𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒊𝒓𝒆 » 𝐀. 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒

❝𝒙𝒊𝒊𝒊.❞ (𝒑𝒕. 𝒊𝒊)

𝐞𝐬𝐭. 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟒

It had been a transformative few years for Nora. With the family company restructuring shortly after the merger, Nora was put right under Thomas and was the point of contact for most London business, especially when Thomas was preoccupied with other things. While she had given up just a tad of her independence when it came to her business, she was still more than content, but it definitely didn't start off that way.

"You must be joking, Tom. You surely have gone mad,"

"Elliot's a good accountant, Nora. He knows the family business, and he can be trusted. He's one of us-"

"Trusted?! Bullshit. If you trust him so much, put him in another sector. Away from me and my business."

"The two of you are a good team, Nora. You know that. The two of you bring in the money together. You still don't have an accountant, and the ones you've brought in are no good. Elliot stays with you."

Nora was stuck with Elliot. She didn't even want to look at him for the first three months of his tenure. But it didn't take much longer for him to break through to Nora, a late night at the office.

"My father got into some bad business with the Peakys. He fled to Australia, leaving it to me to deal with the consequences. It was my best option, I didn't think anything of it, until I realized how magnificent you are. I wanted to stop, but I had a debt to pay. For my family."

Nora wasn't heartless. She was sympathetic to that matter, "But Thomas said the debt was paid. What the hell are you doing back here? No one has a gun to your head." Elliot smiles softly at her as moves to hover over the shorter woman, brushing her cheek lightly with his thumb, "I'm here for you, Nora."

Nora's heart dropped as she swallowed harshly. "Elliot, I don't trust you-" "You can trust me again, I would never let anything come to harm you, you know that. Just give me the chance to prove that to you again."

Nora would find herself finding solace and comfort in Elliot, just as she did once before, but it was different this time around. His gestures, his small gifts, simple love letters, Nora was slipping into his arms, but not without caution. She was scared out of her mind. But while her first and previous experience in love ended in flames, Elliot was decent; he was family oriented, and his heart was pure. He saw the best and brought out the best in Nora. He showed her the world and taught her new things. Nora did the same for Elliot and he was more than smitten. He wanted to marry her, even with Nora swearing she'd never wed, after her hiccup with Alfie Solomons.

With Thomas' wedding coming and going, Elliot was more than determined to make Nora his wife. At the earliest convenience he requested a meeting with Shelby brothers and Aunt Pol to inform them of his intentions and ask for their blessing. They gave it happily, for Elliot had been the least of their problems.

Elliot was quick to arrange a quick getaway trip to Paris with Nora. Nora was much more acquainted with the idea when she arrived, showing him her old stomping grounds from childhood, times that she was genuinely happy. Elliot ended the trip on their last night resting himself on one knee as he asked her to marry him.

"You've lost your mind."

"Nora I love you, and I wish to be your husband."

"What's wrong with the way things are? Why can't things just stay as they are?"

"Because we're meant for more than that. I understand your fear, I do. But I have proven time and time again that I'm not him. No one will ever hurt you that way again, not me, not him. We can still have it all, together."