Chapter 10 - The Empire We Built Together
Three years later, the corner office on the twentieth floor of Ashby Capital looked entirely different.
The stark, minimalist aesthetic had been warmed by life: a few curated art pieces, a shelf of antique leather-bound books, and a small, vibrant monstera plant sitting by the window.
The name on the frosted glass door read: Piper Ashby — Managing Director.
Downstairs, the operations department still whispered about Rowan Ashby, but the stories had changed. They no longer spoke of a distant, untouchable titan who ruled through fear. They spoke of a man who had met his match—a woman who could out-negotiate any municipal contractor in the Midwest and keep the most feared CEO in Illinois wrapped around her finger with a single smile.
On a crisp November evening, exactly three years to the night since the storm on Mozart Street, I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of our home on Lake Shore Drive, watching the sun dip below the Chicago skyline and paint the clouds in shades of amber and gold.
Strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind, and a familiar chin rested gently on my shoulder.
"Thinking about the shipping manifests?" Rowan murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the side of my neck.
I leaned back against his chest, smiling as I reached up to touch the heavy, platinum band resting on my left ring finger.
"I was thinking about the day you handed me your personal card," I whispered, turning around in his embrace and wrapping my arms around his neck.
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"Best investment I ever made," Rowan said, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners with a rare, radiant smile as he pulled me flush against him.
The past was a locked file, buried deep in the archives, never to be opened again. The future was ours—bound, verified, and secured for life.
