Chapter 9 - The Office With No Locked Door
One year later, Elena Marlowe stood outside a walnut-paneled office on the thirty-second floor.
She knocked.
“Come in.”
She opened the door.
Adrian looked up from his desk.
His expression immediately softened.
“Ms. Marlowe.”
“Mr. Vale.”
“You’re late.”
“I own the company.”
“Twenty-six percent.”
“Enough to be late.”
Elena smiled.
A brass sign outside read:
MARLOWE FORENSIC & ETHICS GROUP
After the Vale scandal, Elena had left Corwin.
Six former auditors followed her.
Then twelve.
Then thirty.
Her firm specialized in forensic accounting, whistleblower protection and corporate fraud investigations.
Vale Meridian became its first major client.
Adrian had refused any discount.
Elena had charged him extra for being difficult.
Their professional arguments became legendary.
Their personal arguments were worse.
They had also become very happy.
Adrian no longer ran the shadow organization his family had maintained for generations.
Dismantling it had taken months.
Some men walked away.
Others went to prison.
A few threatened him.
Marcus handled those conversations.
Legally, he repeatedly emphasized.
Thomas moved back to Chicago.
Father and daughter rebuilt their relationship slowly.
Not perfectly.
Elena still became angry about lost years.
Thomas never asked her to pretend they had not happened.
That was why healing became possible.
Dominic was awaiting trial on enough charges to ensure he would likely never walk free again.
Adrian rarely mentioned him.
Some chapters deserved to end.
Elena entered Adrian’s office carrying lunch.
He frowned.
“What?”
“You brought food.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Humans traditionally eat it.”
“You’re being suspiciously pleasant.”
She placed the bag down.
“Maybe I love you.”
“That has never prevented you from being irritating.”
“True.”
She sat on his desk.
Adrian looked at her.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re staring.”
“Yes.”
A year had not changed that.
Elena wore glasses and a cream blouse, her brown curls loose around her shoulders.
Adrian still looked at her like the night he had found her asleep in his archive.
Except now she knew what was behind the stare.
She smiled.
“Remember when you accused me of breaking into your office?”
“You did break into my office.”
“I had authorization.”
“From a dead woman.”
“Administrative complication.”
He laughed.
Elena became serious.
“I have something for you.”
She handed him an envelope.
Adrian opened it.
Inside was a key.
He frowned.
“What is this?”
“My apartment.”
“You gave me a key months ago.”
“Old apartment.”
Adrian looked up.
She handed him a brochure.
A house.
Lincoln Park.
Brick exterior.
Small garden.
Large kitchen.
Adrian stared.
“You bought a house?”
“I made an offer.”
“Why?”
Elena suddenly looked nervous.
That was rare.
“Because your penthouse is ridiculous.”
“I sold the penthouse.”
“Your current condo is slightly less ridiculous.”
“Thank you.”
“And…”
She stopped.
Adrian stood.
“And?”
“I thought maybe we could live there.”
He stared.
“Together?”
“No, Adrian. I thought you could occupy the attic on alternate weekends.”
He smiled.
Then she noticed something.
He was nervous too.
“Why are you acting strange?”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m not.”
“Adrian.”
He sighed.
Then reached into his desk.
Elena froze.
A small box.
“Oh.”
Adrian walked around the desk.
“Your timing has ruined approximately three weeks of planning.”
She covered her mouth.
He opened the box.
The ring was elegant.
Not enormous.
He knew her.
“I spent most of my life locking doors,” Adrian said.
Elena’s eyes filled.
“Offices. Houses. Cars. Relationships.”
She laughed softly.
“Then one night, I opened the most secure room I owned and found a woman sleeping on my sofa surrounded by evidence that my entire life was a lie.”
“I was tired.”
“You were trespassing.”
“Authorization.”
“Dead woman.”
“Continue.”
Adrian smiled.
“You walked into everything I was trying to hide.”
His voice softened.
“And somehow you became the first person I never wanted to hide from.”
Elena was crying now.
“Will you marry me?”
She stared at him.
Adrian waited.
Ten seconds.
Twenty.
“Elena?”
She wiped her eyes.
“I’m enjoying this.”
His expression became horrified.
“You’re enjoying what?”
“Watching the terrifying Adrian Vale panic.”
“You are cruel.”
“A little.”
“Elena.”
She laughed.
“Yes.”
He stopped.
“Yes?”
“Yes.”
Adrian kissed her.
Then the office door opened.
Marcus entered carrying folders.
He stopped.
Looked at the ring.
Then at Adrian.
“Finally.”
Adrian stared.
“You knew?”
Marcus shrugged.
“I bought the ring.”
Elena turned.
“You chose this?”
“No. He chose it. I physically collected it because he went to the jewelry store three times and left without speaking to anyone.”
Elena looked at Adrian.
The feared Adrian Vale.
Former kingmaker of Chicago’s criminal underworld.
Unable to talk to a jeweler.
She laughed so hard she had to sit down.
Adrian pointed at Marcus.
“You’re fired.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Leave.”
Marcus smiled.
“Congratulations.”
After he left, Elena looked at her fiancé.
“You went three times?”
“We’re never discussing this.”
“Oh, we’re discussing it for the rest of our lives.”
Adrian groaned.
She kissed him.
Outside the windows, Chicago glittered.
The city had once represented everything Adrian controlled.
Now it represented something else.
A place where he was allowed to simply live.
Elena rested her forehead against his.
“One condition.”
“Anything.”
“No locked office in the new house.”
Adrian considered it.
“What about a study?”
“Unlocked.”
“Safe?”
“Allowed.”
“Archive?”
“No.”
He sighed.
“You negotiate aggressively.”
“I investigate inconsistencies.”
May you like
Adrian smiled.
“I remember.”
