Chapter 9: The Glass Greenhouse
With the legal storm finally settled, Nicholas threw himself into a project that had nothing to do with corporate profits.
Together with Lily and Evelyn, he began rebuilding the estate's dilapidated Victorian greenhouse. He rolled up his sleeves, trading his custom suits for flannel shirts and work boots. He spent afternoons replacing cracked panes of glass, hauling bags of rich compost, and installing hanging planters.
Lily took her duties as ""Head Planter"" very seriously. She had her own small green watering can and a pair of yellow gardening gloves.
""Daddy, what should we put in this big corner?"" Lily asked, patting down the soil around a miniature lemon tree.
""What do you think, Lily?"" Nicholas asked, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm. ""It’s your garden.""
Lily thought for a moment, her brow furrowing in deep concentration. ""Sunflowers. Because they always look up, even when it’s cloudy.""
""Sunflowers it is,"" Evelyn smiled, handing Lily a packet of seeds.
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As the sun began to set, casting golden hues through the restored glass panels, Nicholas watched Lily carefully place each seed into the dark soil. He realized how much he had changed in just a few short months. The cold perfectionism that had once defined his life was giving way to something organic, imperfect, and profoundly alive.
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