I've seen him poking at dead birds in the garden. Reign is a polite, well-mannered young boy. But on the rare occasions we had to punish him, Pandora and I witnessed anger and stubbornness neither of us had seen before. He'd lie through his teeth to get out of trouble. But if you caught him in a lie, the kid lost it. He'd hurt himself to get his way. He'd threaten you. Those moments were rare, but they happened. And they made me worry.
But I shake my head to get the thought out. I can't allow the negative thoughts to take over now. I can't let Pandora see I'm worried, too.
"Let's stay until they finish their game," I decide for us. Her relieved smile tells me everything I need to know.
We watch the kids play until they come back to where we're lounging, giggling and laughing. My wife admires the twins' daisy crowns while I ask Reign to come over.
"Having a good day, son?" I ask him, and he nods. He won't quite look at me, probably still upset with me for scolding him the previous day. The kid sure can hold a fucking grudge.
"It's alright," he drawls, refusing to meet my gaze.
"Reign," I speak up calmly. "You're being such a good brother to your sister."
At this, he lights up. He really does love the girls, has formed a bond with them like nothing I've ever seen before.
"When are we going back to Grandfather's?" Reign asks.
My expression darkens. Despite my best efforts to keep the kids away from Emilian, Reign has formed a bond with the man. He's been insisting we let him visit his grandfather. All the other visits have been on our terms, at our home, but now Reign wants more freedom to visit his grandfather whenever he wants.
"I can invite Emilian over for tea," I offer.
"No." Reign's eyes are dark and stormy. "I want to go to Oakes Manor. I deserve it, I've been good."
I don't bother arguing with him. He hasn't been good. He's misbehaved multiple times in school only this week. I haven't even told Pandora yet, not wanting to worry her, but the kid needs a firm hand, and we both love him too much to discipline him properly.
I also have another reason I don't want him at the Manor - Lily Anna. He doesn't know she's there. We thou
ght it best to tell Reign she was gone, dead. We didn't want to hurt him any more by preventing him from seeing the woman. But now it's been six years, and the kid still hasn't stopped asking about her. And every time he brings her up, I see the fire in Pandora's eyes die down a little.
Lily Anna's shadow is still here, and will follow us for a long time to come.
"We'll arrange something," I tell Reign, but his dark expression tells me he doesn't buy it.
I shift my attention to the girls and Pandora while watching my son out of the corner of my eye. He's an unusual kid. And as much as he frightens me sometimes, I love him more than I ever thought possible.
We never got a paternity test.
We didn't need to.
Lily Anna was right about one thing, if nothing else. One look at Reign tells me whose son he is.
Lai is right there - in the blue of his eyes, in the smirk on his face. He looks just like him. And in a way, I'm happy things worked out the way they did. This way, we have a reminder of the boy who died much too soon by Lily Anna's cruel hand. Lai is still with us. And one day, when Reign is old enough, we'll explain everything to him.
I just hope he'll understand.
"Let's head inside, it's getting cold." I usher my family into the Manor. It's been a few years since Anders passed away, but we have a full new staff headed by a wonderful woman who makes sure we're all fed and taken care of. Most of my days are spent at the office now. I've taken a big role in my father's company, and Pandora is busy running the town until Reign is of age.
We both worry about what will happen after. The moment Reign turns eighteen, he'll be the most powerful person in Eden Falls. But power corrupts people. And our son is susceptible to it, to being overwhelmed by the possibilities. So we need to steer him on the right path before we hand over the responsibilities.
We settle in front of the fireplace. It's too early for a fire, but when my son asks to set one up, I allow it.
Pandora and I watch hand-in-hand as Reign starts a fire and the girls read a book in front of it. It's the picture-perfect image of a family, and it's our well-earned reward after everything we've been through.
A Hurt So Sweet: Complete Dark Bully Romance Series Box Set: Elite of Eden Falls Prep Page 62