Chapter 8 - The Proposal
That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of crimson and violet, Marcus took me by the hand and led me up to the roof garden of the estate.
The space had been decorated with hundreds of fairy lights, white roses, and soft candle lanterns that flickered in the cool autumn breeze.
In the center of the terrace stood a small table with a silver tray. Sitting on the tray was a tiny pair of shiny purple shoes—exact replicas of the shoes Lily had worn the day she opened the security room door.
I laughed, tears prickling my eyes. "What is this, Marcus?"
Marcus walked over, picking up the small purple shoes, a soft, tender expression on his face.
"One year ago, my life was an empty shell," Marcus said, his voice deep and trembling with emotion. "I had billions of dollars, dozens of companies, and not a single person I could truly trust. And then one morning, a little girl left one of these shoes in my hallway and led me to the greatest gift of my life."
He set the shoes down and took both of my hands in his.
Marcus Cole—the ruthless billionaire, the titan of industry—dropped down onto one knee before me on the stone terrace.
He pulled a small velvet box from his coat pocket, snapping it open to reveal a breathtaking eight-carat yellow diamond ring surrounded by a halo of micro-pave diamonds that caught the candlelight.
"Maya Vance," Marcus whispered, looking up into my eyes with unconditional devotion. "You brought truth, love, and light into my world. You protected my family, and now I want to spend the rest of my life protecting yours. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Behind the glass doors of the terrace, I saw Eleanor, Marta, and Lily watching us, Lily pressing her nose against the glass, grinning broadly.
May you like
"Yes!" I cried out, tears falling down my cheeks as I threw my arms around his neck. "Yes, Marcus! A thousand times yes!"
Marcus slid the breathtaking ring onto my finger, stood up, and pulled me flush against his chest, lifting me off my feet as his lips found mine in a passionate, soul-stirring kiss.
