Page 94

“Maybe.” I lean into him, playing with my ring, still getting used to its weight on my finger. “But I kind of like our story. Corporate drama, rubber duck revolutions, and all.”

“Speaking of corporate drama...” He grins, the expression boyish and carefree in a way I rarely saw before we found our way back to each other. “You still have to finish that quarterly review presentation.”

“Actually...” I pull out my tablet, earning a laugh from him. “The numbers are even better than what I was going to show before you hijacked my meeting.”

“Only you would be thinking about efficiency reports at your engagement party.”

“Says the CEO who proposed during a board meeting.”

He kisses my temple, his lips lingering. “Ready for our adventure tomorrow?” he whispers, his breath warm against my skin.

“Riomaggiore won’t know what hit it,” I whisper back, smiling at the thought of colorful buildings perched on cliffs and crystal blue waters waiting for us.

Looking around at our merged families, our dedicated team, and all the people who believed in us even when we weren’t brave enough to believe in ourselves, I know he’s right.

We are perfect for each other.

In every way that matters.

I think about everything it took to get here—the almost-moments and missed chances, the professional challenges and personal growth, the willingness to risk comfort for possibility. The journey from a nervous analyst with revolutionary ideas to a division head and fiancée of the CEO I once thought untouchable.

“I love you,” I whisper. “Even when you’re being magnificently magnificent.”

“I love you too.” His smile is soft, and those eyes that once intimidated me are now filled with a warmth I get to call mine. “Chaos and all.”

Across the room, Sophie raises her glass in a toast, somehow managing to look both smug and genuinely happy. “To Emma and Lucas! Who taught us all that the best innovations happen when tradition and revolution work together.”

“To finding patterns others miss,” Natalie adds with a knowing smile.

“To rubber ducks and lucky pens,” calls Miles, earning a laugh from the team.

“To taking risks on people worth believing in,” the chairwoman offers, her usual reserve softened by the occasion.

Lucas’s arm tightens around me as he raises his glass to join the toast. “To us,” he says simply. “And all the adventures we’ll share.”

As glasses clink and congratulations flow, I lean into the man who saw both the analyst and the woman, who challenges me professionally and supports me personally, who makes every moment better just by being part of it.

We’ve come full circle, from that first sustainability proposal to building a future together. And I can’t wait to see what we’ll discover next.

Together.