Chapter 15 - The Dawn We Share
One year later.
The sun was just beginning to rise over the Chicago skyline, casting a golden glow across the waters of Lake Michigan.
Clara stood on the balcony of Julian’s penthouse, sipping a cup of perfectly brewed espresso. She wore a silk robe, her accounting degree newly framed and sitting on the desk inside. Leo was asleep in his massive bedroom down the hall, completely healthy, thriving in his private school, and preparing for an upcoming soccer tournament.
The heavy, suffocating weight of survival had finally been lifted from Clara's shoulders. She was no longer a shadow. She was a force to be reckoned with.
A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Julian pressed a soft kiss to her neck, resting his chin on her shoulder as they looked out at the city he had helped build.
"It's 6:12 a.m.," Julian whispered into her ear.
Clara leaned back against his chest, smiling. "Is that right? I used to be down there at this time, scrubbing the lobby floors."
"And I used to be up here," Julian replied, pulling her tighter against him, "wishing I was brave enough to go down and talk to the girl in the scuffed boots."
Clara turned in his arms, wrapping her hands around his neck. The billionaire architect who had everything, and the janitor who had started with nothing, found their perfect balance in each other.
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"You don't have to watch me from a distance anymore," Clara whispered, her eyes shining with absolute love.
"I know," Julian smiled, leaning in to kiss her as the first rays of the morning sun broke over the horizon. "Now, I get to watch every dawn right beside you."
