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Roxanne

T he sun is setting, casting a golden glow across the city skyline, and I watch it from the window of Leonard’s office, where we’ve stood side by side through some of our hardest days.

It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed since those turbulent times, yet here we are, stronger and more in sync than ever.

I smile, feeling a sense of peace settle over me, a peace we’ve fought hard for.

Leonard steps up beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist. “What’s on your mind?” he asks, his voice low and warm.

“Just thinking about how far we’ve come,” I say, leaning into him. “Everything we’ve built together.”

He presses a soft kiss to my temple, and I feel the familiar surge of warmth that comes whenever he’s close.

We’ve been through hell and back and faced scrutiny from every corner of the world, but we never lost sight of each other—or our shared vision.

Even in the worst moments, when the world seemed determined to break us, Leonard was a constant, just as he is now.

Rebuilding his reputation after Oliver’s betrayal wasn’t easy.

We lost clients, faced endless media speculation, and sometimes wondered if we’d ever fully recover.

But Leonard never faltered. His belief in what we were doing, his commitment to helping people, was unshakable.

And with every step, he proved to the world—and to me—that he was exactly the man I’d thought he was.

Now, looking around at his office, filled with the signs of his accomplishments and our shared achievements, I feel a fierce pride in everything we’ve done. Not just in the empire we’ve rebuilt but in the love we’ve nurtured, in the partnership we’ve forged.

“I never thought I’d find this,” I admit, my voice barely more than a whisper.

He pulls back slightly, studying my face. “Find what?”

“This…” I gesture around us. “This life. This love. A place where I belong, where we create something meaningful every day.”

Leonard’s smile softens, and he lifts a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “You belong here, Roxanne. And you’ve made this place what it is, just as much as I have.”

It still feels surreal, sometimes, to hear him say things like that.

I never wanted to find love. If anything, I’d been determined to follow my own path.

But meeting Leonard, working with him, seeing his passion, his vision—somewhere along the way, I stopped seeing him as just a partner.

He became my anchor, my safe harbor, and together, we created something even more powerful than I could have imagined.

“We’re doing it, aren’t we?” I ask, my gaze drifting back to the city lights. “We’re making a real difference.”

“We are,” he says, pride evident in his voice. “And it’s only the beginning. I’ve been thinking about expanding the safety surveillance program we started last year, maybe bringing it to a few more cities.”

I turn to him, excitement sparking. “Really? That could be huge.” I pressed for that—a public surveillance system to make the streets safer, especially for women.

He nods, his eyes bright with the same fire I saw in him from the start. “It could be. And with you by my side, I know it’s possible. I think we’ve shown people that we’re serious about this, that we’re here for more than just profit.”

We’ve spent years proving ourselves, not just to the public, but to each other.

The fallout from Oliver’s betrayal had cast a shadow over everything, and there were days when I wondered if it would ever truly clear.

But Leonard never gave up, and that unwavering strength gave me the courage to stay focused, even when things seemed bleakest.

“Do you ever wonder,” I ask, my voice soft, “what he would think? About where we are now?”

Leonard’s face darkens slightly, and he lets out a sigh. “Sometimes. But then I remind myself that Oliver made his choices. He lost his way. And in the end, we had to move on.”

I nod, understanding. There are still days when I feel sad, remembering the friend Leonard lost and the dreams they once shared.

But we’ve found our peace, and I know that where he is now, he no longer holds power over us.

We’ve reclaimed our lives, rebuilt from the ashes, and turned our shared vision into something even more beautiful.

“Hey,” Leonard says, drawing me back to the present. “No more looking back, okay? No more sad faces.”

I smile, nodding. “You’re right. We’ve come too far to waste time sulking.”

He takes my hand, intertwining our fingers, and we stand there in comfortable silence, watching the last light of the day fade.

It’s a simple moment, yet it feels like everything.

It’s our special ritual, the one we’ve shared every night since we started working together years ago.

We stand here, tall and proud of what we overcame and basking in the strength of our relationship that helped us withstand the storm.

Without that, we wouldn’t be here right now.

The sound of his phone buzzing breaks the quiet, and he gives me an apologetic look. “Probably another press inquiry.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “You know, for someone who’s cleared his name completely, you still seem to be the media’s favorite topic.”

He chuckles, rolling his eyes. “Guess I’m just irresistible.”

I raise an eyebrow, pretending to consider. “You might have a point.”

He squeezes my hand, and I feel a rush of warmth that’s as familiar as it is thrilling. Every day with Leonard feels like a new adventure, a new chance to deepen the life we’re building together. We’ve gone through more than most couples ever do, yet somehow, we’re still here, stronger than ever.

“Let’s get out of here,” he says suddenly, his eyes alight with mischief. “It’s been a long day, and I think we deserve a night off.”

I raise an eyebrow, playing along. “Oh? And what do you have in mind, Mr. Walton?”

He leans in, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “You’ll have to trust me.”

And I do. More than anyone else in my life, I trust him. So I let him lead me out of the office, feeling a sense of exhilaration building as we step into the elevator together, hand in hand, ready to embrace whatever the night holds.

As the doors close, I catch one last glimpse of the city lights.

I know there will be more challenges ahead, more moments when we’ll have to fight to hold onto everything we’ve worked for.

But standing here, next to Leonard, I feel ready for anything.

We’ve already faced the worst—and we came out the other side stronger, together.

Whatever the future holds, I know one thing for certain: as long as we’re together, there’s nothing we can’t overcome.