Chapter 14 - THE DINNER WHERE EVERYONE HAD A PLACE
Two years after Claire first approached Adrian at the Grand Meridian, he hosted a family dinner.
Not at a luxury restaurant.
At his home.
Olivia arrived with her husband.
Margaret came with Claire.
Several close friends joined them.
The dining room was warm.
The table was crowded.
And the kitchen smelled of rosemary and tomatoes.
Adrian had spent the afternoon learning to make Eleanor's soup.
Claire watched him stir the pot.
“You're doing it wrong.”
He frowned.
“How?”
“Too much salt.”
He sighed.
“My mother used to say that.”
Claire laughed.
“Then she was right.”
Adrian smiled.
At dinner, everyone sat together.
Olivia raised her glass.
“To family.”
Margaret signed the words.
Adrian repeated them.
Claire smiled.
And for the first time, the billionaire's dining room felt less like a place for negotiations and more like a home.
After dinner, Olivia approached Adrian.
“Dad?”
He froze.
She smiled.
“Can you pass the bread?”
Adrian stared.
Then laughed through tears.
“Of course.”
May you like
He handed her the basket.
And for the rest of the evening, he couldn't stop smiling.
