Orion’s eyes closed briefly. “Thank God.”
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Tashi said, her voice brightening as she read the same message on her phone. “Thank you for being here tonight. For witnessing this moment. For being part of our story.”
The ballroom doors opened.
Ares walked in—tuxedo slightly disheveled but whole, safe, and alive. Neville followed behind him, along with LVPD escorting a dark-haired man in handcuffs.
But it wasn’t Marcus Talbor.
The crowd turned, murmurs rising as they realized what they were seeing.
Ares made his way through the ballroom, ignoring the stares, the phones recording, and the shocked whispers. He climbed onto the stage and took his place beside Tashi.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said into the microphone. “Had to take out the trash.”
Laughter rippled through the crowd—nervous, but genuine.
“My brothers and I have spent the last few months fighting to protect what we’ve built. This hotel. Our reputation. Our family. And tonight, we won. Not just by stopping a threat, but by standing here together and refusing to hide who we are. Together we’ve uncovered a threat not just to us but to the Olympus Royale and our guests. While we can’t comment on an ongoing police investigation, we can confidently say we have enough evidence to prove that the charges of malfeasance against us and Tashi were manufactured for one reason only—to gain control of the Olympus Royale. We successfully neutralized that threat tonight without any casualties. And now, I invite you all to enjoy the hospitality of the Kolykos brothers and the woman we love, Tashi George.”
Silence.
Our guests stared at us like we were crazy. But then Neville clapped, and then Marta, who now stood next to him, and soon the room broke out in thunderous applause.
Tashi wrapped her arms around Ares, and Orion and I joined them—the four of us standing together on that stage while cameras flashed and the crowd cheered and our unconventional family became public, permanent, and real. And when she spoke, I couldn’t have been prouder.
“I know there’s been speculation about my relationship with Orion, Leo, and Ares Kolykos. I know people have questions. Judgments. Opinions about whether what we have is real or appropriate or even possible.”
The ballroom had gone completely silent again.
“I’m here to tell you that it’s all of those things,” Tashi continued. “It’s real. It’s ours. And we’re not apologizing for it. I love you,” she said, looking at each of us in turn, loud enough for the microphone to catch. “All three of you.”
“We love you too,” we answered in unison.
After the audience applauded once again, Tashi leaned into Ares, away from the microphone.
“Where’s Marcus?”
Ares’s face grew dark. “He wasn’t on the roof. I can only assume he decided not to join the party after he found out I was alive.”
Tashi sighed, and suddenly she looked exhausted. “Okay, then. Let’s party.”
“No,” I said. “You need a rest. Let’s go home.”
Orion nodded. “I second that.”
“Are we really going to make decisions by committee now? Because, if that’s true, I’m outnumbered,” Tashi said.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. We know we need to keep you happy,” I murmured in her ear. “Let’s go home.”
Because tomorrow we would face another gauntlet—the Gaming Commission hearing.
Chapter 29
Tashi
Orion satinside the hearing room with Leo and Ares, but I was considered a witness and couldn’t be present during testimony. When they finally called my name, I walked into the room to face a panel of men and women, none of whom appeared pleased to be here.
The hearing room was sterile—gray walls, fluorescent lighting, and a long table where five Gaming Commission members sat with stacks of documents and laptops. Media, hotel executives, and curious observers crowded the gallery behind me. I could feel their eyes burning into my back.
