---- Chapter 12 Harley Pennington POV: The private jet climbed smoothly into the night sky, leaving the city and all its ghosts behind. | leaned my head against Killian ' s shoulder, a sense of profound peace settling over me for the first time in months. "Tired?" he asked, his arm tightening around me. "Exhausted," | admitted. "But... happy." He smiled, a genuine, warm smile that reached his eyes. "Good. That's all I' ve ever wanted for you." We were on our way to the Maldives, to a private island he owned. No phones, no news, no Connor. Just sun, sand, and a future that was finally my own. The next two weeks were a blur of idyllic days and passionate nights. Killian was everything Connor wasn't. He was attentive, patient, and he saw meas his equal. He listened when | talked about my secret life as a venture capitalist, his eyes alight with admiration, not insecurity. With him, | didn't have to hide any part of myself. | could be Harley Pennington, heiress and businesswoman, and Harley Copeland, the woman who loved lazy mornings in bed and ---- long walks on the beach. He loved all of me. In the safety of his love, the wounds Connor had inflicted began to heal. The betrayal, the humiliation, the heartbreak- they started to fade, replaced by a quiet, steady joy. One morning, about a month into our honeymoon, | woke up with a familiar wave of nausea. | stumbled to the bathroom, dismissing it as something | ate. But when it happened again the next day, and the day after that, a wild, impossible hope began to bloom in my chest. | took a test. Two tests. Three. They were all positive. | walked out of the bathroom, the small plastic stick clutched in my trembling hand, and found Killian on the balcony, looking out at the turquoise water. "Killian?" | said, my voice barely a whisper. He turned, his smile fading when he saw the look on my face. "Harley? What' s wrong? Are you alright?" | couldn' t speak. | just held out the pregnancy test. He took it, his eyes widening as he saw the two pink lines. He looked from the test to my face, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief. "Is this... are you...?" ---- | nodded, tears of joy finally spilling down my cheeks. "' m pregnant." A slow, dazzling smile spread across his face. He let out a whoop of pure joy, scooping me up into his arms and spinning me around. "We' re having a baby!" he shouted at the ocean. "I'm going to be a father!" He set me down gently, his hands framing my face, his eyes shining with a love so fierce it took my breath away. "I love you, Harley. More than anything." "| love you too," | whispered, my heart overflowing. He kissed me, a deep, reverent kiss full of promises for the future. A future with a partner who valued me, a family built on love and respect, and a happiness | never thought possible. | had been through the fire, but | had come out stronger. | had lost a man | created, but | had found a man who completed me. | had reclaimed my name, my power, and my life. | was Harley Pennington Copeland. And | was finally free.