Chapter 6: A Real Birthday Celebration
Julian turned his back on the wreckage and walked back to the service alcove. He looked at Emma, a genuine, profound respect softening his features.
"Emma," Julian said, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a sleek, embossed black business card. "My hospitality division is going to need a new General Director now that I own this flagship. The salary starts at two hundred and fifty thousand a year, full medical benefits for you and your family included."
Emma stared at the card. Her mind raced—her mother’s prescriptions, the unpaid electric bill, the rattling car, the forty-seven dollars in her checking account. It didn't just disappear; it was replaced by a future of absolute security.
Tears welled in her eyes. "Mr. Vance... I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll accept," Julian smiled faintly. "Because anyone who stands up for a lonely old woman when their own livelihood is on the line is exactly the kind of person who deserves to run my company."
"I accept," Emma whispered, wiping a tear.
"Good. Now, your first executive order?" Julian gestured to the restaurant.
Emma looked around, then smiled warmly at Rose. "Clear the table by the fireplace. Bring out the finest vintage champagne, and tell the chef to prepare the white truffle tasting menu. We have a seventy-ninth birthday to celebrate."
May you like
The waitstaff flew into motion. The pianist sat back down, his fingers dancing across the keys, filling the room with a triumphant, beautiful melody.
Julian gently guided his mother to the best seat in the house, with Emma sitting right alongside them as an honored guest. For the rest of the night, the lights of Michigan Avenue twinkled against the glass, no longer looking like ash, but like a canopy of stars celebrating a woman who took up exactly the amount of space she deserved.
