Chapter 20 - The Legacy
The Rossy Corporation celebrated its most profitable year in history.
On a Friday evening, the office was mostly empty. Chloe sat at her desk, finishing the final quarterly report. The numbers were beautiful. Clean, balanced, and perfect.
Lorenzo walked in, dressed in a sharp overcoat, carrying her heavy winter scarf.
“Time to go home, CFO,” he said, wrapping the scarf gently around her neck.
“Just hitting save,” Chloe said, clicking the mouse. She closed the laptop and stood up.
Together, they walked toward the private elevator.
As they passed Lorenzo’s old desk—the massive black stone slab where she had spilled her entire purse on her first day—Chloe paused.
“Do you remember what I dropped right there?” she asked, pointing to the floor.
“A bright pink gel pen,” Lorenzo smiled. “And a tampon. And three pennies.”
“It feels like a lifetime ago.”
“It was a different life,” Lorenzo agreed. He pressed the elevator button. “A life I’m glad is over.”
The doors opened, and they stepped inside.
As the elevator descended, Chloe looked at the man beside her. He was no longer the feared Sicilian mafia boss who ruled through intimidation. He was a husband, a soon-to-be father, and a legitimate titan of industry.
And she was no longer the desperate, clumsy girl with fifty-three dollars in her checking account.
She had broken the curse of the fortieth floor. She hadn't run from the monster in the dark; she had turned on the lights and realized he wasn't a monster at all. He was just a man waiting for someone brave enough to stay.
The elevator chimed at the lobby.
Matteo was waiting by the doors with an umbrella. “Car is ready, Boss. Mrs. Rossy, watch your step on the ice.”
“Thank you, Matteo,” Chloe smiled, taking Lorenzo’s arm.
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They walked out into the Chicago snowstorm. But this time, Chloe wasn't running away in a panic. She was walking forward, secure, loved, and exactly where she belonged.
The empire was safe. The ledgers were clean. And the clumsy girl had finally found her balance.
