Chapter 10 - The Promise in the Study
Two months later.
It was a quiet Sunday afternoon at the Oyster Bay estate. Sunlight poured through the tall windows of my private study, casting long golden rectangles across the polished mahogany floor.
On the desk sat the exact same item from the day we met: twenty thousand dollars in cash, bound in crisp paper bands.
Beside it sat the rose-gold Patek Philippe watch.
Elena walked into the study, wearing a simple cream-colored wool dress that highlighted her dark hair and glowing skin. She stopped when she saw the money on the desk, a soft, amused smile touching her lips.
"Are you testing another maid, Mr. Moretti?" she teased gently, walking over to stand beside my chair.
I stood up, sliding my hands into my pockets.
"No," I said softly. "I'm retiring the test."
I reached onto the desk, picked up the stack of cash and the luxury watch, and placed them into a velvet gift box. I handed the box to Elena.
"This belongs to Caleb," I said. "It's the start of his trust fund for college."
Elena looked down at the velvet box, her eyes glistening with fresh tears. "Vincent... you've already given him his life."
"He gave me mine first," I answered.
I stepped closer to her, reaching into my inner coat pocket. I pulled out a small, navy blue leather box.
Elena’s breath hitched in her throat.
I didn't kneel. I looked her directly in her eyes, holding the box between us.
"When you walked into this room two months ago," I said, my voice filled with steady, unwavering devotion, "I thought my heart was dead. I thought love was something that belonged in my past. But you and your son taught me that kindness still exists in a dark world."
I opened the box. Inside sat a breathtaking five-carat oval diamond ring set in platinum, sparkling brilliantly under the banker’s lamp.
"Elena Hale," I said softly. "Will you marry me? Will you let me spend the rest of my life protecting you, loving you, and being a father to Caleb?"
Elena stared at the ring, then looked up at my face. Tears tumbled down her cheeks, but she was smiling—a brilliant, radiant smile that illuminated the entire room.
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"Yes," she whispered, her voice breaking with joy. "Yes, Vincent! A thousand times yes!"
I slipped the diamond ring onto her finger, pulled her into my arms, and kissed her with all the love and passion stored inside my soul. She held me tight, her hands resting flat against my chest—right over my heart, which was beating strong, fast, and completely whole.
