Chapter 5 - A New Beginning
True to his word, the dismantling of Trent Morrison’s life was swift, surgical, and absolute.
By the time Saraphene woke up the following morning, her phone—which usually buzzed with harassing text messages, missed calls, and blocked numbers from her ex—was completely, blissfully silent.
Curious, she turned on the morning news while sipping her coffee. The financial segment flashed a breaking story: Caldwell-Morrison Wealth Management under federal investigation for massive embezzlement and securities fraud; senior partner Trent Morrison detained for questioning earlier this morning.
Saraphene stared at the television screen in stunned silence, a slow, disbelieving smile spreading across her face. He was gone. The nightmare that had haunted her every waking moment for eight long months had been erased overnight.
At exactly twelve o’clock noon, a sleek black town car pulled up outside her apartment building.
When the driver knocked on her door, he didn't look like a standard moving service employee. He was a professional in a sharp suit who respectfully carried her two suitcases down the stairs and loaded them into the trunk without a word.
He drove her not to a safehouse or a temporary shelter, but to a breathtaking, high-security penthouse apartment occupying the top floor of a gleaming glass skyscraper overlooking the sparkling expanse of Lake Michigan.
The penthouse was a masterpiece of modern architecture—floor-to-ceiling windows, minimalist luxury furniture, white marble accents, and a sprawling private terrace filled with blooming white orchids.
And standing on the terrace, looking out over the city with a cup of black coffee in his hand, was Selian Ashford.
As the private elevator doors chimed and opened directly into the penthouse foyer, Selian turned around. He wore a crisp white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, looking effortlessly handsome against the backdrop of the Chicago skyline.
He set his coffee cup down on a glass table and walked toward her.
“Welcome home, Saraphene,” Selian said softly, stopping just a few inches away.
Saraphene looked around the breathtaking apartment, then back up into those familiar, piercing gray eyes. The lingering fear that had lived inside her chest for nearly a year finally dissolved completely, replaced by a profound, radiant peace.
She stepped forward, closing the remaining distance between them, and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face against his chest. Selian’s arms came around her instantly, holding her close, strong and unyielding.
“You really did it,” she whispered against his shirt, a quiet laugh escaping her lips. “You cleared the board.”
“I told you,” Selian murmured, pressing a gentle, lingering kiss into the dark waves of her hair. “I am very good at solving problems. Especially the ones that threaten the people I care about.”
Saraphene pulled back slightly, looking up into his face with a bright, genuine smile that reached her eyes for the first time in years.
“And what problem are you going to solve next, Mr. Ashford?” she teased gently.
Selian’s lips curved into a slow, warm smile, his gray eyes dancing with quiet amusement and deep affection.
“Next,” he said, pulling her just a fraction closer, “I’m going to take you out for a proper dinner—somewhere where no one will ever dare interrupt us.”
And as the afternoon sun poured golden light across the magnificent penthouse, Saraphene knew that her running was finally, wonderfully over.
May you like
---
*What do you think of Selian’s swift and ruthless justice against Saraphene's stalker, and did you love their happy ending?*
