Chapter 10: Whispered Promises

"It's getting late," Harmony whispered against Jeremy's lips, though she made no move to pull away. The fairy lights above them twinkled like stars caught in the old oak's branches.

"Five more minutes," Jeremy murmured, his fingers tracing gentle patterns on her back. "London can wait."

A cool breeze rustled through the garden, making Harmony shiver slightly. Jeremy immediately shrugged off his jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders. The gesture was so natural, so protective, it made her heart ache with happiness.

"Such a gentleman," she teased, breathing in his familiar scent that lingered on the jacket.

"Don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to maintain." His smile softened as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Though I'd gladly give you my jacket every day for the rest of our lives."

The weight of those words hung between them, full of promise and possibility. Harmony looked up at him, studying the features she'd first fallen in love with through a screen. "Do you ever wonder," she asked softly, "if this is all happening too fast? Sometimes it feels like a dream I might wake up from."

Jeremy shifted on the swing, turning to face her fully. "Every morning," he admitted, "I wake up expecting to find myself back in London, missing you across an ocean." His thumb traced her cheekbone. "But then I see you, really see you, and everything makes sense. The timing, the distance, even my mother's disapproval – it's all worth it for moments like this."

"Even the board meetings?" she asked, only half-joking.

"Especially those." He pressed his forehead to hers. "Do you know what I think about during those endless video calls? I imagine a future where I'm building something here, something of my own. Not just my family's legacy, but ours. Together."

"Jeremy..." Harmony's voice caught on his name.

"I mean it," he continued, his voice low and intense. "When I'm with you, I don't just see what is. I see what could be. A life we build on our terms, not anyone else's."

Before Harmony could respond, light spilled across the garden as the back door opened.

"Sorry to interrupt," Alex's voice carried across the yard, "but your father's giving me that look that says it's time to wrap things up."

Jeremy groaned softly, resting his forehead against Harmony's. "Tell him I'm kidnapping his daughter."

"I heard that," Mr. Carson called from inside, his tone amused but firm. "And while I appreciate your enthusiasm, some of us have early morning classes to teach."

"He's right," Harmony sighed, standing reluctantly. Jeremy rose with her, keeping their fingers intertwined. "Besides, don't you have that conference call at seven?"

"Don't remind me," Jeremy grimaced. "Though it would be more bearable if I could see you afterward. Coffee at the harbor?"

"It's a date," she smiled, then hesitated. "Unless... your mother—"

"Will have to accept that I can manage both a business and a personal life." His voice was gentle but determined. "You're not something I need to hide, Harmony."

From the shadowy upstairs window, Mara watched them say goodbye. Her hand absently traced the edge of an old photograph – their mother's smiling face captured in happier times. She watched Jeremy kiss Harmony one last time, saw the way her sister practically glowed with happiness.

"Must be nice," she whispered to the empty room, "being the perfect one."

She turned away from the window, catching her reflection in the mirror. Beautiful, everyone said. The pretty Carson sister. But never the smart one, never the accomplished one. Never enough.

Her gaze fell on her laptop, open to a half-finished paper due tomorrow. Another B+ at best, while Harmony's law school applications sat perfectly prepared on her desk downstairs. Always perfect, always ahead.

Mara closed her eyes, trying to shut out the memory of Jeremy's gentle smile, the way he looked at her sister like she hung the moon. Something twisted in her chest – an emotion she wasn't ready to name.

Downstairs, Alex lingered in the kitchen as Jeremy gathered his things. "You're playing with fire, mate," he said quietly. "The board won't wait forever."

"They'll have to," Jeremy replied, shrugging on his coat. "I'm not letting anyone dictate my happiness anymore."

"Even if it costs you everything? The company's not just about profits, Jeremy. It's about the thousands of people who depend on Crawford Technologies for their livelihoods."

Jeremy paused, his hand on the door. "You think I don't know that? Every decision I make, every meeting I miss – I feel the weight of it. But for the first time in my life, I'm choosing something for myself, not for the Crawford name."

"And if the board forces your father's hand? If they start looking at other succession options?"

"Then they'll lose more than they realize." Jeremy's voice was quiet but firm. "I'm not just the heir anymore, Alex. I have ideas, plans for expansion. The Boston market is untapped potential waiting to happen."

"And Harmony? Where does she fit in these plans?"

"She is the plan." Jeremy ran a hand through his hair. "Everything else – the company, the board, even my mother's schemes – they're just obstacles to figure out. But Harmony? She's the destination."

Alex studied his friend's face, seeing both determination and vulnerability there. "Just... be careful. Not everyone will understand what you're choosing. Or why."

In the hallway, Mr. Carson hugged his daughter close. "He's a good man," he said softly. "But the path you're choosing won't be easy."

"I know," Harmony replied, watching Jeremy through the window as he and Alex walked to their cars. "But he's worth it. We're worth it."

"Your mother would have loved him," her father said, and Harmony felt tears prick at her eyes. "She always said love was worth fighting for."

Above them, Mara silently closed her curtains, turning away from the scene below. Her phone lit up with another message from Sarah: "Remember our deal. Everything has a price."

The garden grew quiet as the night deepened. The fairy lights cast shifting shadows across the empty swing, still gently swaying in the breeze. Sometimes the sweetest moments come right before the storm, when hearts are full and guards are down.