Chapter 5 - THE MORNING AFTERThe morning sun rose over Seattle, painting the sky in brilliant shades of amber and gold.
Inside the penthouse, the atmosphere was transformed. A massive spread of breakfast pastries, fresh fruit, and hot coffee sat on the dining table, untouched because David had spent the entire night sitting across from Sarah, talking about their pasts, sharing memories of Clara Silva, and watching Emma sleep peacefully in the guest bedroom.
At 9:00 AM sharp, the penthouse door chimed.
David walked over and opened it. Standing in the hallway was Marcus Vance, David’s chief legal counsel and senior vice president, holding a thick stack of documents.
"Morning, boss," Marcus said briskly, stepping inside. "I handled the apartment situation like you requested. Bought the entire multi-family building from the landlord at market value. Then I personally served the former landlord an eviction notice for tax fraud and structural code violations. He’ll be out by noon."
David smirked. "Good. And the back rent owed by Ms. Silva?"
"Cleared, receipted, and converted into a permanent lifetime trust fund for her and her daughter, fully financed by Vance Holdings."
Sarah walked out of the hallway, her eyes wide as she heard Marcus’s words. She had washed her face, brushed her hair, and put on a clean sweater David had had a personal shopper deliver at 7:00 AM. Without the exhaustion and despair weighing her down, Sarah looked striking—intelligent, dignified, and fiercely beautiful.
"David, you didn't have to buy a whole building," Sarah said, her voice laced with disbelief.
May you like
"Your mother gave me her last twenty dollars when we had nothing," David said softly, stepping closer to her. "Buying a building is the least I can do to pay the interest on a debt I’ve owed for twenty-four years."
Marcus cleared his throat loudly, smirking. "Ah. Well. I’ll leave the property deeds on the kitchen island. Let me know if you need anything else, boss." He winked at David and quickly let himself out.
