Chapter 13: The Blueprint of Us
That evening, the penthouse of Vance Coastal Dynamics was quiet, insulated from the chaos of the city below.
Evelyn stood by the drafting table in her office, looking over the blueprints for their next massive acquisition—a billion-dollar sustainable infrastructure project in Dubai. The ink on the page represented unlimited potential.
Julian walked into the office, discarding his suit jacket onto a leather chair. He walked up behind her, wrapping his strong arms around her waist, pulling her back flush against his chest. He rested his chin on her shoulder, looking at the blueprints.
"The board approved the Dubai expansion," Julian murmured, his breath warm against her neck. "We leave next week to sign the contracts with the royal family."
"They want to see the Lead Architect," Evelyn smiled, leaning back into his embrace, absorbing his heat and strength.
"They want to see the Queen of the Pacific Northwest," Julian corrected softly. "The woman who dismantled an empire and built a better one in its place."
Julian turned her slowly in his arms. The playful, dark intensity in his eyes was replaced by something much deeper, something profound and absolute.
"When I saw you standing in the rain that night, holding those blueprints," Julian said, his voice dropping into a rough, emotional register, "I knew you were brilliant. I knew you were fierce. But I didn't know you were going to become my entire world."
Evelyn’s breath hitched. "Julian..."
"I don't want to just build cities with you, Evelyn," Julian whispered fiercely, his hands cupping her face. "I want to build a life. I want to build a legacy. I want to spend every single day making sure you know exactly how worshipped you are."
He dropped to one knee.
May you like
Right there, in the center of the office that overlooked the empire they had built together, Julian Vance pulled a small, velvet box from his pocket. He opened it, revealing a flawless, massive emerald-cut diamond ring that caught the city lights and fractured them into a million brilliant sparks.
"Evelyn Whitmore," Julian said, looking up at her with his entire soul laid bare. "Will you marry me?"
