20 Chapter 20 - Chosen Destiny +5 20 Chapter 20 - Chosen Destiny The ballroom had changed. 1 Once adorned with chandeliers that had rained down shards during a hostage standoff, it now gleamed with reclaimed wood sculptures, student artwork, and golden light that spilled from lanterns strung across the ceiling like constellations. This was no longer a battlefield. It was a celebration. The **Hart-Chen Foundation Gala** had arrived. And at its center stood Lina Hart-no longer in hiding, no longer a rumor, no longer anyone's shadow. She wore an ivory jumpsuit of her own design: structured shoulders, flowing silk pantlegs, a silver thread of waves stitched along her collar like a quiet crown. Beside her, Bruce Chen smiled as if he'd known all along this was where she'd arrive. Because he had. Donors mingled among graduates of the Designs of Healing program. Journalists snapped photos not for scandal, but for inspiration. Survivors in upcycled gowns gave speeches about beginnings, not endings. Lina moved through the crowd like calm current, shaking hands, laughing gently, accepting praise without deflection. This time, she believed it. - At the gala's peak, Elias Byrne took the stage, raising a toast in a thick coastal accent. "To the woman who survived storms, built sails from scratch, and now offers ships to others." He lifted his glass, lighthouse emblem etched into the crystal. 10.16 114 < 20 Chapter 20 - Chosen Destiny "To survival. To stewardship. To choosing the life you live-not the one you were told to accept." Applause rose like the tide. Lina blinked back tears. This time, they didn't sting. Later, on the terrace, she stood alone for a moment beneath a sky scattered with city stars. The East River shimmered below, bridge lights dancing across the surface. Bruce joined her quietly. "Are you tired?" he asked. She smiled. "I'm not sure I even know what tired means anymore." He slipped something into her hand. A small box. Inside: a ring. Simple. Silver. Set with a stone the color of ocean glass-soft green, imperfect, hand-cut. "Not because I need to claim you," he said. "But because I want to stand beside you, wherever you go." Lina looked up, eyes shining. "Yes," she said, no hesitation. No fear. Only choice. He kissed her under the starlight. 10-16 2/4 < 20 Chapter 20 - Chosen Destiny And the city, for once, held its breath. Inside, the string quartet began a gentle melody. Iris's favorite nocturne. Rewritten in a major key. Lina recognized the notes. A tune once filled with longing now repurposed into something bright. A hymn of hope. Of release. Of repurposed endings. - As the night wound down, Lina stood at the edge of the dance floor, watching attendees laugh, spin, exhale. She thought about Caroline Monroe. The girl who chased a man like a lifeline. Who measured her worth in returned texts and nods across ballrooms. She whispered her name once. Then let it go. Not with pain. But with peace. Tomorrow, more work awaited. More dresses. More grants. < 20 Chapter 20 - Chosen Destiny More tides. But tonight, for just this moment, she held everything she'd fought for: Her name. Her love. Her freedom. Her chosen destiny. And it was enough. More than enough. Across the city, in a quiet soup kitchen, Mason Rutherford washed dishes beside a young volunteer. No one recognized him. No one asked for a story. And for once, he didn't try to tell one. He just scrubbed clean what he could. And let the rest go. Comment 0 Leave the first comment for this chapter. Vote Б Show support to the author by leaving comments when sending gift. Swipe Left To Continue > 23 Send Gifts