Chapter 9 - THE AFTERMATH IN THE PENTHOUSEBy midnight, the wedding reception had disintegrated into chaos. Guests fled the ballroom in hushed clusters, whispering about the man from supply operations who had dismantled a society groom with three minutes of quiet truth. Julian and Vivian were seen arguing furiously by the valet stand, their fairy-tale beginning ending in a very public, very expensive nightmare.
Back at Adeline’s penthouse overlooking the glittering Columbus skyline, the atmosphere was entirely different.
The private chef had long since departed, leaving behind a warming tray of gourmet dinosaur-shaped pancakes wrapped in foil for the morning.
Rosie was fast asleep in the guest suite upstairs, dreaming of cartoon dinosaurs after spending the evening baking cookies with Adeline’s head of security, who had turned out to be surprisingly skilled at icing sugar stars.
Adeline and Nathan stood on the sprawling outdoor terrace, the cool night breeze lifting their hair. Adeline held a glass of scotch; Nathan held a simple bottle of sparkling water.
“Well,” Nathan said, leaning against the glass railing. “I think that officially breaches our contract terms for ‘not speaking to anyone.’”
Adeline turned her head to look at him, the city lights reflecting in her dark eyes. “You cost me twenty thousand dollars in performance bonuses tonight, Mr. Cole.”
Nathan raised an eyebrow. “Is that an operational penalty?”
“No,” Adeline said softly, stepping closer until the space between them vanished entirely. “That’s a retainer.”
Nathan looked down at her, his usual stoic composure softening into something warm and steady. “A retainer for what?”
“For the rest of my life,” Adeline whispered. “If you’re willing to manage a very complicated supply chain.”
May you like
Nathan smiled, reaching out to gently brush a strand of dark hair away from her cheek—his calloused thumb brushing her skin with a tenderness that no billionaire, senator’s son, or society groom had ever possessed.
“I’ve handled tougher logistics than you, Adeline Cross,” Nathan murmured. “And I always come home.”
