Chapter 20 - The Open Horizon
The private yacht glided smoothly across the crystal-blue waters of the Mediterranean, leaving a long, white foamy wake stretching out toward the golden horizon of the Italian coastline.
I stood at the bow of the deck, the warm sea breeze tangling my hair as I looked out over the endless expanse of the open ocean. The ghosts of Madison Avenue, the suffocating shadows of my father’s empire, and the shattering glass of that violent birthday dinner felt like a lifetime away.
Daniel walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing a tender kiss to the back of my neck. He handed me a glass of chilled white wine.
“Penny for your thoughts, CEO Bennett-Sterling?” Daniel whispered softly against my ear.
I took a sip of the wine, smiling as the sun dipped below the water, painting the sky in breathtaking shades of violet, orange, and crimson.
“I was just thinking about that night,” I murmured, leaning back against his chest. “When Victor smashed the bottle over your head, and Dad told the table he deserved it.”
Daniel chuckled, his arms tightening around me protectively. “If someone had told me then that breaking my skull would lead to marrying the most brilliant, ruthless, and beautiful woman in New York... I probably would have walked into your brother’s office and handed him the wine bottle myself.”
I laughed out loud, turning around in his embrace to look up into his dark, loving eyes.
“You’re insane,” I whispered affectionately.
“Only about you,” Daniel replied, pulling me close.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small velvet box, clicking it open to reveal a magnificent, flawless sapphire ring surrounded by vintage diamonds—an engagement ring far exceeding the simple one we had lost in the chaos of our past.
“No corporate mergers, no family trusts, no hidden agendas,” Daniel said, his voice dropping into a quiet, solemn promise as he looked deep into my eyes. “Just a clean slate and an open horizon. Will you marry me, Claire—for real this time?”
I looked from the sparkling sapphire ring up to the man who had helped me burn down my prison and build an empire from its cinders.
May you like
A radiant, triumphant smile spread across my face as the yacht sailed further out into the endless, beautiful sea.
“Yes,” I whispered, kissing him as the sun set completely below the waves, leaving an infinite world of possibilities ahead.
