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Chapter 140
If someone told me a month ago that I’d be here–laughing in the arms of a man who made my heart feel steady–I would’ve called them delusional.
But here I was. Standing in the middle of a sun–drenched field, wearing an ivory dress that fluttered in the breeze, while Roscoe adjusted the collar of his suit with that boyish smile of his.”
Our prenup shoot was everything I never knew I wanted–barefoot in a meadow, soft violins playing from a nearby speaker, and no one around to make me feel small. There was only him. There was only us.”
“Okay, now lean in a little closer,” the photographer called.\
Roscoe leaned in more than required–his nose brushing mine, his lips barely a breath away. “Is this close enough, fiancée?“\ I smirked. “You just wanted an excuse to kiss me.“”
He grinned. “And what if I did?“\
“Then you should’ve just asked.“\
So he kissed me–slowly, sweetly, like we had all the time in the world.
Later that day, we met my parents for an early dinner at the Reid estate. My father, a man who rarely smiled more than a polites nod, actually laughed when Roscoe pulled out a chair for me.”
“Well, it’s about damn time someone treated her right,” he muttered.
Then, he turned serious. “And you don’t need to worry about those two anymore. Jackson and Jared are nothing to this family now. We’ve cut all ties. I told the board–they’re blacklisted. Permanently.“”
I looked at him, stunned.”
“I should’ve listened sooner,” he added, placing his hand over mine. “But you’re here now. And you’re safe. That’s what matters.“}
Roscoe gave him a firm nod. “I intend to keep her that way. Always.”
Dinner turned warm. Joyful. My mother beamed every time Roscoe touched my hand. My father kept asking about wedding details, and for once, I wasn’t overwhelmed. I was excited.И
In the days that followed, we dove headfirst into wedding planning. Every dress I tried on, Roscoe made it a point to call me breathtaking–even when I looked ridiculous in tulle or too many sequins.
At one fitting, he leaned close and whispered, “Wear anything. Or nothing. I’ll still want to marry you.“}
“Roscoe!” I hissed, slapping his arm.”
He just laughed, boyishly unbothered.”
We picked floral arrangements while stealing kisses between bouquet samples. We chose cake flavors while feeding each other frosting. Every little task–every bit of planning–felt less like work and more like… falling in love.
I felt alive again.”
And not the fragile kind of alive I had forced when I was trying to survive Jared’s betrayal, or pretending to smile for Audrey’s approval.
This was different.W
This was mine.
It was one evening, after a long day of meetings with the wedding coordinator, that Roscoe led me out to the estate garden. The sun had just dipped below the hills, leaving a purple haze in the sky. Tiny golden lights twinkled along the path. I thought it was just a walk.K
Until he suddenly stopped.И
I turned toward him, about to ask if he forgot something.”
But then…
He knelt.”
Right there in the garden where my parents once told stories, where I had played as a girl. Roscoe knelt on one knee, holding a ring in a soft,velvet box.
“I know this all started as an arrangement,” he began, his voice low and sure, “but it never felt that way to me.“W
My heart thundered.
“I watched you from afar for so long. I admired you, respected you–even when I couldn’t say a word. But now, I don’t want to hide anymore. Not from the world. Not from you.“W
He looked up, eyes full of so much that I couldn’t breathe.[
“I love you, Maureen. I’ve loved you quietly, patiently. But now, I want to love you out loud, every day, for the rest of my life.“#
He held the ring higher. “So this time, I’m not asking for an arrangement. I’m asking for your heart.”
“Will you marry me?”
Tears blurred my vision. My throat tightened.\
“Yes,” I whispered.”
Then louder, prouder–free.\
“Yes.“”
He slipped the ring onto my finger and rose, pulling me into a kiss that felt like the final puzzle piece clicking into place.\
And for the first time in years, I wasn’t just surviving.&
I was loved.
And I was finally, truly happy.<
