I lock eyes with him, whispering his name again and again until he thrusts one last time and crashes into his release. He pulses inside me, groaning as if he’s finally found peace.

He collapses onto me, breathless, then rolls us to the side and pulls me into his arms.

For a while, there’s only the sound of our breathing.

“Now, this is a family vacation.” He murmurs, his voice muffled against my skin.

I laugh, dazed and wrecked. “If we keep this up, we’re definitely going to expand the family.”

There’s a long pause. His breathing slows, and his hand smooths over my belly, resting there.

“I wouldn’t be mad at that,” He admits softly. “You’ve already made me the luckiest man in the world.”

I blink, caught off guard by the shift in his voice.

He kisses my shoulder again, slower. “I have everything I want with you. But blessing me with another child? A piece of you and me? That would be the best bonus ever.”

My throat tightens.

I twist in his arms just enough to see his face, which is so full of love and so open that it guts me.

“I love our life.” I whisper, touching his cheek.

He pulls me tighter, pressing his forehead to mine.

“And I love you.”

This is so much more than a family vacation. This is a glimpse of forever.

Chapter 31

Syllabus Complete – Kerry

Ms. Kerry Kind,

We are deeply saddened to learn that the Beverly Mills-Greer Board of Education was compromised by both illegal and unethical leadership practices under former Superintendent Cory Martin. We want to assure all of our teachers, administrators, staff, parents, students, and residents that we are taking swift action to rectify the damage that has been caused to our town.

We understand that many of the city’s beloved teachers were unjustly laid off—collateral damage that allowed a few bad apples to line their pockets with bribes. Not only have we launched an internal investigation into the qualifications and performance of the teachers that were hired, but if interested, we are reinstating every educator who was let go and giving them a 15% pay increase.

We would be honored to have you back in our school, nurturing and educating young minds. Please let us know if you’re interested. We would love to discuss your future in more depth.

Regards,

Interim Superintendent

I read the email over and over again, absorbing every word. I’m not surprised, especially after the corruption’s been revealed on national television. Greer is officially on the map! Every booming city needs a scandal, and Cory delivered!

Cory Martin’s power is finally gone, stripped away piece by piece until there’s nothing left but the truth. The truth he spent years trying to bury. The truth that reveals who he really is – a monster.