The CEO’s Unspoken Love (Eleanor and Derek) novel Chapter 223

The CEO’s Unspoken Love

Chapter 223

Eleanor POV

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows of Cornerstone Books as I carefully arranged a collection of poetry volumes on the display shelf. My fingers lingered over the embossed spines, enjoying the tactile sensation so different from the delicate stems and petals I’d handled for years at Four Seasons Florals. There was something comforting about the weight of books, ther

quiet promise of worlds contained within.

Through the front window, I could see Boston’s summer streets bustling with life. It struck me how much had changed in just three months. I remembered Derek being wheeled out of the hospital, his body weakened, his determination unwavering. Now he walked with only the slightest hint of a limp, noticeable perhaps only to someone who watched him as closely as I did.

“That display looks lovely, Eleanor, Mrs. Bennett said, pausing beside me. Her silver-rimmed glasses caught the light as she nodded

approvingly. “You have quite the eye for aesthetics.”

“Thank you,” I replied, adjusting the final volume. I suppose arranging flowers for years gave me some transferable skills.”

As Mrs. Bennett moved away to help a customer, I found myself reflecting on my decision to sell the flower shop. The absence of regret surprised me. I had expected to feel a sense of loss, some mourning for the business I’d built with such care. Instead, I felt an unexpected contentment, as if I’d simply closed one chapter to open another.

As I gathered my things and said goodbye to Mrs. Bennett, I couldn’t help but notice how Derek’s eyes tracked my movements. Even after all these months together, that gaze still sent warmth spreading through me. I remembered the moment in the hospital when his fingers had first moved in mine after weeks of stillness, how I’d clung to that tiny sign of life like a drowning woman to a lifeline.

I stepped out onto the sidewalk, the summer heat enveloping me after the store’s air conditioning. Derek’s smile widened as I approached, and he reached for my hand as naturally as breathing.

“Good day?” he asked, his fingers intertwining with mine.

“Quiet. Perfect.” I squeezed his hand, feeling the strength that had returned to it. “How was your meeting?”