Chapter 19 The Growth
Lara's pov
"Mama! Mama, look!"
I turned from my laptop to see Ethan running toward me with a drawing.
He was two and a half now. All legs and arms and unstoppable energized.
"What did you make, baby?"
"It's us! See? That's you, that's Dada, that's me!"
He pointed at three stick figures. One had yellow scribbles for hair like mine. One was tall like Damien. And one was tiny with a huge smile.
"It's beautiful. Should we hang it in my office?"
"Yes!" He bounced on his toes. "Can I have juice now?"
"Go ask Dada."
He ran off yelling "DADA!" at the top of his lungs.
I smiled and went back to my email.
Subject: Montgomery Tech Featured in Forbes
I opened it.
There I was. My company. My story.
"The Phoenix Rising: How Lara Montgomery Rebuilt Her Empire"
The article called me a disruptor. A visionary. A survivor.
It talked about ethical AI and sustainable technology.
About rebuilding after personal tragedy.
They wanted to do a photoshoot. A cover story.
I closed the email.
No.
No photos. No covers. No putting my face out there for the world to see and for Lucas to also see.
Because I knew he was looking for me.
My PR team had caught wind of inquiries.
Private investigators asking questions.
So I stayed hidden.
Let the company shine and let the work speak for itself.
But kept my face out of it as much as possible.
"Lara?"
I looked up. Jamie was standing in my office doorway.
"The DOD contract came through."
My heart stopped. "What?"
"We got it. Twenty million over three years.
They signed this morning."
I stood up so fast my chair rolled backward.
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious. Legal is reviewing the final documents now but it's done. We got it."
The Department of Defense.
We'd been bidding on that contract for six months.
Up against companies ten times our size.
And we won.
"Oh my God." I pressed my hands to my face. "Oh my God."
"Congratulations, boss."
After Jamie left, I just stood there.
Montgomery Tech was now worth two hundred million dollars.
Two hundred million.
We'd moved into a bigger building last month. Hired fifty employees. Landed contracts with companies I used to only dream about working with.
And now the DOD.
This was real.
This wasn't a small startup anymore.
This was a real company with real power.
I pulled out my phone and called Damien.
"Hey, how's your day?"
"We got the DOD contract."
Silence.
Then: "Lara! That's incredible!"
"Twenty million over three years."
"You're amazing. You know that? You're absolutely amazing."
"I couldn't have done it without you watching Ethan while I worked all those crazy hours."
"Stop. You did this. All you. I'm so proud of you."
My eyes filled with tears.
Two years ago I was sleeping on the street.
Now I was here.
"I love you," I said.
"I love you too. Come home soon. Let's celebrate."
That evening, Damien surprised me.
"Get dressed. Something nice. We're going out."
"What about Ethan?"
"Already called the babysitter. She'll be here in twenty minutes."
"Damien—"
"No arguments. You just landed a twenty million dollar contract. We're celebrating properly."
So I got dressed. Iput on the black dress I'd been saving.
Did my hair and makeup.
When I came downstairs, Damien was in a suit.
He looked so handsome it hurt.
"You clean up nice," I said.
"You're stunning." He kissed me softly.
"Ready?"
The babysitter arrived. We said goodbye to Ethan, who barely noticed because he was too busy playing with his trucks
.
Damien drove us downtown.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
He pulled up to Giovanni's.
The Italian place where we'd had our first real dinner together. Where he'd told me he was there for me.
"We haven't been here in forever," I said.
"I know. Thought it was time to come back."
The hostess led us to a private table in the back.
Candles. Wine. The whole romantic setup.
"This is too much," I said.
"Nothing's too much for you."
We ordered. Talked about everything and nothing.
About Ethan's new words. About the company's growth. About nothing important at all.
It felt normal.
Like we were just a regular couple on a date.
Not a woman who'd survived abuse and a man who'd saved her.
Just... us.
After dessert, Damien got quiet.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yeah. I just... I have something to ask you."
"Okay?"
He stood up.
My heart started pounding.
Then he got down on one knee.
"Oh my God," I whispered.
People at nearby tables started noticing and pointing at us.
Damien pulled out a small box and opened it.
Inside was the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen.
"Lara Montgomery," he said, his voice steady despite the emotion in his eyes.
"One year ago, I asked you to marry me. And you told me to ask again in a year. So here I am, one year later, asking properly."
Tears were already streaming down my face.
"You're the strongest person I know.
You've rebuilt your life from nothing. You're an incredible mother. An amazing businesswoman. And the love of my life. I want to spend forever with you and Ethan. I want more kids and a house full of chaos and growing old together. So... will you marry me?"
I was ugly crying now.
I couldn't even speak.I just nodded over and over.
"Is that a yes?" Damien asked, smiling.
"Yes!" I finally managed. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!"
He slipped the ring on my finger.
It fit perfectly.
Then he stood and kissed me while the entire restaurant applauded.
"I love you so much," I said against his lips.
"I love you too. I love you really much."
We sat back down but I couldn't stop staring at the ring.
It was real.
This was real.
I was getting married.
To the right man this time.
When we got home, Ethan was still awake.
"Mama! Dada!" He ran to us.
"Hey buddy," Damien said. "We have something to tell you."
We sat on the couch with Ethan between us.
"You know how Mama and Dada love each other very much?" I said..
Ethan nodded seriously.
"Well, we're going to have a wedding. That means we're getting married and we'll be a forever family."
"Forever?"
"Forever," Damien confirmed. "Me and Mama and you. Forever and ever."
Ethan thought about this.
Then he broke into the biggest smile.
"Forever family!" he announced. "Mama and Dada getting married!"
He jumped off the couch and ran around the living room yelling "MARRIED! MARRIED! MARRIED!"
Damien and I looked at each other and laughed.
"I think he approves," Damien said.
"I think so too."
After we put Ethan to bed,which took forever because he wouldn't stop talking about the wedding—Damien and I finally had a moment alone.
"Six months," he said. "Let's do it in six months."
"That's fast."
"I've waited long enough. I want you to be my wife."
"Okay. Six months. Small ceremony. Just close friends and family. Nothing fancy."
"Whatever you want."
We planned into the early morning.
The venue. The guest list. What Ethan would wear.
It felt surreal.
Two years ago, I was broken. Lost.
Convinced I'd never be happy again.
Now I was engaged to a man who loved me completely.
Running a company worth two hundred million dollars.
Raising a beautiful, happy son.
Living a life I'd rebuilt from ashes.
Later, lying in bed, I stared at my engagement ring in the dark.
"I did it," I whispered.
"Did what?" Damien mumbled, half asleep.
"I survived. I rebuilt. I won."
He pulled me closer. "You always were a fighter."
"Lucas tried to destroy me."
"But he didn't."
"No," I said softly. "He didn't."
I thought about Lucas sometimes.
Wondered where he was. What he was doing.
If he ever regretted what he did to me.
But mostly, I didn't think about him at all.
Because he didn't matter anymore.
He was my past.
And Damien? Dami
en was my future.
A future I'd chosen.
A future I'd fought for.
A future that was finally, finally mine.
I closed my eyes, Damien's heartbeat steady beneath my ear.
And I fell asleep smiling.
Because I'd done it.
I'd survived the worst and came out stronger.
Lucas couldn't destroy me after all.
Nothing could.
Not anymore.