Page 95 of Accidental Fiancé

I blinked in surprise, turning to Julian as he shifted in his seat. There was that look again, mischievous but also… nervous?

What is he up to? Some kind of business merger or something?I didn’t understand how their family dynamic worked along financial lines, especially after he mentioned how they pooled some of their money together as a family. I could only imagine that any one person’s success was everybody’s success and a cause for celebration. Maybe he wanted to wait until tonight to announce something big for all of them.

Julian stood up slowly, placing his glass on the table before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a small velvet box, the kind I had seen in a thousand movies. A ring box: I neverthought I'd see one in real life intended for me. Why would he have… oh.

I was confused.He can’t be… no.My breath caught in my throat as the realization hit me like a tidal wave.

Oh. My. God.

The entire table seemed to hold its collective breath as Julian turned to me, his shining green eyes locking onto mine. I knew what was happening, but it was also like I was watching it happen from outside myself. I couldn’t breathe, but I didn’t need to. I wasn’t in my body anymore.

He stepped away from the table and kneeled beside my chair, holding the box in his hands. He cleared his throat a few times before stealing Phoebe’s champagne to wet his whistle. “Maggie,” he began, his voice steady but filled with emotion. “You and I started this as a lie. A lie we told to everyone, including ourselves. We said this wasn’t real, that it was just a favor two friends were doing for each other. But somewhere along the line, pretending with you became the best thing that ever happened to me.Youare the best thing that ever happened to me.”

My heart was pounding so hard I was sure everyone could hear it. I couldn't speak. I couldn't even think straight. All I could do was stare at him, tears already pricking at the corners of my eyes.

“I don't want to pretend ever again,” Julian continued, his voice softening. “I don't want to pretend you're not the love of my life. I don't want to pretend I could ever be happy without you. Maggie Bryant, will you marry me?” He opened the box, revealing a stunning ring, a vintage piece that sparkled in the soft light of the room. It took my breath away.

For a moment, everything around us disappeared. It was just me and Julian, his eyes filled with hope and love, his heart laidbare in front of me. The magnitude of what he was asking hit me full force, and tears slipped down my cheeks.

“Yes,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Yes, Julian, I will marry you.”

The room erupted into applause but I barely heard it. All I could focus on was Julian, the relief and joy on his face as he slipped the ring onto my finger. He stood up, pulled me into his arms, and kissed me. The world tilted on its axis, the moment spinning around us as if we were the only thing that mattered.

Julian Black was mine. Forever.

When we finally pulled apart, I could feel the warmth of his family's eyes on us. Piper was grinning ear to ear, clapping and cheering enthusiastically. Everyone else was, too, but it was her opinion that mattered the most to me. Yaya looked utterly pleased with herself as if she had orchestrated the whole thing.

I looked over at Julian’s mother, who looked completely baffled. Artemis said, “I'm sorry to interrupt this happy moment but I thought you two broke up. What on earth is going on here?”

Yaya waved her hand dismissively, an amused smile on her lips. “Oh, try to keep up, dear,” her voice dripping with playful, sardonic humor. “They were never really broken up. It was a simple misunderstanding.”

Julian's mother blinked, clearly still lost, but she slowly nodded, accepting Yaya's explanation without further question. She leaned back into her chair, casting one more curious glance at me before taking a big sip of her wine.

I couldn't help but laugh. The entire evening had been a whirlwind of emotions, but in that moment, surrounded by Julian's family and the love we had just declared for each other, everything felt right. It felt solid. This was really happening.

Julian pulled me close again, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, “I love you, Maggie.”

“I love you too,” I whispered back, my heart full to bursting.

The rest of the night was a blur of toasts and congratulations. Yaya told stories about her own engagement to Julian's grandfather, regaling us with the tales of her wild youth in the circus. According to her, she also set fire to the Vatican (due to a Papal situation I didn’t quite follow, but was assured the Pope deserved it), shared an ice cream with a certain president in the eighties (she had chocolate, he had the time of his life), skydived with a world-famous rock star (without divulging his identity, she specified he had sympathy for the Devil), and got a matching tattoo with a famous actor. “What? You don’t believe me?”

She started to lift her skirt to show it off, but Artemis jerked her hem back down. “Mom, don't embarrass Maggie. We want her tojointhe family, not run screaming from it.”

Through it all, I kept watching Julian, marveling at how much he had changed in such a short time. The worry lines around his eyes and on his forehead had disappeared. His shoulders relaxed and he was breathing deeply for the first time. I leaned against him, relishing the warmth of his body as his family told stories and laughed with each other. I was happy, truly happy.

Strange that we had started this whole thing as a lie, an arrangement meant to serve both our interests. But now, as I looked down at the ring on my finger, I realized that it had become the truest thing in my life. And I couldn't wait to spend the rest of it with him.

Later that night, when his family had finally retired to their rooms and the mansion was quiet again, Julian and I sat together on the balcony overlooking the moonlit gardens. He held my hand, his thumb tracing circles over the back of it, the cool breeze tugging at the loose strands of my hair.

“I can't believe you actually proposed in front of everyone,” I said with a laugh, leaning my head on his shoulder. “That was bold.”

Julian chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “I had to make sure everyone knew. No more pretending, Maggie. Not ever again.”

“Never again.”

Now, I just had to figure out how to tell my parents.

Chapter 36

---