Chapter 14 - The Unbroken Circle
The evening sky over Chicago darkened from deep indigo to the brilliant, glittering neon of a city refusing to sleep.
Down on the streets, cars moved in steady, orderly lines along the wet asphalt, their red and white taillights painting ribbons of light across the concrete canyons.
Inside the private 42nd-floor office, the tension that had gripped Sullivan Enterprise for a decade had finally dissolved into an absolute, unshakeable peace.
Callum sat on the edge of his leather sofa, with Hazel sitting beside him, her head resting against his uninjured left shoulder.
The single white lily on her desk caught the faint glow of the city lights filtering through the floor-to-ceiling glass.
“We need to reorganize the offshore accounts by tomorrow morning,” Hazel murmured, her fingers tracing the edge of his sleeve.
“The federal oversight committee wants a complete inventory of every subsidiary asset under Sullivan Maritime.”
“Let them look,” Callum replied, his arm wrapping securely around her waist.
“Every account has been audited, cleaned, and balanced down to the last cent.”
“For the first time since my father took over this syndicate, every dollar we hold is legitimate.”
Hazel turned her face against his chest, a soft smile touching her lips.
“Legitimate shipping magnates, Mr. Sullivan?”
“It sounds terrifyingly respectable.”
“We’ll manage,” Callum chuckled, pressing a gentle kiss into the dark waves of her hair.
“As long as you keep my schedule in order and refuse every delivery boy who tries to smuggle flowers onto this floor.”
“Only white lilies from now on,” Hazel whispered.
“And only bought with your own money?” Callum teased.
“Only bought by me,” she agreed, lifting her chin to meet his gaze.
“Because my time belongs to Sullivan Enterprise between eight and six.”
“And the rest?”
May you like
Hazel’s eyes flashed with a bright, undeniable warmth.
“The rest belongs to you.”
