Chapter 14 - THE HOUSE WITH THE YELLOW KITCHEN
One year later, Victor and Harper moved into a house outside Philadelphia.
It had a garden.
A wide porch.
And a kitchen painted pale yellow.
Harper had chosen the color.
Victor had questioned it.
Then admitted she was right.
He was learning.
The house wasn't enormous.
There were no marble staircases.
No armed guards standing outside every room.
Just a home.
Harper had accepted a new position in financial compliance.
She was finishing her accounting degree.
And Victor was working with a smaller group of legitimate businesses under independent oversight.
One evening, Harper found him trying to cook dinner.
The kitchen smelled suspicious.
She looked at the pan.
“Victor.”
He turned.
“Yes?”
“Is that supposed to be chicken?”
He stared.
“Technically.”
Harper burst out laughing.
Victor sighed.
“I was trying to surprise you.”
She wrapped her arms around him.
“You succeeded.”
He smiled.
May you like
Then kissed her.
And for the first time in years, their lives felt wonderfully ordinary.
