Chapter 10 - The Table of TwentyOne year after that rainy night, the mansion hosted a grand celebration.
The giant dining table—the one that had sat empty and lonely for a decade—was finally packed to absolute capacity. Twenty seats were filled with laughter, clinking glasses, rehabilitated employees, loyal executives, and friends who loved life rather than balance sheets.
At the center of the table sat little Mia, wearing a brand-new yellow dress without a single patch, blowing out the candles on her ninth birthday cake.
Alexander stood up at the head of the table, raising his glass of sparkling cider. The silence of the room turned toward him, filled not with fear or reverence, but with genuine warmth and affection.
"For ten years, I believed that success meant building walls high enough to keep the world out," Alexander spoke, looking around the table at the faces of the people who had brought his soul back to life. "I thought money was armor, and work was an escape. But I was wrong."
He looked down at Mia, who beamed up at him, and then at Maria, who raised her glass in a silent toast.
"True wealth isn't found in bank accounts, corporate acquisitions, or luxury mansions," Alexander continued, his voice steady and full of emotion. "It’s found in the people who sit beside you when the lights go out. To family, to honesty, and to the little girl who walked into my office and taught a giant how to love again."
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"To family!" the entire room cheered in unison.
As the laughter erupted once more, filling the grand mansion with a joy that would never fade again, Alexander Reed smiled. He was finally home.
