Chapter 10 - The Open RoadThree weeks later, the Sunrise Diner was closed for "extensive plumbing and electrical renovations."
In reality, the building had been purchased by a shell corporation, completely gutted, and rebuilt from the ground up into a sleek, high-end bistro—though the original neon diner sign out front remained untouched, gleaming brightly against the Chicago evening sky.
Outside, parked along the curb, was a brand-new, matte-black luxury sedan.
Emma Carter stepped out of the diner wearing a crisp white chef's jacket, wiping her hands on a clean cloth. Her back didn't ache anymore. Her mother’s medical charts were pristine, her home was paid off, and her bank account had enough zeros to buy half the county.
Yet, she still carried her canvas shoulder bag. And inside it, resting right beside a brand-new set of digital diagnostics tools, was her father’s heavy silver wrench with the initials J.C.
A familiar black SUV pulled up to the curb. The tinted window rolled down, revealing Luca Romano in a crisp white shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, looking more relaxed than he had in a decade.
"Car trouble?" Emma asked, leaning against the diner window with a smirk.
Luca smiled, stepping out onto the sidewalk. He walked over to her, pulling a small, velvet-lined box from his pocket and snapping it open.
Inside wasn't money. It wasn't an invoice. It was a single, heavy diamond ring shaped like an adjustable wrench.
"My battery light just came on," Luca said softly, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement. "And I was wondering if you’d be willing to sign a lifetime contract for maintenance."
May you like
Emma looked at the ring, then up into his eyes. She reached out, taking his hand, and pulled him down into a long, slow kiss right there on the Chicago sidewalk as the evening traffic hummed past.
"Only," Emma whispered against his lips, "if I'm the one holding the wrench."
