CHAPTER 9
The silence that settled over the porch was heavy, absolute, and utterly life-changing.
Samantha wiped the tears from her cheeks, taking a deep, shuddering breath as she took off her engagement ring—a large diamond that Greg’s family had paraded around for months.
She held the ring out toward Greg, her hand surprisingly steady.
"Take it," she said quietly. "Take your ring, take your investment firm, and get off my mother's property."
Greg stared at the ring in shock before snatching it from her palm with an ugly sneer.
"You're making the biggest mistake of your life," Greg spat bitterly. "You'll be stuck in this dirt forever, working like a peasant while I build a real life in San Francisco."
"I'd rather work in this dirt for the rest of my life than spend another second in your fake world," Samantha replied with cold, unyielding pride.
Richard glared at me one last time, realizing that his corporate tactics had completely failed against a family rooted in the soil.
"Let's go, Gregory," Richard said coldly, turning toward his sedan. "This farm isn't worth another minute of our time."
They got into their luxury car and sped down the driveway, leaving a trail of dust that slowly settled over the grapevines in the morning sun.
Samantha stood on the steps, watching them leave, her shoulders slumped with exhaustion, looking smaller than she had in years.
May you like
I stepped off the porch, walked down to where she stood, and opened my arms without saying a single word.
She collapsed against my chest, sobbing uncontrollably, holding onto my faded denim shirt just like she used to do when she was a little girl running through the vineyard.
