Chapter 10 - Courage
The autumn sky was clear and full of stars over the Deerfield River. The workers had all gone home for the weekend, leaving the vast, beautifully restored paper mill peaceful and quiet.
A small fire crackled in a stone fireplace that Claire and Luca had built into the rear brick wall of the second-floor living quarters.
Claire stood on the private wooden balcony overlooking the rushing river below, wearing an oversized knit sweater and leggings, holding a mug of warm apple cider.
Luca stepped out behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her gently against his chest. He rested his chin on her shoulder, breathing in the scent of pine and woodsmoke that clung to her skin.
"What are you thinking about?" Luca whispered in her ear.
"I'm thinking about how different this place looks compared to two weeks ago," Claire said, leaning her head back against his chest. "Two weeks ago, it was an empty, forgotten wreck."
"And now it's a home," Luca said gently.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the velvet ring box.
Claire went quiet. She turned around in his arms, looking at him under the moonlight.
Luca didn't get down on one knee. He didn't make a grand corporate speech. He simply opened the box, revealing the deep green emerald shining under the starlight.
"Three months ago, I gave you this ring because of what it meant to my family," Luca said, his voice deep, clear, and steady. "I thought it proved that you belonged at the head of a table I was proud of."
He took the ring out of the velvet box.
"I was wrong," Luca continued, looking deep into her hazel eyes. "You don't need a table in Newport to be who you are. But I need you, Claire. I need your honesty, your strength, and your courage to remind me who I want to be."
He held the ring between them.
"This stone was bought by a man who had nothing but a hammer and a dream," Luca said. "I want to start over, Claire. No grand estates. No press releases. No corporate mergers. Just you, me, and whatever we build with our own hands."
Claire looked at the emerald stone, then up at the man standing before her.
The polished, untouchable corporate prince of Newport was gone. In his place stood a man with calloused hands, a clear heart, and a spine made of solid granite.
A tear slipped down Claire's cheek—not a tear of sorrow or exhaustion, but of deep, quiet joy.
She held out her left hand.
"Put it on me, Luca," Claire whispered, her voice filled with absolute conviction. "And this time, don't ever take it off."
May you like
Luca slipped the heavy emerald ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.
He reached up, cupping her face in his hands, and pulled her into a deep, slow kiss under the autumn stars. Outside, the Deerfield River rushed endlessly forward over the rocks below—strong, unyielding, and completely free.
