Chapter 10 - Choosing Peace
Five years later, the Manhattan ballroom of the Plaza Hotel glittered beneath the enormous crystal chandeliers just as it always did.
The annual Harrison Logistics Gala was in full swing. Cameras flashed, champagne flowed, and a jazz quartet played a lively, upbeat swing tune from the corner alcove.
A tall, impeccably dressed man stood near the center of the room, holding a crystal flute of sparkling cider. He wasn't talking about acquisitions, tax brackets, or freight routes. He was laughing as a four-year-old boy in a miniature velvet tuxedo tugged urgently at his trouser leg, demanding to know when the chocolate fountain was going to open.
"Daddy," little Leo said loudly, pointing toward the dessert table. "Mom said I can have strawberries now!"
Daniel knelt down, adjusting the boy's tiny bow tie with practiced ease. "Did she now? Let's go check with your mother first, buddy. We don't want any sugar crashes before bedtime."
From across the room, leaning against a marble pillar, Amy watched them.
She wore a simple, elegant emerald silk gown—the exact same color she had worn five years ago on the night her life had shattered. But the woman standing in the mirror today was entirely different. Her eyes were bright, her smile genuine, her posture radiating a deep, unshakeable confidence.
On her left ring finger, catching the brilliant refracted light of the crystal chandeliers, sat the vintage European-cut diamond engagement ring. It didn't feel heavy anymore. It felt like a promise kept.
Daniel walked over to her, lifting Leo onto his shoulders, and wrapped his free arm around Amy’s waist, pulling her close against his side.
"Everything okay, Mrs. Harrison?" he asked, a familiar, teasing grin touching his lips.
May you like
Amy leaned her head against his shoulder, inhaling the clean scent of cedarwood and salt air. She looked around the glittering ballroom, then smiled up at her husband.
"More than okay," Amy said softly, pressing her hand over his. "We finally found our peace."
