The glass doors of the executive elevator hissed shut, leaving the noise of the cheering staff and the stunned board members behind. We were finally alone in the penthouse suite, the city of Lagos twinkling below us like a sea of diamonds.
Alexandra kicked off her emerald heels, letting out a long, shaky breath. She turned to me, her eyes reflecting the soft glow of the office lamps. "We did it, Xavier. We actually did it."
I walked over to her, sliding my hands around her waist. The "Co-Chairman" suit felt expensive, but the woman in my arms was the only treasure I cared about. "We didn't just do it, Alexandra. We rewrote the rules."
"The Board is terrified of you," she whispered, a playful, tired smile touching her lips. "They've never seen a man walk into that room and tell them to leave if they don't like the view."
"I learned from the best," I said, leaning down to graze her lips with mine. "I spent eighty-six chapters watching an 'Ice Queen' hold her ground. I just decided it was time she had someone standing right beside her."
I picked her up, her silk suit rustling as she wrapped her legs around my waist. I carried her toward the massive balcony, where the warm Nigerian breeze was blowing. The air was thick with the scent of the ocean and the promise of a future that wasn't hidden behind a contract.
"No more 'Hidden Husband'?" she asked, her voice a soft vibration against my chest.
"I think the world knows exactly who I am now," I said, setting her down against the marble railing. I looked out at the city, then back at her. "I'm the man who loves you. Everything else is just business."
I pulled her into a kiss that tasted of victory and a deep, soul-shattering relief. The war was over. The secrets were burnt. The empire was ours—together.
As we stood there, high above the world we had conquered, I realized that the "365" in our title wasn't just a countdown. it was a beginning. We had 365 days a year, for the rest of our lives, to show the world what a real partnership looked like.
"I love you, Xavier," she whispered, her forehead resting against mine.
"I love you, Alexandra," I replied. "Now... let's show them how to really run a kingdom."