Page 154 of Darkest Deception

Once we are on the road, Helia’s hand drops to my thigh. But that’s no surprise; he does that quite often. When his hand climbs higher, my heart rate spikes.

“What are you doing?” I breathlessly mutter.

He removes his hand instantly. When I look over, he seems to be smiling like it was some kind of joke. I shake my head. It seems the sleepless nights have been getting to me. Working for this board meeting is creating dark circles under my eyes, but it’s only a couple of days away.

They will be impressed, I am sure.

Since Helia resigned from Glamorous, he has taken over another smaller magazine business. It isn’t a direct rival of Glamorous because it’s smaller, but it works for him.

Twenty minutes into the ride, I realise we aren’t going to the Torre mansion but to his house. I settle into the seat for the hour-long drive. When we emerge through the thick trees and arrive in front of his house, my heart jumps out of my chest at what is in front of me.

I hastily climb out of the car, my mouth dropping open at the mansion in front of me.

“You made it bigger?”

Helia walks towards the front door with me following behind.

He has extended the house with another level on top.

“Is this what you have been doing?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“So you can live with me. You love it here, but one bedroom isn’t enough for both of us. You need a bigger closet, a bigger bathroom, another couple of rooms, and an elevator.”

He takes me on a tour me around the new floor of the house, pointing out the elevator to the left of me, in front of the staircase.

“But why?”

He doesn’t answer and keeps walking until we reach the rooftop with clear glass railings.

The wind is a little stronger up here, it being November doesn’t help.

“Helia, why?” I blink, then blink again.

A plane flies right over us through the cloudy sky, emitting green smoke and leaving behind a cloudy shape of a green heart. Before me, Helia kneels on one knee, white flower petals under him, decorating the ground. There are two tall lamps on either side of me, emitting a soft golden hue with a white cloth connecting them.

“Helia.” I take a step closer, and another, and another, until I am in front of him.

And this bastard is smirking.

“So you can have babies with me now.”

I burst out laughing.

“That’s not how you ask.” I slap his shoulder, making him chuckle.

“I have lost my everything to you, Ambrose. Everything I hated, everything I despise, feels a lot sweeter and a lot more bearable with you by my side. I have found myself wanting to give you everything I own, to lay myself at your feet, to hand you the knife if killing me is what you want. It’s impossible to think of a future without you. Whether you want it or not, you are stuck with me. There is no me without you, my emerald.”

Drop by drop, tears fall down my cheeks, my heart throbbing with only one word.

Helia.

Helia.

“Will you marry me?”

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