Risen From the Ashes
FEBRUARY 2017
"Oh no, this has to be the worst Valentine's Day gift ever," Adam muttered with Anastasia concurring wholeheartedly at the side, and they weren't referring to the media uproar over the weekend.
It was a day after the romantic date yet the two doctors were acting like yesterday was nothing special. Christian took her out on a date, initially to a carnival to reenact one of their many dates but they didn't have enough time, so he settled on taking a late night stroll at Pikes Place Market where they revisited the chocolate shop, and brought home some homemade mozzarella cheese. Taco joined them in a game of scrabble where he nudged every word off of the board and demanded there attention by stepping on the board in the middle and settling in between their laps.
The day was fun and romantic, but that only allowed them to escape reality for so long, it wasn't like everything was magically resolved by the end of the night. He was still bothered by the negotiations with the potential merger, and possibly the only one he'd ever sign. She was still plagued with worries regarding Rodriguez Senior's situation. And, José Junior was getting crankier each day with his father's condition not improving one bit.
At this very moment, on a Wednesday, all the doctors surrounded José Senior's ICU bed, gathered in the single room. The lead physician was going to submit the critical condition forms, and the next of kin would have to sign them. It had been a long debate in the medical team before critical condition had been declared, and right now, the paper was staring back at Adam and Anastasia in the eyes.
They shared a look that practically said this was it, however they kept it to themselves and remained professional when Junior appeared.
…
Just at the end of this month, Christian made up his mind. He was going to go through with the merger.
"How fast do you think this merger can be complete if we do sign?" Christian proposed to his executive team in a meeting preparation, they were going to meet with Junior and his team one last time before a settlement was reached and details of the merger could be hashed out so signatures could be drawn on contracts.
"A month, two tops legally speaking," Burt spoke up and the CFO nodded in assent, then after a quick consideration, all followed suit. It was plausible, just a little rushed.
"Perfect, then…" his sentence was cut of by a succession of rapid knocking on the conference room door, then it opened revealing a rather frantic looking Andrea.
"Mr Rodriguez is unable to make it to the meeting, his secretary just called and relayed the message that the merger has been called off."
"What!" Several exclaimed. Christian shot up from his seat and was about to demand a call back when his phone rang.
It was Anastasia.
…
Sawyer stepped before Anastasia, shielding her with his arms and body from the outbreak.
Adam stood by her side, flanking her but also defending himself. The hospital security had been called, but at this moment, she thought calling for a psychiatrist like John would be better.
They were already lucky enough that they were near the door when he broke down, and the doctors and nurses that were nearer to the bed took the harder blow. It was perfectly understandable for a family member, especially the next of kin, to break down and lose it completely when the patient was announced dead.
A few nurses and doctors stepped forward in an attempt to console him and lead him out of the room so the dead body could be examined, but the cries had attracted even more audiences as some nosy patient families stuck their heads inside of the private ICU suite.
The small room was suddenly crowded with irrelevant people, pushing Anastasia and Adam out of the door. They could faintly hear someone yelling for everyone to leave and also for the man grieving to step outside so the staff could work.
She turned her head and caught Adam's eyes, they shared a look of panic at the chaos, then the commotion got louder. A man broke out from the human shields that were the doctors and nurses. He charged out of the room at the two doctors hiding at the outskirts of the crowd.
"Did you two know that my father isn't going to make it?" He screamed over the loud noises from the other people talking over trying to calm him down demanding for an answer, only scaring Anastasia more and making Adam cringe away further. She clutched onto Sawyer for much needed comfort and protection, she knew he wouldn't fail her.
The crowd quietened as they waited for a response because the madman seemed to have calmed down a notch. His breath was labored and his chest was heaving up and down, but he suddenly felt like he was ten feet tall as he towered over the doctors, but not the bodyguard.
"We did," Anastasia spoke out.
"You did?" He spoke each word slowly through gritted teeth, his eyes darted to the guy next to her and her bodyguard.
"Did you know?" José pointed a menacing finger at Adam, getting up close to his face.
Adam nodded meekly, ready to fight for himself physically.
"Why didn't either of you tell me?" He cried, taking a step forward and forcing the other party to take the needed step back.
They felt like they were close enough to feel him breathing the same air as them.
"We aren't at liberty to provide you the information," one of them said.
"I trusted the two of you!" He threw his arms up, screaming in complete hysteria. "You were our family doctor turned friend, and I've consulted you in everything!" He turned to Adam, and then projected his fire aiming at Anastasia. "And you, we spent millions on you to save you and your boyfriend from bankrupting, and this is how you repay me?" He yelled at the top of his lungs, getting in their faces.
He reached out trying to claw at them, but the security showed up just in time to restrain them, so Adam didn't get hurt while Anastasia got pushed aside by Sawyer.
"Bitch, do you know how much I have to spend to settle your damn finances back when you asked me to be your proxy? How many favors I have to call in? You owe me your fucking life!" He roared at Anastasia, attempting to spit in her face if not for Sawyer's protection and the joint efforts of the hospital security.
Anastasia blanched but she didn't want to show her fear. He had gone completely mad the moment the death of Senior was announced and he lashed out at the doctors trying to revive the man, as well as the nurses, then he finally remembered his two friends who didn't give him any kind of warning.
She reached for her phone and dialed Christian's number.
"Christian," her voice shook involuntarily, and the commotion slowly died down as José got dragged away kicking and screaming. She vaguely heard Adam ordering someone to get a psychotherapist to give him an evaluation; wise minds think alike.
"What's wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine. Sawyer's with me. He died, and José went mad."
"Senior?" That came out as a shocked whisper.
Anastasia nodded mutely, and Christian didn't need the verbal confirmation.
"Fuck!" He slammed his fist down onto the desk, startling all of his staff.
She peered up and saw Adam approaching her. He mouthed something to her and she relayed the message to Christian .
"His lawyers are going to call a meeting right after they evaluate Junior's mental stability, but I'm afraid that he's gone. I saw it in his eyes, it was empty. Void and hollow. It was like his soul went with his father."
Christian's heart clenched at the tremble in her voice.
…
MARCH 2017
José truly went mad.
That complicated everything because Senior never would've ever anticipated this. His will had included everyone important, but he had miscalculated this one single thing—his fragile and over dependent son.
Gathered in the meeting room included Adam, Anastasia, and Christian, as well as Burt, and the Rodriguez family's lawyer. The will was now laid out on the table in the center, and the room was deathly quiet.
"According to the clause on the will, Mr Christian Grey is entrusted with full power of Mr José Rodriguez Sr's businesses and investments, and his son Mr José Rodriguez Jr. appointed as the chairman. However, with the sudden turn of events, as the family lawyer and after long discussions with Mr Rodriguez Sr's team and board, we have reached an agreement."
The family lawyer straightened his back and glared at Christian sternly.
"You are to go through the merger, under the condition that you must allow a member of the Rodriguez family to remain on the board at all times."
…
Breaking News — Merger of the Century: Christian Grey made billions overnight by merging with the Rodriguez legacy
Christian Grey Rivals Jeff Bezos in Net Worth
Christian Grey Coming Out the Other Side Stronger Than Ever Taking Over the Coastlines
Christian Grey inheriting the Rodriguez Family Business
"Holy shit! It's official now. You are now a true billionaire, Christian!"
Christian merely offered an appeasing smile that barely reached his eyes. He was exhausted, and he honestly doubt whether he truly was capable of handling such a grand empire; it basically represented the economy of the United States of America and the global chain.
That was a major responsibility.
He finally grasped the value and now he truly understood why Senior had been so generous when he gave away millions for him. It really was a drop in a bucket compared to all these weight thrown on his shoulders.
He was quickly distracted by his girl though, she was extremely happy for him, and that forced him to stop dwelling on the troubles ahead of him, instead he focused on the positive outcome.
He put on a brave smile and grabbed her hand as they braced for the rowdiest group of media circuit he had ever seen. Security was definitely a must now.
There was Senior's funeral, and it was expected of him to not only make an appearance but also to speak a few words. After all, he was a public figure and his funeral wouldn't be anything private. He and his family were notorious for going big.
…
… Expressing their deepest and greatest regret in the failure of fulfilling their parental duties as the parents of Christian Grey, Grace and Carrick Grey confessed to having moved from Seattle to Detroit "as a form of redemption" after being "rejected in the worst way possible by [Christian]." They have expressed their hope for a fresh start in Detroit and for a chance to reconcile with him…
… Coping Together is a foundation set up on behalf of their second son, Christian, when he was first adopted at the age of four. The charity has raised up to millions each year, and almost 90% of the money went into charitable activities, including helping single families to raise their children, or troubled single-parents and offer consultation support…
Published in March 22, 2017.
Composed and edited by Kate Kavanagh, investigative journalist at the New York Times.
"If you read in between the lines, you're going to find out that my parents are coward and irresponsible people. They just up and left the entire foundation in the hands of my siblings which all lack usable brain cells."
"Christian," Anastasia tutted. "Stop being so rude. You said that you hold nothing against them and you feel nothing about them, so why are you so worked up?"
"Because what they said aren't true!"
"Does it matter though? Does it matter that your mother is conflicting herself, and your father isn't doing any better? Or the fact that they've managed to adopt Isaac last Christmas? The world knows that you are estranged from your immediate family, so drop it and live your life as a pretty boy."
"Live my life as a pretty boy," he laughed, tossing the phone aside and pulled her into his lap.
"Yes, my pretty boy," she grinned cheekily, patting his cheek affectionately. "By the way, I need to tell you something, and I hope you're not going to be upset by it."
"Speaking of, I might have something to tell you, too. But," he bopped her nose with his lips. "You first."
"I accepted that job offer."
He studied her as he recalled what she was referring to, then suddenly it hit him.
"You did?" He exclaimed. "Isn't that a demotion?"
"It is, but Johns Hopkins has so much more potential and opportunities for me compared to Northwest. Besides, I think Addie is trying to get me to be in her position so she can climb higher."
"She's the head of department there," he recalled from their conversations.
"And she's trying to petition for a position on the executive management level, which deals with politics and less clinal stuff."
"She wants to backfill you into her current position?" Christian checked in utmost amazement. She nodded, and he squeezed her tighter. "I knew you'd achieve great things!"
"You're not upset that we have to move to Baltimore?"
"Nope, not one bit," he shook his head still grinning from ear to ear. "Because," he answered her puzzled face. "I'm promoting Ros to take over the affairs over at the West Coast, managing Seattle's headquarter for GEH, and I will be setting up a headquarter in Baltimore for the company. Granted, GEH is still a separate entity from Rockefeller, Incorporated in public, but at least I can manage them together from one office. I did unceremoniously put it under the GEH umbrella just so it's easier to manage and not inform any of the board members."
She didn't know anything about how a merger worked, so she assumed that it was a safe thing to do to actually put a multi-billion dollar company under a million dollar brand like it was an acquisition.
"Rockefeller," she chuckled, still finding it unbelievable that the Rodriguez actually took over this family legacy. More precisely, the business portion and not the portion in manufacturing industry.
"When is your last day here?"
"Easter, and I start after the holiday at Johns Hopkins."
"That's… immediate… but we do need to scout the places out ourselves, so what do you say we fly out each weekend?"
…
APRIL 2017
Flying back and forth in a chartered jet between Baltimore and Seattle had been how the couple spent their weekends in March. Christian would fly out on Friday night since Anastasia worked on Saturdays, and spend the next day scouting office buildings and meeting with realtors. Then, she would join him on Saturday night and they would spend Sundays looking for their homes. On Sunday night, Christian would fly back and Anastasia would be in Johns Hopkins shadowing Addie to prep for her new job.
It was the first day of April, and a Saturday, but a colleague of hers was working for her since she had no surgery planned, so she flew out with Christian yesterday night.
"Aren't we going to go real estate hunting?" She asked in the car as Taylor drove them to a destination that she had yet to be informed of. She only recognized the route they were currently going down because she had been in Baltimore for a couple of years and had explored some of the city.
"I've found my office place."
"You did? When?"
"I've actually already signed the lease," he grinned at her look of pure astonishment. "I spent more time looking for a house for us than a building for my company because I actually don't need to look that hard for an office building."
"Why?"
"Remember that shipyard?"
"You took their headquarters?"
"I bought the building they were located in, so now I'm occupying the entire top floor."
"You're kicking every other tenants out?"
"Oh no, the tenants are my employees," he smirked arrogantly, and Anastasia's eyes widened.
"You bought every company in there?"
"No," he shrugged and that was even more confusing for her, "the companies that are in the building all belong to Rockefeller, Inc., there is only one company that I have to acquire, and that is the corporation responsible for the security in the building."
"Are you looking to concur the whole of America?" She joked, she had no idea she was actually looking at a leading business figure globally recognized. It all happened overnight, and she lived too close to the scene that she really couldn't feel the change or grasp the magnitude of it.
"I'm not that big of a fish in the ocean."
"No, you're not, you're a shark, Mr Grey," she told him in a serious attitude.
"There are even more sharks crazier than me around," he pointed out. "I have to step up my game," he said, then laughing at his own corniness.
"Where are we going, then?"
"It's a surprise," he told her, perfecting his new character by playing the cheesy part. She groaned at him, making him laugh and break out of character. "Okay, we're going to look at another house that I'm sure your father would love."
"If you know that my dad will love it, then you'll know that we won't like it one bit."
"It's just craftsman style."
"Yeah, that's exactly what my dad would like, so why are we even entertaining the idea? Are you seriously going to live up to the multi-billionaire status by actually spend all the money that you have inherited from Rodriguez?"
"No, I'm not spending it on anything unnecessary, I'm only buying stuff that I could've bought if Elena didn't delay my plans."
She glared at him with skepticism.
"Okay, I may have thought about buying a new house for your folks."
"May have…" she toyed the words on her tongue.
"Don't tell me you haven't even entertained the idea of changing a house for them?"
"I have, I just never had the money so I've laid my actions on hold. Besides, have you tried to talk them into moving out, because the last time I did, I was the one that moved out."
He laughed wholeheartedly at her more than accurate narration. From the few quality times he had spent with the Steeles, he had learned that they were not only proud but also very old-fashioned when it comes to materialistic ideologies. Their house was definitely out-dated, but they still wouldn't change it because they still believed that they could live comfortably.
Despite the protests from every family member who had visited. They kept the complaints to themselves but Anastasia had once explicitly pointed out how their house couldn't keep the warmth inside in the winter and the coolness indoor in the summer. How their toilet kept getting clogged with the smallest tissue paper just because it was old. Or how their wooden door frame would so easily deform from a single scratch.
Then there was the possibility of them getting tricked into selling their collections to some solicitor that would come knocking on their door every once in a while. Anastasia had been yelling at them for opening doors for random people for years, but they always believed that the neighborhood was harmless, and that everyone who came around wouldn't have any ulterior motives.
"Maybe you should try it, they've banned me from bringing up the topic. You can pretend that you don't know about it and approach them carefully, then tell them that you've got all the money in the world, waiting to spend it on them."
Christian laughed again, and she huffed, because he couldn't grasp how hard she had tried to change her parents' mind.
"One perk about that house though, it's got a huge land so Tucks can run around freely," he showed her the pictures from the real estate website.
"Methinks our daft pooch will just wander off and disappear."
"Just like how he always dreamed of."
They laughed at their dog's infamous unwillingness to return home each time they went out.
"I liked the colonial interior," she pulled up the pictures that she had taken from one of their tours.
"But not the exterior," he finished for her. She nodded, scrunching up her nose.
"And, it's not like we have to worry about our commute to work since we both work in the city center, which is like thirty minutes max from all of the houses that we've been to."
"So we've narrowed it down to three options. Two from Ponte Villas and one near the coast."
"You did say that you want to build a yacht," she reminded him as they took everything into account.
"I actually liked one of Rodriguez's estate but I only inherited his business," he feigned regret. She punched him on the stomach playfully.
"Snap out of it, Grey," he had been eyeing that property for the longest time because it was near the waters. "Don't be so greedy."
"Can we get both? A villa and the mansion by the water?"
"Are you serious?" She exclaimed incredulously.
"Like a heart attack."
"No," she answered plainly and his face dropped.
"Are you serious?" He whined like a petulant child. "It's not like we can't afford it. I mean, we can totally get them even if I didn't get anything from Rodriguez. We had enough money then, and we definitely have it now. I was already well on my way to making my first billion, and then a bucket full of cash landed in my lap, so now we're thousand times richer."
She giggled as she listened to him ramble, her eyes darted to the rearview mirror and met Taylor's, he had an identical smirk on his face as Sawyer's, the both of them had never seen their boss so giddy, and carefree than he was at this moment.
"Yes, I am serious," she spoke dryly after containing her laughter, she was serious when she said that they didn't need to buy two huge houses.
"We can rent one out, and that'd make a great investment. It'll also be a steady income."
"Like we need it," she snorted.
"Okay, that's a lame reason but, please?"
She laughed, "I didn't think you'd resort to begging so soon."
"I am because we're at this ranch that I told you about where the land is huge," he glanced outside but held her wrist when she moved to open her door to get out.
"It's your money, Christian," she told him, and he took it as her consent to spend it on the two houses that he fancied. She just had to choose one to be their family home.
He grinned and stepped out of the car, rounding it to meet her. They were standing at a meadow that resembled a park, and she truly liked the environment, and knew that Taco would be thrilled to have this as his own. However, the likelihood of him not coming back home until he remembered that he was actually a domestic pet was only increasing when she glanced around.
"I like the meadow but I don't like the house," she told him.
"We could remodel it."
"Okay, we are not even going consider this piece," she put her hand on his sternum to tell him off firmly. He peered down at her amusedly. "We are only here because… hell, I don't even know why we're here, but it's the villa or the one by the water."
"Not this one but the other two," he negotiated.
"I don't care, but I'm vetoing this one."
He laughed but didn't fight her on that because the crew that he was waiting for had arrived when two other cars pulled up behind theirs.
"We're actually not here for the house," he confessed last minute, not giving her a chance to avenge for getting tricked because her attention was immediately pulled away by the five people who showed up from the cars.
"Ethan!" She gasped and opened her arms, squealing as she got picked up and spun around. Christian narrowed his eyes at the man, he had never thought Anastasia would be the most excited to see him of all people.
His own siblings slowly reached him, and Elliot while trying to play it cool with his hands stuffed in his pants pockets, they were actually sweating inside the cloth. Mia gave Christian a hug, although less awkward than Elliot's handshake, it was still strained.
"What are the two of you doing here?"
"To save you from their awkwardness," Kate whispered conspiratorially to her, still locking her in a tight hug.
"Elliot asked him to hangout and go on a hike," Anastasia filled Ethan in on what was going on. The two girls giggled together as they watched the three siblings from afar, and Christian's pained expression.
"Are we going on that same trail as them?" Ethan asked, still unaware of the plan, he was dragged on to a plane by his sister last minute when he planned to never get out of bed this weekend.
"Yes, because Ana doesn't want to leave Christian," Kate said with an exaggerated eye roll.
…
"I really feel like we're stalking them," Ethan mumbled, now stuck in between the two girls that he considered as sisters. He enjoyed hanging out with them, even when they were all giggly and bubbly like girls, but he truly had no idea what made him agree to join his silly younger sisters on this trip.
"Doesn't matter," Anastasia brushed it off for the umpteenth time, and broke out into fits of giggles with Kate. Ethan groaned and rolled his eyes defeatedly, even he wanted to join the awkward siblings before them.
"We can go on a different trail, you know, or we can just go scout out other houses around here," Kate pulled out the map from Ethan's back pocket and started to read it like it was some foreign language.
"I truly believe that the two of you are intoxicated," Ethan commented but got no response.
They continued to walk with the two girls having their noses stuck in the map, leaving Ethan to watch out for them and steering them away from trees and bushes.
"Guys, I hate to break it to you, but," he brought their heads up from the map and twisted them to face forward interrupting their moment of epiphany. "We're at the end of the trail already, unless you two wanted to go back in."
The two of them stared ahead and then shared a glance.
"Oh."
…
All six of them were now gathered in front of the house that they initially met at, and it was already late in the afternoon. Anastasia had no idea how the siblings did because she had been too focused on riling Ethan up with Kate by acting like irresponsible school girls, but from the looks of it, everything seemed to be fine now.
Ethan had been avoiding Mia's advances, and he was glad that Kate and Anastasia didn't push him into Mia's open arms because he genuinely didn't want to lead the poor girl on any more. He had an inkling that Mia had developed feelings for him, but he didn't reciprocate them, so he wanted to make it clear that he couldn't offer her what she was looking for.
However, he wasn't so successful at avoiding her attentions now that Christian had demanded Anastasia's, and Elliot bounding to Kate like they were old friends despite Kate's less than welcoming facial expression.
Crap.
"You've been avoiding me, haven't you, Ethan?"
Double crap.
…
"Kate, hey," Elliot rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Talking to Kate hadn't been easy, at all. "I just want to say thank you for helping out."
"I hope you and your siblings caught up," she replied politely but she really wasn't the one that pushed for this meeting, it was Anastasia.
"We're… getting there," he admitted.
"You need to thank Ana, I only gave you her number."
He didn't say that he actually had her number, but any chance to be in Kate's presence.
"I know, but… well, you encouraged me," he said lamely.
"Listen, Elliot, I don't know you very well but this truly is nothing. I've done what I can to help, so it's really no biggie."
"Will you go out on a date with me?" He blurted out after staring at her and making her uncomfortable for the longest time.
Kate's eyes spied Anastasia blatantly staring at her, Christian had his arm draped across her shoulder looking at the side of her face, his other hand fiddling with something in his pocket. Her eyes snapped back to focus on the man standing before her.
"Is this a joke?" She tilted her head, examining his body language. Kate was really lost for words, and she knew her outburst had probably caused Ethan and Mia to turn their heads. At least Ethan had looked over while Mia was still talking animatedly. "Happy April Fools', El."
"No, this isn't a joke," in his panicked state, he reached out and grasped her forearm. "Look, Kate, I don't know how to do this because I've never done this before, but I truly mean it. I want to get to know you better."
Kate was still staring at him unfazed. She wanted to argue back that she wasn't willing to date, or open to a relationship but bit back, because that wasn't entirely true. She wouldn't say it just to spite him, because Elliot was still a good man.
"I won't lie and say that I couldn't get you out of my mind after our night together, but our repeated chance encounter did serve as a constant reminder of how alluring you are."
She narrowed her eyes at him, she was simply now giving him a hard time. He was acting very uncharacteristically right now, and it was honestly entertaining. She had already persuaded herself that one date wouldn't hurt, so she was ready to say yes.
"I found myself getting attracted to you after we ran into each other in that BDSM club in New York," he admitted but a part of him was reminded of the scandal that broke out later which smudged his brother's good name, for the second time since Elena-gate. "What do you say, Kate?"
"I say, text me," for the first time in his recent memories, she smiled.
Having no idea what went over him, he pulled her into a tight hug, shocking her and him both.
…
"The next time we're here, we won't have to be paying for our residence," he grinned down lazily at her, and reached down capturing her bottom lip in between his teeth. "You are enticing as ever, baby," he moved to suck on her jaw, then trailed down her throat.
"Can I get on top for the next round?" She asked shyly in a small voice, her cheeks still crimson from their earlier love making and fucking, and she could feel the heat spreading to the end of her limbs with that question.
"Don't be shy," he teased her.
"I've never discussed sex when I'm sober."
"You've never? What about the last time when you yelled for me to fuck you senseless? If I recall, it just happened hours ago in the shower."
"I was in a moment, so that's not sober."
"So, that's your definition?" He smirked salaciously, but there was a nervous gleam in his eyes.
She bit her lip and nodded slowly, her breath hitched as she waited for his answer.
"I've got an idea," he leapt off of her and picked up his discarded pants from the floor. Taking out the small box that he was fiddling with earlier inside his pocket. The box was of Cartier's trademark design and it was velvet and cubic.
He sauntered back to the bed with the small jewelry box in hand, she had already sat up with the sheet loosely covering her bare front while he was nude from top to bottom as he sat down on the edge of the bed, shamelessly naked.
"For you," he waited for her to pick up the box from his outstretched palm, and his heart stopped when she did. The only concern he had was that it fit and she'd like the design. "It'll spice things up so much more if you wear this while you ride me," he added, moving closer to her, urging her to open the box.
"Oh… my fucking god!"
Her eyes snapped up to meet his.
"Is this a joke?" She echoed Kate's first reaction, though she only did this to pull Christian's leg.
"Happy April Fools', baby," he humored her. Thankfully, he caught on what she was referring to and had paid attention to what she had witnessed earlier at the meadow.
"Are you really proposing?"
"I thought I already did. You want the show, again?"
"No, but… officially this time?"
"Just a belated engagement ring. Do you like it?" He shrugged it off nonchalantly but he was feeling anything but nonchalance.
The other hand that was holding the sheets let go of the fabric and fanned herself to dry the tears that were flowing down freely like a river, her visions of this magnificent ring were now officially blurred by them.
Unable to admire the specimen through the water in her eye-sockets, she squeezed her eyes shut and threw her arms around his neck, and pulled herself into his lap.
He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her chest. Then, he took the box from her trembling hand. Next, he picked up the ring and her left hand.
She flexed her fingers when she felt the tip of it touching the cool metallic item.
"This is happening," she whispered as she watched him slide the ring smoothly onto her ring finger, and it settled at the root of her finger steadily.
"Three words and eight letters, you say it and I'm yours," he whispered in her ear as she admired the ring now resting peacefully around her finger.
"I love you," she said gazing into his eyes.
"You're now mine, officially," he declared cheekily, kissing her tear-stained cheeks. He didn't tell her that this ring costed a couple of millions and that he had actually had this money saved up long ago before he even know that it would actually cost this much.
"I'm yours," she cupped his face. "And, I couldn't be happier, Christian."
Fin.
A show of hands who's interested in the original edition of this story (only a few chapters)?
Also, a few outtakes are in order, so stay tuned. I don't have an update schedule for them, but I'm marking this complete.
Thank you for all the reviews and everyone for putting up with my shit over the journey!
I posted a new story called Between You And Me the other day, I am really sorry that I do not have an update schedule, but still give it a try if you haven't and let me know how it is?
The sequel of 24 is still a work in-progress.
Laters, baby x
-SapphireTrafficker-
