Page 68 of The Fake Affair

“I’ve never forgotten. I was hiding away from the party.”

I lead her to the spot where we first talked. “Right here. You were drinking a thirty-year Macallan.”

She laughs softly. “I was. I nearly ruined your suit that night.”

I take her hands in mine. “You broke down every wall I built. Made me face every fear. Made me believe in second chances and happy endings, and all the things I thought weren’t meant for me.”

Her eyes widen as I drop to one knee.

“I love you,” I continue. “The real you. Not the assistant, the fake girlfriend, or the mother of my child. Just you. Brilliant, stubborn, incredible you.”

The ring catches the lights as I open the box. It’s vintage, like her taste. Classic, like our love story.

“Marry me, will you, because dating isn't enough,” I say. “I want this forever, and for real this time. No contracts, no pretense. Just us, building something real together. Forever.”

Tears slip down her cheeks. “You practiced that speech, didn’t you?”

“Maybe a little.”

“In front of our daughter?”

“She’s a very good listener.”

She laughs through her tears. “Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, you impossible man.” She pulls me up and kisses me deeply. “Always yes.”

I slide the ring onto her finger, right where it belongs—where she belongs, and where we belong.

“I love you,” she whispers against my lips.

Above us, stars peek through Manhattan’s glow. Below, the city hums with life. And here, on this terrace where everything began, we start our next chapter.

Together. Forever.

EPILOGUE

Bella

Five Months Later

“No, absolutely not.” I swipe left on my tablet, rejecting another over-the-top wedding venue. “I refuse to get married in a castle.”

From his position on the study floor, Logan looks up from where our daughter is attempting to climb his leg. “It’s a historic estate, not a castle.”

“It has turrets.”

“They’re architectural features.”

“It’s ridiculous.” I show him the price. “And that’s just for the basic package.”

“Money’s not an issue?—”

“Says the man who still hasn’t learned to load the dishwasher.” But I’m smiling as I say it. Some things never change.

Our daughter chooses that moment to successfully pull herself up using Logan’s tie. His entire face softens as he steadies her.

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