Chapter 31 - The Ultimate Equation
Adrian paused his hands on my ankles, looking up at me with a serious, thoughtful expression.
"If I had hired a traditional firm, they would have looked at the ledgers, found the discrepancies Vance planted, and reported them to the federal authorities," Adrian answered honestly. "The company would have entered a ten-year legal purgatory, my board would have mutinied, and I probably would have spent the rest of my life fighting off federal indictments in a federal courtroom."
He reached up, gently brushing a stray lock of hair away from my face.
"You didn't just audit my books, Mara," he continued, his voice dropping into a raw, intense sincerity. "You saved my life. You pulled me out of the machine before it crushed me."
I reached out, placing my hand over his heart, feeling the steady, powerful beat beneath his shirt. "We saved each other."
Midnight arrived with a cool, steady breeze sweeping across the Chicago rooftops, carrying the distant scent of the lake and the timeless energy of the sleepless metropolis. We stepped out together onto the outdoor stone terrace of the penthouse, wrapped in a heavy wool blanket, looking out over the glittering galaxy of lights stretching from the Loop to the northern suburbs.
"Ready for tomorrow?" Adrian whispered, his lips brushing my ear as his arms tightened securely around my waist.
May you like
I looked up into his striking green eyes, which shone with the reflection of a million city lights and an eternity of promise.
"Mr. Cross," I answered with a radiant, confident smile, leaning up to kiss him deeply. "I was born ready."
