Chapter 15 - The Harvest Festival
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Two days later, Nora received a brief, legally binding email confirming the board’s acceptance of her terms. The threat of exposing the Denver acquisition had been enough to terrify them into absolute compliance.
The past was finally, permanently severed.
That weekend, Oakhaven celebrated the Harvest Festival. Main Street was closed to traffic, replaced by stalls selling apple cider, carved pumpkins, and handmade crafts.
Nora walked through the festival with Elias, a profound sense of lightness in her chest. For the first time, she wasn't looking over her shoulder. She wasn't bracing for an impact.
"You did it," Elias said, handing her a cup of hot cider. "You actually beat them."
"We beat them," Nora corrected, taking a sip and letting the warmth spread through her. "I couldn't have done it without Silas’s lawyer, or Margaret’s stubborn refusal to let Hayes intimidate me."
"You belong here, Nora," Elias smiled, looking at her with an intensity that made her breath catch.
"I know," she whispered.
Later that evening, as the festival wound down, the town gathered in the central square for a bonfire. The air was cold, but the fire cast a warm, golden glow over the faces of the people Nora had come to love.
Silas was playing a fiddle near the fire, while Martha danced with Tommy from the garage.
Elias pulled Nora away from the crowd, leading her to a quiet bench near the edge of the square.
He sat beside her, taking her hand.
"Nora," Elias began, his voice unusually serious. "When I found you on that mountain road a year ago, you were terrified. You were running from a ghost."
"I remember," Nora said softly.
"You aren't running anymore," Elias continued, looking deep into her eyes. "You built a life here. You saved this town. And... you saved me, too."
Nora’s heart skipped a beat. "Elias..."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, simple silver ring. It wasn't a massive, ostentatious diamond like the ones Arthur used to flaunt. It was understated, beautiful, and completely authentic.
"I don't have an empire to offer you," Elias said, his voice thick with emotion. "I just have a cabin, a lot of firewood, and a heart that belongs entirely to you. Will you marry me, Nora?"
Nora looked at the ring, then up at the man who had been her anchor in the storm. The man who had never tried to control her, only protect her.
Tears spilled over her eyelashes, but they were tears of absolute joy.
May you like
"Yes," Nora breathed, throwing her arms around his neck. "Yes, Elias. A thousand times, yes."
Elias kissed her fiercely, pulling her close, the warmth of the bonfire illuminating the beautiful, unbreakable future they had built together.
