Chapter 7 - The Unbroken HorizonJulian led me out onto the private marble balcony overlooking the autumn trees of Central Park. The city lights twinkled below us like a sea of grounded stars, and the crisp night air brushed gently against my cheeks.
Julian wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, pulling me flush against his broad chest, resting his chin softly against my shoulder.
"Cold?" he whispered, his hands warming mine.
"Not at all," I smiled, leaning back against him, feeling the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat beneath his suit.
Julian pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and opened it before my eyes.
Inside rested a simple, breathtaking platinum ring set with a rare, emerald-cut blue diamond that mirrored the exact shade of my dress.
"Six months ago, Claire," Julian murmured against my ear, his voice thick with emotion, "I stepped onto a city bus in the middle of a rainstorm to destroy a corrupt businessman. I had no idea that I was stepping onto that bus to find the rest of my life."
He gently turned me around in his arms, looking down into my eyes with deep, unreserved reverence.
"I don't offer you a contract, Claire," Julian swore softly. "I offer you my heart, my life, and an unbroken home for Leo, Maya, and Chloe. Will you marry me?"
Tears of pure, unadulterated happiness spilled over my lashes.
Six months ago, I had sat on a city bus with twenty-three dollars in my pocket, bleeding, abandoned, and convinced that my world was over. I had believed the cruel lie that my life was worth nothing because a coward had thrown me away.
Now, standing on a marble balcony in the arms of a titan who loved me and my children beyond measure, I knew the truth.
Ethan Mercer hadn't destroyed me when he handed me those divorce papers.
He had simply stepped out of the way so my real life could finally begin.
May you like
"Yes, Julian," I whispered, reaching up to wrap my arms around his neck as he slid the ring onto my finger. "A thousand times, yes."
He pulled me into a deep, lingering kiss beneath the starry Manhattan sky, and as the city pulsed around us, I knew that our storm had finally passed, and the sun would never stop shining on our home.
