Chapter 8 - The Return to the Penthouse
One rainy evening, exactly one year to the day since Abby had first walked into the penthouse with her feather duster, Julian invited her up to the master suite under the guise of reviewing a new set of architectural blueprints.
Abby walked into the bedroom, expecting maps and blueprints spread across the mahogany dresser.
Instead, there was no paper.
Sitting on the dresser, exactly where the cash had been a year ago, was a small, velvet-lined box. And resting beside it was Pearl—the battered, beloved feather duster, polished and mounted on a custom brass plaque like a work of art.
Julian stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his chin gently on her shoulder.
“What is this?” Abby whispered, her heart pounding against her ribs.
May you like
“A reminder,” Julian murmured softly, his voice thick with emotion. “The day you walked into this room, you proved to me that the world isn't as dark as I thought it was. You saved me from my own cynicism, Abby.”
He reached over, slowly opening the velvet box. Inside lay a breathtaking diamond ring that caught the city lights filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
