Chapter 230 BLACK BOX.

Chapter 230 BLACK BOX.


AXEL’S POV:

The Last Month Later…

The morning sunlight spilled across the floors of our new bedroom in Maryland, making beautiful golden beams on everything it touched. I stood before the tall mirror, fastening the final button on my deep charcoal suit jacket. My once-short hair was longer, combed back with a natural wave, a nod to this gentler chapter of my life.

For the first time in a long time, I saw a man in the mirror I actually recognized—peaceful, grounded, changed.

These past three months hadn’t just been healing. They’d been transformational.

Avery and I used them to rebuild—our bond, our routine, our very foundation. We talked through the pain. The secrets. The violence. And somehow, my respect for her deepened every single day.

She was the one who’d stayed strong when I broke.

She carried our name, our daughter, our unborn child, our legacy—through war, death, and fire.

She stood where I couldn't. And she fought like hell.

How could I not fall deeper in love with a woman like that?

After everything, once the doctors confirmed that Ryan was completely healed, I called for a final meeting with the table.

I told them I was stepping down.

Officially handing over the title of Don and Head of the Table to Ryan.

He'd always wanted it, even if he never said it aloud. The hunger to lead lived in his blood. But what made him different was his loyalty. Even when possessed, even when torn apart, his soul protected us.

Still, he refused.

He dropped to one knee, pledging loyalty as he always had. That man… I owed him more than I could ever repay.

We destroyed the Blackboxes that same day. Together. Burned them all. That chapter, closed.

I gave the other Dons the right to choose their own future. A new leader. I didn’t care who got the position. The name Blackwood came with so much darkness. It dripped of pain, of war, of centuries of bloodshed and greed.

It was time to bury it. We did. And then decided to take my rightful last name which was Grayson. I was now Axel Grayson.

I handed over what was left of the trade to a new Italian connection Avery had scouted. Legit. Efficient. Clean.

As for us? We kept only what mattered.

AXEVY SEA STUFFY.

Our laundromats.

Our real estate.

The stocks, the shares, the clubs.

We didn’t need empires built on bones anymore. Nonetheless, we kept Logan as a close associate that might come in handy.

I relocated the entire family from Miami to Maryland—bought us a new property that felt like air after smoke. Minimalist. Artistic. Peaceful.

Even my men were given options. Thaddeus and Serena stayed, as did a few others. I moved Ashley here too—she’d earned her place. She was family now.

A new beginning.

And in this new beginning, I was now CEO of AXEVY SEA STUFFY.

Yeah, it’s a business that sells squishy animals to kids across the world, and I’m proud of it.

Because innocence is worth building an empire around.

Avery? I gave her strict instructions to do nothing but rest and be taken care of. She protested, obviously. But Katie was there to enforce it. And Wilder—he visited often, bringing Sea little puzzle books and organic smoothies. The man was irritatingly perfect.

And Sea?

God, she made everything worth it. She whined almost daily about meeting her baby sibling.

With a final check of my reflection, I grabbed my suitcase and stepped into the hallway.

It was long and open, illuminated naturally by massive skylights above and soft recessed lights below. The white walls were beautified by charcoal art frames and minimalist black-and-gold furniture. Plants lined the edges—Avery’s idea—and the air smelled like rosemary and lemon balm.

Our home.

I descended the spiral staircase slowly, the railing warm under my fingertips. And then, I paused at the last step.

There they were.

Avery sat on the edge of our living room couch, belly full and round beneath a soft cream maternity robe. Her hair was in loose waves, framing her glowing face. She was gently parting Sea’s hair, twisting them into two perfectly neat pigtails.

Sea sat still, her legs swinging beneath her, eyes focused on the tablet in her lap, but every now and then, she tilted her head back with a smile.

They were everything.

My present.

My future.

My entire world.

I stayed there for a moment, watching them, letting the peace soak through my bones.

Three months ago, I didn’t know if I’d live.

Now, I had the life I never dared to dream of.

“Daddy!” Sea spotted me first.

I smiled and stepped down the final step. “How did I get so lucky?”

Avery looked up, eyes warm and full of light. “I ask myself that every day.”

I bent to kiss her forehead, then Sea’s, and whispered, “I’ll be home by five.”

Sea gave a dramatic sigh. “Can you bring squishies from work?”

I laughed. “I’ll bring the whole factory if I can.”

Just as I was about to turn toward the door, I felt a gentle tug on my tie. It wasn’t forceful—no. It was the slow kind of pull that came with confidence… and just a touch of mischief.

I looked down.

Avery’s hand was curled around the silk of my tie, her lips curved with a smile. Her eyes met mine, her eyes richly glistening and shinning like the sunrise that spilled through the living room windows.

“You’re not going to kiss me goodbye properly?” she purred.

I didn’t even try to resist. I leaned in, one hand resting on her belly as I tilted her chin up gently. Our lips met in a kiss that made the world quiet. It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t greedy.

It was home.

When we pulled apart, her fingers didn’t let go of my tie just yet.

“You know what I really want before you go?” she murmured, tilting her head playfully.

I raised a brow, already suspicious. “Let me guess… a stack of pancakes? Or maybe you want me to cancel my meetings and feed you grapes all day while Sea sings in the background?”

She laughed. “Close. I want a foot massage.”

I blinked. “A foot massage. Now?”

Her grin widened. “Yes, now.”

“Avery…” I groaned dramatically, setting my suitcase down like a defeated soldier. “I’m dressed for war—not spa duty.”

“You’ll survive,” she replied, stretching her leg out like a queen waiting to be pampered. “Your wife’s feet are carrying an empire inside of them.”

Sea burst into giggles from the couch. “Daddy, just do it. Mommy’s feet are like balloons.”

I looked between the both of them—one smug, the other laughing—and sighed. “This is betrayal. Pure betrayal.”

“Love,” Avery corrected. “The betrayal was when you tried to sneak out without giving a three-minute massage to the woman keeping your bloodline alive.”

I laughed under my breath and dropped to one knee. “Fine. Three minutes. But I’m timing it.”

Just as I began kneading her feet gently through the soft cotton of her socks, the front door opened, followed by sounds of marching boots and muted voices.

Ryan stepped inside first, suite with a calm, amused expression. “Am I interrupting something sacred?”

Thaddeus followed behind him, eyebrow lifted. “Sir, the car’s ready. We’re due in twenty.”

I glanced up at them with a deadpan face, my hands still on Avery’s foot. “You two showed up exactly when I needed saving.”

“From your pregnant wife?” Ryan grinned. “You’re on your own there, brother.”

Sea clapped, utterly delighted. “Daddy’s a foot servant now!”

I stood with a dramatic grunt, brushing off invisible dust from my knee. “Traitors. All of you.”

Avery reached for my hand and kissed the inside of my wrist softly. “Thank you, my love.”

Her voice was gentle, but her eyes said so much more. They held pride, affection, and something unshakable. We were healing—still—but the love we’d built felt indestructible now.

I picked up my suitcase again, nodded at Ryan and Thaddeus, and took one last look at my girls.

“I’ll be back before dinner,” I reminded them. I was lying because I had something else planned.

Sea beamed. “Remember my squishies!”

Avery winked. “And maybe a bottle of foot oil.”

I laughed as we stepped outside, the soft Maryland air brushing across my face, a far cry from the chaos we once lived in.

Peace, it turned out, was the loudest luxury of all.

As I walked out the door, flanked by quiet guards and a new kind of calm, I realized this wasn't a second chance.

This is the real beginning.

And this time, we’re writing our story from peace, not pain.