Chapter 237

Six months later. Early summer.

The morning in Empire City was crisp and fresh. Sunlight filtered through sheer curtains into Jessica's bedroom.

A doorbell woke her up. She shuffled to the door, still half-asleep, and peeked through the peephole to see a delivery man.

"Ms. Sheng, your package."

Jessica signed for it and carried the small, elegant box back to the living room. It was light, with clean, simple packaging and no sender information.

She opened it. Inside was an antique bronze key and a handwritten card.

She recognized the handwriting immediately. Her heart tightened.

Jessica,

Do you remember, three years ago, when you said you wanted your own research studio?

Do you remember saying your favorite thing was watching stars from inside a glass greenhouse?

Do you remember saying that champagne roses mean "falling in love with you is the greatest happiness of my life"?

I remember.

I spent these six months turning those memories into something real.

If you're willing, come see what I've prepared for you.

If not, consider this my final goodbye.

Whatever you decide, I'll respect it.

This is the last love I have to give.

Address: Maple Hill Estate.

— Stanley

Jessica held the card, her fingers trembling slightly.

Maple Hill.

The name unlocked a buried memory. Three years ago, when they were still together, they'd taken a weekend drive through the countryside and passed an abandoned estate. It was dusk, and the setting sun had turned the whole maple grove gold and red — breathtaking.

She'd leaned against the car window and said offhandedly, "If I ever retire, I want to build a studio somewhere quiet like this. Fill it with roses and just do research every day."

Stanley had said "mm-hmm" and kept driving.

She'd figured he wasn't even listening.

But now...

Jessica stared at the key in her hand, torn.

Over these six months, Stanley really hadn't bothered her. No showing up outside her office, no late-night calls, not even work emails that crossed any lines. She'd thought he had moved on.

She never imagined he'd been quietly working on this the whole time.

Jessica got dressed, grabbed her car keys, and left.

She needed to see it for herself.

Not because she was softening — but because she needed an answer.

---

An hour later, Jessica arrived at the foot of Maple Hill.

The winding mountain road was lined with maple trees already budding with fresh green leaves, glimmering in the morning light.

When the estate came into view, she slammed on the brakes.

Was this really the run-down old place she remembered?

In front of her stood a beautifully restored French-style manor — creamy white walls, dark gray roof, climbing roses in full bloom, their soft pink-white flowers swaying in the morning breeze.

The iron gate was left half-open, as if waiting for her.

Jessica got out of the car and used the key to open the gate.

The moment she stepped through, she was speechless.

The front garden was filled with champagne roses, all in peak bloom. The golden-pink flowers opened wide in the sunlight, and the air was thick with their sweet fragrance.

She walked slowly toward the main building and pushed open the heavy oak door.

The ground floor was an open research studio, equipped with top-of-the-line gear — high-performance computer clusters, holographic projection systems, smart lab benches. Every piece of equipment was industry-leading, but the space felt warm rather than cold.

Her favorite abstract paintings hung on the walls. A cozy lounge area sat in the corner. There was even a small kitchen with a coffee machine and the exact tea set she loved.

The second floor was a library.

When Jessica pushed open that door, she nearly cried.

An entire wall of shelves, over ten thousand books — every classic and latest publication in her research field. And more: literary works, art books, and philosophy titles she'd once mentioned in interviews.

Next to the shelves was a reading nook with the leather armchair she loved most, a floor lamp, and a small side table.

The third floor was a glass greenhouse.

Jessica stepped inside and stopped cold.

The entire floor had been converted into a 360-degree stargazing greenhouse. The ceiling and all four walls were made of specially treated transparent glass — blue skies and clouds by day, a full sky of stars by night.

The space held comfortable lounge chairs, a telescope, and a small bar stocked with her favorite wine and snacks.

In the corner stood a piano — a Steinway concert grand, its black finish glowing softly in the sunlight.

Jessica walked over, lifted the key cover, and found a photograph resting on the keys.

It was her, three years ago, sitting at a piano, her face turned slightly toward the camera, a faint smile on her lips.

She couldn't hold it back anymore. Tears rolled down her face.

"You came."

A familiar voice came from behind her.

Jessica turned around. Stanley was standing in the greenhouse doorway.

He'd lost a lot of weight. Gone was the sharp-suited, commanding CEO image. He wore a simple white shirt and casual pants, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his forearms relaxed at his sides.

His eyes were soft and anxious — like a child waiting to hear a verdict.

"You... all of this..." Jessica choked, unable to finish a sentence.

"This is everything I've put into these six months." Stanley walked slowly toward her, keeping a careful distance. "I know you don't need my money, my power, or my promises. So I thought — maybe what you need is a place where you can just be yourself."

He reached into his pocket and held out a document. "This is the title transfer for the estate. Legally, it's already yours."

Jessica took it, her hands shaking.

"And this." He produced another document. "The Jessica Innovation Fund — fifty million dollars dedicated to supporting women in tech entrepreneurship. Every decision is yours. I won't interfere."

Jessica stared at the two documents as tears kept falling.

"Whether or not you give me another chance, this place is yours," Stanley said, looking at her steadily. "You can use it as a research base, a vacation home, or sell it outright — I'm not using any of this to trap you."

He took a deep breath, his eyes reddening. "The best thing I ever did in my life was fall in love with you. The worst thing I ever did was love you the wrong way. If I could go back, I would—"

"Stop." Jessica cut him off, tears streaming down her face.

Stanley froze, bracing for rejection.

"If I could go back, I wouldn't choose to never have met you." Her voice broke. "Because without those three years of marriage, I wouldn't be who I am today. Without that pain, I never would have learned what real strength feels like."

She stepped toward him and raised her hand, gently touching his back. Through the thin fabric of his shirt, she could feel the outline of the scar.

"You said the best thing you ever did was fall in love with me..." Jessica's voice trembled. "Then the bravest thing I ever did was loving you, leaving you, and then..."

She paused, a quiet smile forming at the corner of her mouth. "Deciding to give you one more chance."

Stanley looked up sharply, his eyes full of disbelief. "Jessica, you..."

"I'm not forgiving you." Jessica said it plainly. "I'm forgiving myself. For the times I was weak. For the times I was blind. And for still loving you — even now."

She took a slow breath and spoke clearly, one word at a time: "But I have conditions."

"Tell me." Stanley's voice was urgent. "Whatever they are, I'll agree."

"First — we start over. Not with marriage. With normal dating." She looked him in the eye. "I need to get to know you again, and you need to get to know me."

"Okay."

"Second — I need time to rebuild trust." Her tone turned serious. "That could take a long time. You need to be ready for that."

"I'll wait." Stanley didn't hesitate. "As long as it takes."

"Third..." Her gaze sharpened. "If you disappoint me again, I will disappear so completely you'll never find me. That's not a threat. It's a promise."

"I swear." Stanley nodded, his voice thick. "On my life — I will never disappoint you again."

He slowly opened his arms, like he was asking permission.

Jessica hesitated for a few seconds, then stepped into them.

Stanley held her tight, and his tears finally broke free. He whispered against her ear, "Thank you... thank you for giving me another chance... I'll spend the rest of my life proving you made the right choice."

Jessica leaned into his shoulder and closed her eyes.

She could feel Stanley's heartbeat — strong, steady, full of life.

This time, it wasn't possession. It wasn't obsession. It was two people who had been through death, betrayal, and pain, choosing to heal each other.

In the sunlight over the rose estate, champagne roses swayed in the breeze, and the air was sweet with their fragrance.

At the gate, Stella and William stood watching the two figures embracing inside the glass greenhouse.

"Grandpa, Stanley finally..." Stella's eyes were wet.

William put a hand on his granddaughter's shoulder, his own eyes glistening. "He spent three years making mistakes and another year making up for them. He earned this."

He turned to leave, his voice quiet. "Come on. Let's not disturb them."

---

One year later.

PineTech went public, its market value surpassing five billion dollars. Smith Corporation's AI division merged deeply with PineTech, and the two companies became the strongest tech alliance in the industry.

Jessica and Stanley didn't rush into marriage. They dated like a normal couple — going on dates, traveling, arguing, making up.

Stanley learned to respect Jessica's independence and stopped using love as an excuse to control her. Jessica gradually let her guard down and learned to trust again the man who had once hurt her.

Martin was thriving running Eldoria's overseas markets and occasionally sent Jessica work updates by email.

Lydia was convicted of commercial fraud and sentenced to five years in prison. Moore Corporation collapsed entirely.

Kaelen's daughter received a successful bone marrow transplant, funded by the medical assistance fund Jessica had quietly set up through PineTech. She was recovering well.

Jessica never announced the fund publicly. She just did what she believed was right.

On Jessica's 30th birthday, the glass greenhouse at the rose estate was filled with soft starlight.

Stanley got down on one knee again, the pink diamond ring in his hand.

"Jessica." He looked at her with quiet intensity. "This time I won't say 'everything I own is yours,' because you don't need it. And I won't say 'I'll protect you with my life,' because you're stronger than I am."

He paused.

"I just want to ask — will you let me spend the rest of my life by your side, supporting you, and growing into a better person with you?"

Jessica looked at this man — eyes full of certainty and nerves all at once — and thought about everything they had walked through together.

Three years of a broken marriage had taught her to stand on her own.

This past year of starting over had made them both better.

She held out her hand and let Stanley slide the ring onto her finger. A calm, peaceful smile spread across her face.

"Yes."

Outside the glass greenhouse, a sky full of stars bore witness to a promise that had taken far too long to arrive.

This time, there were no regrets. No settling. Just two people, with open hearts, choosing each other.

The End