Chapter 7 - The Master Bedroom
The following week, the Pryce mansion was finally quiet.
Daphne had packed her vintage couture and moved into a small condo in Florida purchased under strict trust oversight—Walter had cut her allowance to a modest monthly stipend, ensuring she could never interfere in corporate affairs again. Brynn, realizing that Nolan was legally destitute and facing criminal liability, had packed her bags and returned to her parents' modest home in Connecticut to await the birth of her child, with Walter setting up an independent child-support trust fund so the baby would never suffer for its parents' sins.
Nolan had disappeared into the lower rungs of corporate obscurity, working as a mid-level contractor in Chicago under a different surname, stripped of his fortune, his status, and his pride.
Upstairs in the master suite, the cold, sterile atmosphere of the past four years had completely evaporated.
Warm autumn sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating fresh white lilies and warm hardwood floors.
Maren stood by the balcony, looking out over the manicured grounds. The divorce papers had been signed and finalized that morning. For the first time in twenty-eight years, she belonged entirely to herself.
Footsteps sounded softly behind her.
Silas stepped out onto the balcony, holding two glasses of vintage red wine. He had discarded his suit jacket, wearing a crisp white dress shirt with the top buttons open, looking relaxed, powerful, and at home.
He handed her a glass. Their fingers brushed, sending that familiar, electric heat curling through her veins.
""The board voted unanimously this morning,"" Silas said softly. ""Maren Kessler is officially the Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Pryce-Rowan Holdings.""
Maren took a sip of the wine, letting the rich flavor settle on her tongue. She turned to look at him, her eyes shining with quiet triumph. ""Chairwoman. It has a nice ring to it.""
""It fits you,"" Silas said, setting his glass down on the stone railing. He stepped closer, his large, calloused hands coming to rest gently on her hips. ""You saved that company, Maren. But more importantly, you saved yourself.""
Maren leaned into his touch, resting her hands against the firm expanse of his chest. For four years, she had been a soldier, fighting off creditors, hiding heartbreak, carrying an entire dynasty on her slender shoulders. With Silas, she didn't have to carry anything alone.
""Why did you help me, Silas?"" she asked softly, looking up into his piercing gray eyes. ""Two years ago, when I walked into your office at two in the morning... you could have taken Harbor Point for yourself. You could have crushed Pryce Development in a single phone call.""
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Silas smiled, reaching up to cup her jawline with his thumb, his gaze uncharacteristically tender.
""Because the first time I saw you stand up to five corrupt city planners without blinking, I knew you were the only person in this entire rotten city who had both brilliance and a soul,"" he whispered. ""I didn't want the harbor, Maren. I wanted you.""
