Chapter 10 - The Last Offer
Six months later, the sunset over the Amalfi Coast turned the Mediterranean Sea into liquid gold.
Sloane stood on the stone terrace of a private villa perched high above the cliffs of Positano. The scent of blooming lemon blossoms and sea salt drifted on the warm evening breeze. Below, the private yacht bearing the Voss crest swayed gently in the harbor, its lights reflecting against the azure water.
She wore a simple, flowing white linen dress, her bare feet resting on the sun-warmed terracotta tiles. In her hand was a glass of chilled Italian white wine.
After months of restructuring the firm and integrating the Harrington empire into their global operations, Declan had declared an mandatory executive recess. He had flown them both to Italy on a private jet, leaving the boardroom battles three thousand miles behind.
The glass doors slid open, and Declan walked out onto the terrace.
He had shed the armor of his bespoke suits, dressed comfortably in an open-collar dark linen shirt and tailored slacks. He looked younger here, bathed in the Mediterranean glow, free from the crushing weight of the empire he had carried for so long.
He walked up behind Sloane, wrapping his strong arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. He rested his chin against the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her hair.
"What are you thinking about?" he murmured.
Sloane smiled, leaning back into his embrace. "I was thinking about a Tuesday morning in February. An old elevator by the freight entrance. And thirty-eight seconds that ruined my life."
Declan let out a low, velvety laugh, his lips pressing a warm kiss to the sensitive spot beneath her ear. "Ruined?"
"Completely," she teased, turning around in his arms to face him, looping her arms around his neck. "Before that voice note, I had a simple, predictable life. I looked at spreadsheets, complained to Petra, and drank lukewarm coffee. Now, I run a multi-billion-dollar firm, federal agents owe me favors, and I’m stranded on a cliff in Italy with a dangerously attractive man who won't let me look at a balance sheet for two whole weeks."
"A terrible fate," Declan agreed, his gray eyes sparkling with pure affection. "I can only apologize by offering you a lifetime contract."
Sloane tilted her head, her eyes narrowing playfully. "A lifetime contract? What are the terms?"
Declan reached into his pocket.
He didn't produce a flash drive, an acquisition file, or a corporate memo.
He brought out a small, dark velvet box.
Sloane’s breath caught in her throat. Her heart, which had remained steady through boardrooms, hostage situations, and federal raids, suddenly began to hammer frantically against her ribs.
Declan dropped to one knee on the warm terracotta stones.
He opened the box, revealing a flawless, emerald-cut diamond ring flanked by two deep blue sapphires—a bespoke design that mirrored the strength, brilliance, and elegance of the woman standing before him.
"Sloane Rafferty," Declan said, his voice deep, steady, and filled with an emotion he had never shown to anyone else in the world. "You walked into my life and tore down every wall I spent twenty years building. You challenged me, outsmarted my enemies, and stood beside me when everything was burning. I don't want an empire if you’re not ruling it with me. Will you marry me?"
Tears of pure happiness welled in Sloane’s eyes. She laughed—a breathless, joyful sound that echoed out over the cliffside.
"On one condition," she whispered, leaning down.
Declan smiled, his eyes locked on hers. "Name it."
"You have to promise me that if I ever send another voice note to all staff..." she whispered, her lips brushing his, "...you’ll listen to it at least twice."
May you like
Declan chuckled, pulling her down into a deep, passionate kiss as the Mediterranean sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of crimson and gold.
"Deal," he whispered against her lips, slipping the ring onto her finger where it caught the final light of the sun—a perfect, unbreakable promise of a future they had fought for and won together.
