One year.
Three hundred and sixty-five days.
It's strange how much life can change in that amount of time.
And stranger still how quickly people adapt to happiness.
A year ago—
Everything felt like a battle.
Every conversation.
Every decision.
Every dream.
Now?
Things were different.
Not perfect.
But real.
And honestly—
That was better.
The city looked beautiful from my office window.
Sunlight reflected off glass buildings.
People hurried through crowded streets below.
Living their lives.
Building their futures.
Just like us.
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
"Come in."
The door opened.
And Adrian walked inside.
Without knocking.
As usual.
Some things never change.
"You're late."
He glanced at his watch.
"I'm early."
"By your standards, maybe."
He smirked.
Then tossed a folder onto my desk.
I looked down.
Immediately recognizing the logo.
Ashford Holdings.
A year ago that would've made my stomach drop.
Now—
It made me smile.
Because Ashford Holdings wasn't the same company anymore.
Not after the investigation.
Not after the truth.
Not after Richard's public admission.
The empire survived.
But it changed.
More transparent.
More accountable.
More honest.
Exactly what Sophia would've wanted.
"Board meeting starts in thirty minutes."
Adrian reminded me.
I nodded.
Then looked out the window again.
A year.
Richard spent most of it rebuilding trust.
Elena joined the company.
Much to everyone's surprise.
Especially Richard's.
Victor Kane finally received the recognition he'd deserved decades earlier.
And for the first time—
Old enemies stopped acting like enemies.
Not friends.
But no longer enemies.
Progress.
My phone buzzed.
One message.
Her.
I smiled instantly.
Where are you?
I typed back.
Working.
The response came immediately.
Wrong answer.
I laughed.
Then another message appeared.
Come outside.
Now I was curious.
A few minutes later—
I stepped outside the building.
And immediately froze.
Because she was standing there.
Smiling.
And looking way too pleased with herself.
"What are you doing here?"
She grinned.
"Kidnapping you."
"That's illegal."
"Only if you complain."
I laughed.
God.
I missed this.
The easy conversations.
The simple moments.
The life we almost never got.
She took my hand.
"Come on."
"Where?"
"You'll see."
Which usually meant trouble.
An hour later—
We stood overlooking the ocean.
The same coastline where we'd once talked about impossible futures.
The same place where everything felt uncertain.
Not anymore.
The wind moved through her hair.
Sunlight danced across the water.
And suddenly—
I understood why she'd brought me here.
Because this place represented a promise.
A future.
A choice.
She smiled softly.
"What are you thinking about?"
I looked at the ocean.
Then at her.
"The first time we came here."
She laughed.
"We were a disaster."
"A complete disaster."
"Absolutely."
We both smiled.
Then silence settled between us.
Comfortable silence.
The best kind.
Finally—
I reached into my pocket.
Her eyes widened immediately.
Because she knew.
Of course she knew.
I dropped to one knee.
For a second—
She stopped breathing.
So did I.
Then I pulled out a small ring.
Simple.
Beautiful.
Perfect.
"One year ago we were fighting for a future."
My voice shook slightly.
"Today we get to choose one."
Tears filled her eyes instantly.
And honestly—
Mine too.
"I love you."
A pause.
"I always will."
Another pause.
"Will you marry me?"
The answer came before I even finished asking.
"Yes."
Immediate.
Certain.
Perfect.
She laughed through tears.
Then pulled me up and kissed me.
The ocean stretched endlessly behind us.
The future stretched endlessly ahead.
And for the first time—
There were no secrets left.
No wars.
No lies.
Only love.
Only hope.
Only tomorrow.
And somewhere—
I like to think Sophia was smiling.
Because after everything—
The people she cared about finally found their happy ending.