Page 105 of The Billionaire's Royal Secret

Her features scrunched as she stared down at the emerald ring, sparkling under the twinkling lights.

She cut her stunned gaze from the gem to his face. Her eyes welled with tears. “Oh, Nathan.”

He couldn’t figure out if the breathless whisper was one of pleasant surprise or disappointed shock.

A tear rolled down her cheek, and for a second, he worried she wasabout to say no.

“I…I love you, too, and…I…I’d love to say yes, but there is something I must tell you first that may change your mind.”

Nate’s features fell. His worst nightmare was coming true. She was turning him down. And no matter the reason, he was devastated.

CHAPTER 23

ELENA

Elena’s heart sped up as she stepped into the rose-laden gazebo. Lit by the sparkling lights that draped from its roof, it created a magical ambiance filled with romance. Her lips parted as she studied it before she shot him a questioning glance. “What is this?”

He licked his lips, offering her a nervous smile. “Well, uh, I just…”

Her smile didn’t fade as she prodded him to continue with a cock of her head.

“Ellie, since I met you, my life has been different. You’re like this beacon of light that I never thought I’d find.”

His words echoed the sentiment in her own heart. “I feel quite the same.”

He nodded, his eyes stuck on the wooden boards beneath their feet. “I’m really glad you said that. Because I…love you. I am in love with you. And, Ellie…”

Her heart pounded frantically, and her eyes widened ashe lowered to one knee, snapping open a ring box. The diamond-studded emerald sparkled under the lights. She pressed a hand to her chest as the shock hit her.

“Will you marry me?” he asked.

Her features pinched as she studied the ring. It blurred when tears welled in her eyes. “Oh, Nathan.”

The two breathless words conveyed a bevy of unspoken emotions. Every fiber in her being wanted to accept him, to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him and then let him slide the ring onto her trembling finger.

But she couldn’t do that. Not yet. He had to know who she was. She couldn’t accept his proposal until he knew her identity. It wasn’t fair.

She stammered out an answer. “I…I love you, too, and…I…I’d love to say yes, but there is something I must tell you first that my change your mind.”

His features twisted, his disappointment obvious.

She wiped the tear that had fallen to her cheek as she grabbed his hands and squeezed them. “Please, Nathan, I desperately want to say yes.”

“Then say yes,” he whispered, still on one knee.

“But there’s something you must know first.” She tugged at him, trying to get him to rise.

He shook his head. “No, not until you answer.”

“Nathan, please. Please, there is something I must say, and it may make you wish you hadn’t offered. Please, I must tell you first.”

He shook his head. “Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. I love you. And we’ll get through it. Whatever it is, we’ll face it together. Ellie, if you love me, please say yes.”

She chewed her lower lip as she considered her response. “I do love you. I do.”

“Then, let’s get married.”

“Oh, Nathan, I want to marry you–”

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