Chapter 19 - Closure and a New Ring
The final check to pay off Marcus's debt to Elena was cleared on a Tuesday.
Elena received the notification on her phone while sitting in a board meeting.
She looked at the digital receipt, feeling a sense of absolute closure.
The amount was small change to her now, but it represented total victory.
She forwarded the confirmation to her father with a single heart emoji.
Richard replied instantly: "The trash is officially taken out."
Elena closed her phone and turned her attention back to her multi-million dollar presentation.
She was no longer the naive girl who wanted to buy love with generosity.
She was a titan in her industry, completely untouchable.
That weekend, David proposed to her on a private beach in Malibu.
He offered her a simple, elegant ring that he bought with his own money.
"I don't need your wealth, Elena, I just need you," David said softly.
Elena cried tears of pure joy and said yes immediately.
May you like
This time, there would be no grand, fake wedding.
Just real love, built on absolute respect and equality.
