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"Lily, please, it was a mistake—" he choked out, desperation clawing at his throat.

She turned on her heel and walked toward the glass door. She didn't look back, leaving the brass compass sitting abandoned on the mahogany table.

The door clicked shut, leaving Ethan alone in the boardroom. He stared down at the tarnished compass, the crushing reality of his own betrayal pressing down on him until his knees threatened to buckle. He had thought he could use their past to rebuild their bridge, but Lily had just proven that the foundation was irreparably scorched.

Chapter Seven

Lily

Then

"More roast, darling?"

Margaret beamed from the head of the dining table, passing a glazed porcelain platter down the line. The dining room buzzed with the overlapping chatter of a dozen people. Ethan’s parents’ house always felt like this on Sundays—vibrant and bursting with life. Ethan was an only child, but he had grown up surrounded by a pack of cousins who operated more like siblings.

Right now, his cousin George was trying to sneak an extra Yorkshire pudding from Julia’s plate, resulting in a playful swat and a spilled drop of gravy. Sitting directly across from Lily, Gemma—Ethan’s oldest friend and the woman Lily had come to view as her very own sister—shook her head in amusement as she passed the bowl of roasted carrots.

"Take the extra potatoes, Lily," Gemma teased, her bright eyes sparkling with mischief. "Ethan will just eat them all if you don't. He has zero portion control."

Richard chimed in from the other end of the table, topping off Lily’s wine glass with a rich Bordeaux before she could even answer.

"Leave the poor girl alone, you two, she’s eating for one," Richard chuckled, his eyes crinkling in a way that mirrored his son's features perfectly. "Though, if you two are serious about this spring wedding, you really need to start looking at properties outside the city center. You will want a yard. Space to breathe."

"We are actually looking at a place in Richmond next week," Lily shared, her cheeks aching from smiling so much. A profound joy bloomed in her chest. She wasn't just marrying Ethan; she was being folded into a family that cherished her. A family she had always longed for.

Julia leaned across the table, her face lighting up. "Richmond! Oh, Lily, you have to let me help you decorate. We can go antique shopping on the weekends. I know all the best hidden spots."

"And I call dibs on the guest room," Gemma added, raising her wine glass toward Lily with a devoted grin. "I need a permanent place to crash when my flat floods again. Plus, I need to be close by for wedding planning emergencies."

Ethan reached under the table, his fingers intertwining with Lily's. He pulled her beside him, pressing a tender kiss to her temple.

"A yard won't be enough, Dad," Ethan declared, looking down at Lily with a gaze so full of devotion it made her heart skip a beat. "We are going to need an enormous house. Five bedrooms, at least. We need room for all the kids we are going to have. And room for George to crash when his roommates kick him out."

"I am already claiming the title of favorite aunt," Gemma announced proudly over the rim of her glass. "I will teach them all the terrible habits Ethan tried to hide from you."

Laughter erupted around the table, bright and enveloping.

After the main course, Lily and Gemma gathered a stack of porcelain plates, carrying them into the spacious, rustic kitchen. Margaret followed close behind, holding the empty wine glasses. Margaret set the crystal by the sink and turned to Lily, taking both of the younger woman’s hands in her own. Her eyes shone with genuine emotion.

"We are so thrilled you are part of this family, Lily," Margaret said, her voice thick with affection. "Having you here... it has brought so much joy to Ethan, and to us."

"We really are lucky to have you," Gemma added, bumping her shoulder playfully against Lily's. "You finally managed to civilize him. I honestly thought he was going to be a bachelor forever until you walked into his life."

Lily smiled, her chest aching in the best possible way. "I love being here. You’ve all made me feel so welcome."

"Do you think you will miss the States too much?" Margaret asked gently, brushing a stray lock of dark hair from Lily’s forehead.

Lily thought of her life across the ocean. She had Sarah, her brilliant business partner, and a few close friends she adored. She could always fly back to visit them for a long weekend. But her true home no longer resided in America. Her future had shifted, cementing itself right here in London, surrounded by these incredible people. Surrounded by Gemma’s unwavering friendship and Margaret’s maternal grace.

"My life is right here now," Lily answered with a radiant smile.

The kitchen door swung open. Ethan strode into the room, catching the tail end of her sentence.

"Bloody right her place is beside me," Ethan declared, wrapping a strong arm around her waist and pulling her against his side. He pressed a devoted kiss to her hair.

Gemma rolled her eyes with a dramatic sigh. "Get a room, you two. I am trying to digest."

Lily blushed, leaning her head on his shoulder, her thumb tracing the gold band of the engagement ring on her left hand. She had never felt so safe, so entirely sure of her future. This was her forever.