Chapter 18 - The Eternal Dawn Over Goethe House
The autumn sun rose over Chicago on Sunday morning in a brilliant explosion of amber, gold, and pale blue light, burning away the lingering mist over Lake Michigan.
Down on the street level, the city was waking up to a new week, rushing toward office buildings, subway stations, and coffee shops, entirely unaware of the boardroom wars fought and won in the shadows above. But inside the penthouse suite of Goethe House, the air was filled with a profound, radiant peace.
I stood on the outdoor stone terrace, holding a fresh cup of coffee, watching the golden rays wash over the glass spires of the Loop in the distance.
Adrian stepped out behind me, wearing a tailored charcoal suit, his white shirt open at the collar, holding his own coffee cup. He slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me close against his side as we watched the city come alive beneath us.
"Ready for Monday morning, Chief Auditor?" he asked with a faint, amused smile.
May you like
I looked up at him, my heart swelling with an absolute, unshakeable certainty.
"Mr. Cross," I replied, leaning my head against his shoulder as the morning sun warmed our faces. "Let's show them how an empire is really run."
