Chapter 7 - Shadows in the Alps
Switzerland in March was a breathtaking expanse of towering white peaks, emerald-green valleys, and crystalline alpine air.
Ethan spent three grueling weeks traveling between architectural offices, engineering symposiums, and construction checkpoints around the canton of Zurich. He spoke terrible French and broken German, showing Claire’s picture to hotel clerks, site managers, and university liaisons.
Most people shook their heads, protecting the privacy of the high-profile engineering consortium that was constructing the new Gotthard bypass bridge.
Finally, an elderly drafting assistant at an engineering supply depot near Lucerne recognized the photo. "Ah, Frau Bennett! The brilliant American architect. She inspects the eastern foundation pylons at Mount Pilatus every Thursday morning."
Ethan broke down in tears of relief right in front of the startled shopkeeper. He bought train tickets immediately, his hands trembling as he counted down the hours until Thursday.
When Thursday arrived, a thick mist hung over the alpine lake at the foot of Mount Pilatus. Ethan took the cogwheel mountain railway up to the construction staging area, wrapping his wool coat tightly against the biting mountain wind.
Through the mist, he saw the expansive construction platform overlooking the valley. Massive steel girders hung suspended from towering yellow cranes, and teams of European engineers in yellow hard hats were examining large digital blueprints mounted on weather-proof stands.
And there she was.
Claire stood at the edge of the overlook, wearing an orange safety vest over an elegant cream cashmere turtleneck, a white hard hat covering her sleek blonde hair. She was holding a laser surveying tool, laughing warmly at something a colleague said.
Her cheeks were flushed with healthy color, her posture was tall, commanding, and confident, and the sick, fragile exhaustion that had haunted her in Boston was completely erased. She looked radiant, powerful, and utterly whole.
Ethan’s breath hitched in his throat. For five years, he had kept her in his shadow, diminishing her light to accommodate his chaotic baggage. Seeing her now, commanding a billion-dollar engineering marvel in the heart of Europe, made him realize how small his world had been—and how much he had held her back.
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"Claire!" Ethan shouted, stepping past the security perimeter tape. "Claire!"
The wind carried his voice across the platform. Several security guards immediately moved to intercept him, shouting in Swiss German, but Claire turned around, her brown eyes widening in shock as she spotted the disheveled man being restrained by the guards.
