Chapter 17 - UNCHARTED WATERS
Months passed in a blur of relentless success and deepening intimacy.
The rumor mill at Sterling Capital had long since stopped whispering about us.
Instead,
employees now spoke of the 'Sterling Power Duo' with reverence.
We worked side by side by day,
conquering markets and restructuring portfolios,
and retreated to the penthouse sanctuary by night.
Yet,
as spring melted into the humid warmth of a Boston summer,
I knew it was time to address a lingering loose end from my past.
My apartment lease was ending,
and my landlord had sent renewal paperwork.
When I mentioned it over dinner in the penthouse one evening,
Alexander paused,
setting down his wine glass.
“Why are you even considering renewing it?
” he asked,
raising an eyebrow.
“Because my clothes,
my books,
and my life are still technically packed into cardboard boxes there,
” I answered reasonably.
“Move in here,
” he stated simply.
I stopped chewing,
looking up at him across the marble kitchen island.
“Alexander,
we’ve been together for five months.
Moving into your penthouse is a massive step.
”
“You practically live here already,
” he pointed out with a logical,
unyielding smirk.
“Your closet in my guest suite is already overflowing,
your favorite coffee beans are stocked in the pantry,
and my bed feels empty every single morning when you wake up to go to your own apartment.
”
His words melted any remaining hesitation in my chest.
“Are you asking me to move in with you?
” I asked softly.
Alexander stood up from his stool,
walked around the island,
and knelt down on one knee right beside my chair.
My breath caught in my throat.
My mind raced for a frantic second.
He reached into his pocket—not for a ring box,
but for a set of heavy,
polished silver keys.
He placed them gently in my open palm.
“I am asking you to share my home,
my life,
and my future,
Eve,
” he said,
his gray eyes searching mine with unwavering sincerity.
“No conditions,
no doubts.
Just us.
”
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes—not tears of heartbreak or humiliation like the ones I had shed at JFK,
but tears of pure,
overwhelming joy.
“Yes,
” I whispered,
throwing my arms around his neck as he stood up,
May you like
pulling me into a fierce,
passionate embrace.
