Georgia’s POV
When the towers inside the conference hall were almost picked clean—bare stems left where lush greens once grew—I took a deep breath, straightened my blazer, and stepped back to the center of the stage. The chatter, laughter, and delighted hum of the crowd slowly died down as the spotlight returned to .
"Everyone," I began, voice steady but my heart still racing from the adrenaline, "I want to thank you all for attending and for taking the ti to listen to our presentation today."
Faces turned toward —executives, investors, board mbers—all smiling, so still munching on strawberries or holding plastic bags half-filled with produce.
"Please don’t forget to cast your votes by noon," I continued with a polite smile. "And if you’re interested in getting the sa system for ho use, just scan the QR code posted outside the door. You can ssage us directly, and we’ll be happy to evaluate your space to recomnd which of our aeroponics or hydroponics systems best suits your needs."
The large screen behind shifted, showing the QR code and looping clips of the lush towers glistening under LED lights. I gestured toward it with a small nod.
"Once again," I said, smiling as I felt the wave of pride rush through , "thank you so much—and we’re hoping for a ’Yes’ on your votes. See you all next ti!"
Applause thundered through the hall. People were already pulling out their phones, scanning the code, taking photos, and chatting excitedly about where they could fit a tower in their hos.
Nick’s phone buzzed beside , and he pulled it out, glancing at the caller ID. "It’s Evelyn," he said before answering, putting it on speaker.
"I’m still in the conference hall. What is it?" he asked, voice casual.
Evelyn’s voice ca out breathless and high-pitched through the speaker.
"Check the voting poll. Oh my God—"
She didn’t even finish. Nick imdiately swiped down, his thumb flying over his screen as he opened the voting results.
And then—his eyes widened.
"What the—" he muttered, cutting himself off.
I leaned closer to look at his phone, my pulse quickening.
Rows of numbers and green bars filled the screen. The voting poll was already live—and the results were overwhelming.
"Holy shit!" I gasped, clapping a hand over my mouth. I spun around and waved frantically at Ella. "Ella! Co here, quick!"
She hurried over, still holding her phone, her heels clicking against the stage floor. Nick handed her his phone wordlessly, and she took one look before her own started pinging with notifications—one after another.
Her eyes went wide, and she looked up at , her voice trembling with disbelief. "My God! They didn’t just vote ’Yes’! Look at this—tons of inquiries are coming in, too! They’re interested in buying the system for their hos!"
I froze, staring at her for a heartbeat before it sank in.
We did it.
We actually did it.
A sharp, breathless laugh escaped my lips before it turned into a full squeal. I launched myself at Ella, wrapping my arms around her as we both started jumping in excitent.
"We did it, girl!" she cried, squeezing so tight I could barely breathe. "Our dream just ca true!"
"Oh my God!" I gasped, tears threatening to fall as I buried my face against her shoulder. "I can’t believe it—Ella, we actually made it!"
The entire conference hall was still alive with chatter, flashes from phones lighting up like stars—but for that one mont, it felt like everything slowed down.
Years of work, sacrifice, and waiting—all worth it.
Behind , I heard Nick’s low laugh, deep and full of pride. And when I turned, he was standing there, one hand in his pocket, watching with that familiar half-smile that always made my knees weak.
His eyes said everything before he even spoke.
You did it.
Benjamin and the rest of the Knight siblings soon joined us near the corner of the stage, the crowd still buzzing with excitent. The Chairman himself—Benjamin Knight, the most powerful man in the room, was striding toward us with a handful of strawberries, still munching as if he hadn’t just witnessed a business pitch but a buffet reveal.
The sight of him made chuckle. The great Benjamin Knight, billionaire, legend of the mariti world... eating strawberries with a boyish grin on his face.
Vicky reached us first and wrapped both and Ella in a tight hug. "Congratulations, you two," she said, eyes gleaming. "Once Nick announces it, it’ll be official."
Benjamin swallowed another bite and raised his hand. "Not Nick," he said with a mischievous smirk. "I’ll be the one to announce it."
Ella and I froze, stunned.
He continued as if it was the most casual thing in the world, his deep voice carrying even without the mic. "I have an idea—maybe we can put so of these towers in our cafeteria. Sothing interactive. ’Pick your own salad,’ or ’farm-to-plate corner.’"
He turned to and Ella and added, "Send your proposal draft. I’ll give you the contact details of our concessionaires. You’ll present to them under my request."
For a second, I just stood there, trying to process it. Then it hit like a wave.
"Really?" I gasped, clasping both my hands together. "Wow, thank you so much, Chairman!"
He waved off with a dismissive grin, the corners of his mouth still pink from the strawberry juice. "Dad," he corrected lightly. "You’re family now. And speaking of family..."
He popped another strawberry in his mouth before turning serious. "Let’s celebrate tonight. At ho. Bring Katie—I think it’s ti we formally introduce her to everyone. I’ll invite so of our relatives, and I’ll have a room renovated in the mansion for her so she has her own space when she visits."
My breath caught in my throat. For Benjamin Knight to personally say that—
It ant acceptance. It ant ho.
He turned to the others like a general issuing orders. "Ella, you’ll be there too." Then to Reagan, "Bring Sarah. And call Isadora—tell her to start preparing for dinner."
Everyone nodded. Even the usually composed Reagan gave a faint grin.
"Now," Benjamin said, dusting off his hands as he stood tall, "let’s make the announcent official. You four, follow ."
Nick leaned down to kiss on the cheek, his breath warm against my ear. "I’ll be back soon. I’ll have Evelyn prepare the contract for the farm," he murmured before following his father and siblings to the front of the hall.
I watched them go—Nick in his navy suit, confidence radiating from every stride. My heart swelled.
Ella nudged softly. "So, secret Mrs. Knight, how does it feel?"
I smiled, feeling the warmth spread through like sunlight. "Surreal," I whispered. "Like everything’s finally falling into place."
Before we could even move toward the exit, people started coming up to us—executives, investors, even staff, each of them eager, curious, asking questions about the towers, the AI system, ho installations, partnerships.
Ella and I exchanged a glance—a silent, gleeful acknowledgnt that said everything we couldn’t find the words for.
This was it.
The mont our dream stopped being a dream.
The mont Urban Paradise Farm beca sothing bigger than we ever imagined.
All the sleepless nights, the sacrifices, the tears we shed when no one believed in us—suddenly, it all made sense.
We did it.
And as I looked across the hall, catching Nick’s proud smile from where he stood beside his father, I knew this wasn’t just a victory for the company—it was the beginning of a new Chapter for both of us.
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