Page 87 of Protected By My Best Friend's Brother

Lucas sits beside me, careful to maintain a small distance that breaks my heart a little. Even now, he’s trying not to influence me, giving me space I no longer need.

“Dear Ms. Walsh,” I dictate as I type.“After careful consideration, I must decline your generous offer. While the opportunity is extraordinary, I’ve realized my greatest impact lies in continuing the work we’re pioneering at Walker Enterprises. Our approach to sustainable technology requires both a global vision and an intimate understanding of how innovation affects people’s lives. Here, I’m uniquely positioned to develop solutions that don’t just change systems but transform how companies approach sustainability at every level.”

The email is professional, gracious, and certain. I hit send before turning to Lucas, who looks like he’s afraid to breathe.

“You’re sure?” he whispers, hope beginning to replace the resignation in his eyes.

“I’m sure. The work we’re doing here matters. Not just the technology but how we’re implementing it. Making sustainability personal, making innovation serve people instead of replacing them. That’s worth more than any corner office in London.”

I think about the team we’ve built, the vision we’re implementing, and the difference we’re making not just in abstract global terms but in the lives of people like the night supervisor with his lucky rubber duck or the manufacturing workers whose expertise we honored instead of replaced.

My phone rings, cutting my thoughts off. Judith Walsh’s name flashes on the screen.

Lucas’s eyes widen. “Speaker?”

I nod, answering the call. Walsh’s voice fills the room, polished as ever but with an edge of urgency I hadn’t heard during our lunch.

“Ms. Hastings. I just received your email. Before you make this final, I’m authorized to offer you double the innovation budget. Sixty million dollars, complete autonomy, and we can discuss flexibility on the location requirement. Perhaps splitting your time between London and Silver Springs?”

I look at Lucas, seeing my future in his eyes. Not just our relationship, but the vision we share for sustainability technology—making it human-centered, adaptive, and revolutionary in ways that go beyond automation and efficiency.

“I appreciate the offer, Ms. Walsh, but my decision stands. What we’re building at Walker Enterprises isn’t just about numbers or global reach. It’s about creating sustainable solutions that honor both innovation and human connection. I’m exactly where I need to be.”

After the call ends, Lucas pulls me close; the careful distance finally abandoned. “You really want to stay? Even with what they’re offering?”

“I want to build something meaningful. Here. With you.” I curl into his side, feeling the rightness of this choice settling over me. “Though I might need somewhere to store all my sustainability journals and research papers...”

His laugh rumbles through his chest, vibrating against my cheek. “Move in with me.”

“What?”

“Move in with me. Not because you turned down London, but because I want your brilliant chaos mixed with my order. Because I want to come home to find sustainability reports spread across our dining table and innovation sketches pinned to every wall. Because I want to build a life with you, not just a career.”

I look around his pristine living room, imagining my research materials taking over his shelves, my workspace spreading across his careful organization. My color-coded systems merging with his methodical approach. “You know this means completely reorganizing your home office? I have specific ideas about optimal workflow design.”

“I’m counting on it.” He kisses me softly. “Though maybe we get a bigger desk. For all the revolutionary ideas we’ll come up with together.”

“Deal.” I settle against him, feeling absolutely right about every choice that led us here. Because sometimes the biggest opportunities aren’t about global reach or corner offices. Sometimes, they’re about building something sustainable in every way that matters, right where you are.

With someone who loves your brilliance, chaos, and vision for changing the world.

One innovation at a time.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lucas

Sometimes life has a way of bringing you full circle.

I’m watching through my office wall as Emma charms the entire board in the conference room, feeling a familiar pride that never gets old. The presentation audio comes through my desk speaker—a CEO perk that lets me observe while giving her space to shine. She’s outlining her vision for an innovation division, focusing on what she calls “human-centered sustainable technology.” Basically, making sure our solutions work for real people, not just profit margins.

The morning light catches her chestnut hair as she gestures enthusiastically, highlighting key points on the colorful presentation slides. Her professional confidence has blossomed these past weeks—a visionary leader who knows her worth hasreplaced the once-nervous analyst. Yet she’s maintained that authentic Emma quality that makes her ideas so accessible—the color-coded organization systems, the genuine enthusiasm, the ability to translate complex technical concepts into human terms.

“By focusing on the intersection of technological innovation and human experience,” she explains to the board, her voice clear and passionate through the speaker, “we create sustainable solutions that people want to use. The Johnson implementation demonstrated that honoring institutional knowledge while introducing new systems results in higher adoption rates and better outcomes.”

The board is eating it up. Of course, they are. It’s impossible not to be captivated by Emma when she’s passionate about something. Even Bradshaw is nodding along, his usual skepticism nowhere to be seen.

“She’s something else, isn’t she?”

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