Chapter 10 - THE FOUNDATION OF TRUST
The penthouse office was quiet as midnight approached, the city lights below twinkling like a million fractured diamonds. I sat at my desk, reviewing the final restructuring documents for Cross Atlantic Holdings and my family estate, realizing that every signature represented a new beginning.
Nathaniel walked in carrying two cups of coffee, placing one gently beside my keyboard before leaning against the edge of the desk.
“The board has officially approved the merger of your father’s portfolio with Cross Atlantic,” Nathaniel said quietly. “You are now the sole controlling shareholder of Vance Industries, with veto power over every major corporate decision.”
I looked up at him, a deep sense of peace washing over me. “It feels strange. For so long, I thought I needed Adrian, or my mother’s approval, or society’s validation to feel complete.”
“Validation from people who profit from your insecurity is just an illusion,” Nathaniel said, reaching out to brush a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His touch was warm, grounding, and entirely sincere. “You never needed them, Evelyn. You only needed to trust your own instincts.”
“And what instincts should I follow now?” I asked, looking up into his gray eyes, my heart beating with a steady, certain rhythm.
Nathaniel smiled, his gaze locking onto mine with absolute clarity. “My instinct says that we have a wedding to finish planning. Only this time, without the uninvited guests and the fake pearl buttons.”
A genuine laugh escaped my lips, light and unburdened by the ghosts of my past. “Are you formally proposing, Nathaniel Cross, or are you just assuming I’ll say yes?”
He reached into his breast pocket—not for a corporate dossier or a legal document, but for a small, velvet box that he opened slowly. Inside rested a vintage diamond ring that caught the ambient city light like a beacon.
“I am formally asking you to marry me, Evelyn,” Nathaniel said, his voice steady and rich with emotion. “Not out of obligation, not out of convenience, but because you are the only person who matches my fire.”
May you like
I stared at the ring, remembering the disaster of a few weeks ago—the betrayal, the public humiliation, the wreckage of a life I thought I wanted. But looking at Nathaniel, I knew that every painful step had been necessary to lead me exactly where I belonged.
“Yes,” I whispered, sliding my hand into his. “Let’s get married.”
