Chapter 11 - The Baltimore Grand Opening
One year later—October 2026.
The historic waterfront estate in Baltimore—the very property I was flying to buy on the morning I found Rosalind at the airport—had been transformed into the Vance-Park Waterfront Resort & Cultural Center.
Rather than turning it into an exclusive billionaire's playground, we had redesigned the estate into a hybrid luxury hotel and public historic park, featuring local artisan shops, public gardens, and a community arts center.
On the night of the grand opening, the entire harbor was lit with warm, golden lanterns, and live jazz music drifted over the water.
Rosalind and I stood on the upper balcony of the main hotel building, holding glasses of champagne, watching hundreds of guests enjoy the evening below.
Down on the manicured lawn, Leo and Julian—now six years old and growing taller every day—were playing tag with several local children, their loud, joyful laughter echoing over the water.
"Do you remember that morning in Terminal 2?" I asked softly, setting my glass down and pulling Rosalind close against my chest.
"I think about it all the time," Rosalind admitted, resting her head against my shoulder. "I was so tired that day, Christopher. My flight was delayed, my money was running out, and I felt like I had reached the end of my strength."
"And I was complaining about a thirty-five-minute delay that I thought was going to ruin my career," I laughed softly, shaking my head at the memory of my former self. "I was so blind back then."
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"You weren't blind," Rosalind murmured, reaching up to gently touch my face. "You were just waiting for the right flight."
"The best flight of my life," I corrected her, leaning down to kiss her sweet lips.
