CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT:
“They burned everything.”
Lyra’s voice cracked as she stood in the blackened doorway of what used to be Donnelly & Voss, the restaurant they had built from nothing. Charred beams sagged overhead. The air still smelled of smoke and loss. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the ruined kitchen where June had once helped roll dough and Theo had proudly served his first customer.
Dimitri stepped up behind her, strong arms wrapping around her trembling body. “I know, love. I know it hurts. But look at me.” He turned her gently, cupping her face with soot-streaked hands. “This is wood and walls. Not us. Not our family. We can rebuild it. We’ve rebuilt harder things than this.”
“It wasn’t just a restaurant,” she sobbed, fists gripping his shirt. “It was our proof
