Chapter 9 - A New Chapter
Months later, during a family dinner beside the lake, Lily looked at Marcus and asked loudly:
“So are you officially Mommy’s boyfriend yet?”
Allison nearly choked on her water.
Richard hid a smile behind his glass.
Marcus answered with complete seriousness.
“I’ve submitted my application, but your mother still hasn’t approved the promotion.”
Lily sampled the dessert he had brought.
“I vote yes. He brings good desserts and doesn’t make anybody cry.”
Everyone laughed.
Later that night, after Lily had fallen asleep, Allison and Marcus walked along the terrace.
Moonlight reflected across the water.
For Allison, silence no longer felt like a prison.
“Do you ever regret getting involved in such a complicated life?” she asked.
Marcus gently took her hand.
“Before I met you, I had money, companies, and people who did whatever I told them.”
His fingers brushed against the orchid ring.
“But I didn’t have anything I was truly afraid to lose.”
He looked at her.
“Now I do.”
Allison smiled.
“My mother used to say a wild orchid doesn’t need to scream for the world to notice it. It simply blooms quietly, and sooner or later, people see how beautiful it is.”
May you like
Marcus nodded.
“She was right.”
