Page 16 of Julian's Curse

“Great, I’ll tell Oliver to schedule it.” He proceeded to send the message right away.

I finally decided to snap the picture I’d been meaning to take. The skyline at this time of day was stunning, with the city shimmering in the distance. Julian had truly crafted an extraordinary life for us in every way. We’d made countless memories together, from our first date nights in the hidden bars of the Gaslamp District to the moment he bought me the rose he transformed into a glazed forever rose. Then there were the times spent on the water aboard his yacht,Trading Yesterday. It was still possible to see the yacht all the way from Mister A’s.

Suddenly, a wave of melancholy washed over me. I was his girl now, and I had everything. But if he ever decided I wasn’t the one, would I ever be able to find myself again? This thought crept in perhaps too often. Deep down, I feared loss and loneliness—after losing my mom unexpectedly and then also finding out about James and Andrea— I still struggled to believe in happy endings. Without him noticing, I studied Julian’s features. He could easily have been an actor if he weren’t so analytical; for this reason, business suited him perfectly. He could be cold and emotionless when he needed to be, but this didn’t mean that privately, he often didn’t fall apart—sometimes in my arms too. I loved that we were so vulnerable with each other. With how much our past hurt us, and with how it turned us into the independent people we’d become.

He tugged at my protective instincts. He’d never had the things in life that most people took for granted—a mom and dad, for starters. I felt an urge to fill that void, no matter howimpossible of a task it was. He’d filled that void for me to some extent. I wasn’t looking into the past as much.

He raised his eyes from his phone. As if he knew I was overthinking again.

“Done deal. Oliver said we leave in two weeks. I’m going to miss you in the meantime. You know what would make me feel better?”

“I have a pretty good idea what it may be,” I was certain it involved our mind-blowing sex, perhaps my lips wrapped around… I hid myself behind the dessert menu, trying to contain the heat rising in my cheeks. Could we just for once not talk about making out?

“Marry me.”

I flinched so fast that the menu slipped from my hands and fell onto the table with a soft thud. Julian was now, visibly on his knees, looking up at me with a mix of mischief and sincerity. The bustling restaurant faded into a blur as I focused solely on him, his hopeful gaze locked onto mine.

I hadn’t realized that this entire evening had been an elaborate plan to propose. The choice of venue was so like Julian—to combine everything we adored. Nothing overboard, nothing foreign. Just us, wrapped in the familiarity of our favorite restaurant, overlooking the city views that we cherished, and utter privacy for me to decide on a response, without the pressure of an outside audience.

My heart pounded in my chest when I noticed he naturally had a box. He opened the box, revealing the ring inside. It was beyond stunning, catching the soft light of the restaurant and sparkling with a brilliance that spoke volumes about the seriousness of his question.

But I was too lost in the thought of what this offer represented —commitment, adventure, and a future intertwined. Kids, would we have kids? I was 25, perhaps itwasn’t something he’d want in the near future, I hoped. Not that I didn’t want to become the mother of his children someday.

“There will never be anyone else but you. Will you marry me, Lucie?” His voice wavered with a hint of nervous vulnerability. My wide eyes probably made him doubt my response, but honestly, I was just trying to slow everything down.

I’d seen it coming, just not in this moment. He’d done his research, had carefully mapped out our dreams for the future to make sure they aligned. Not unexpectedly, happy tears clung to my lashes, blurring the edges of the world around us. “Absolutely yes,” I exclaimed, kneeling next to him, holding his hands around the ring box. Before I could fully process it, his lips crashed into mine, soft and urgent. “I love you,” he whispered against my mouth.

Husband and wife. We’d become family to each other, forging a bond that was stronger than the curses our families had faced. We melted into an embrace, without anyone walking in on us, the staff well aware that he’d want it that way.

“Can we go back to the start?” Sophie pleaded, swirling the straw in her boba tea with the same intensity she displayed while watchingThe Bachelor. The tapioca pearls danced in the cup, mirroring her restless energy. As always, she looked incredible, her blonde hair styled in glamorous waves reminiscent of stars from the ‘50s. The soft curls framed her face beautifully, echoing the iconic look of Jayne Mansfield. Her vintage floral dress accentuated her curves, which drew the ogling looks of the male audience around us. We’d chosen a small Bankers Hill coffee shop, then tugged ourselves away in a corner to have a conversation.

“It was a simple, yet perfect proposal,” I explained, recalling Julian’s plan to ask me at Mister A’s. “He really managed to catch me off guard, which I think was the point—choosing a setting that didn’t give it away ahead of time,” I speculated. Partof me had known it was coming, but I hadn’t expected Julian to decide so quickly. But I liked the fact that he was as certain about us as I was. It made the moment feel real, like we were both moving forward without hesitation.

“Show me your hand again,” she commanded, urging me to extend it in front of her.

I gladly obeyed, knowing that upsetting Sophie could trigger her heart condition. But beyond that, sharing the ring with one of my dearest friends filled me with genuine joy. In that moment, there was no one else I could have imagined sharing my excitement with, especially since we’d decided to wait until later to tell my Gram in person.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe he chose a round diamond! It means eternal love, unity, and perfection.” Her eyes glistened at the sight of Julian’s choice. “When is the wedding?” Her eyes lit up with anticipation.

“You know, we haven’t honestly talked about it yet. I don’t think either one of us is in a rush. And I haven’t even told you that Amanda wants me to finish an MBA in 10 months. So, definitely not before that.” I still needed to finish my application for the program.

She rolled her eyes. “Wow, Amanda is really throwing some challenges your way. What’s her game with this?”

I had to admit, my boss certainly knew how to keep things interesting. It was part of Amanda’s allure.

“We all know she likes you a lot,” Sophie notes. “She likes Julian, too. After all, he’s added value to her empire.” She pouted slightly as we waited for our hot drinks to arrive. “It might not be anything malicious, but at times it really feels like they’re competing over you—two megalomaniac magnates with colossal egos. I know I’m being blunt, especially since you’re marrying one of them, but you already recognize that Julian is the T. rex of real estate.”

Did Julian have the reputation of being ruthless in business? “What makes you say that Sophie?” By this point, she understood his real estate strategies far better than I did.

“Well, for one, he controls a huge portion of the investor market, uses the most aggressive strategy anyone’s ever seen, and his mere presence has the power to intimidate even the most seasoned agents,” she listed, outlining his strengths.

“I suppose that’s a fair summary.” Still, in my humble view, Julian was mostly just a punk still trying to figure out how to grow up. I didn’t know him from this side, though, except for the way his decisions seemed to turn into money almost overnight.

“And let’s be real,” Sophie continued. “Amanda’s ultimate goal in life is to be more famous than Oprah Winfrey. That’s not going to happen, by the way. It’s only natural that the two of them both want the majority of your time.”

I cackled. “I get your point. It’s just that I have an interest in what Amanda has to offer.” I didn’t like the idea of starting over, not if I could grow with my current position. I was now preparing to tell her the rest.

“Yeah,” Sophie winced. “But can we at least start wedding planning?” She eagerly jumped into the preparations.

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