Chapter 14 - THE PROPOSAL
That evening, the Blackwood estate was bathed in the soft, warm glow of a hundred flickering candles.
Martha had taken Ethan upstairs for his bedtime story, leaving the grand terrace completely private. A gentle summer breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding oak trees, carrying the scent of blooming jasmine and distant ocean salt.
A small table for two had been set on the stone balcony overlooking the sparkling city lights below.
Victor pulled out Lily’s chair, seating her with effortless gentlemanly grace before taking his own place across from her. A bottle of vintage Champagne rested in a silver ice bucket beside them.
“You’ve been unusually quiet all evening, Victor,” Lily noted, a playful twinkle in her dark eyes. “Are you plotting another multi-billion-dollar corporate acquisition?”
Victor let out a low, genuine laugh. “No. In fact, I handed over the daily operational management of Blackwood Enterprises to my executive committee this afternoon.”
Lily set her glass down, surprised. “You did? Why?”
Victor leaned forward, resting his forearms on the white linen tablecloth. His gray eyes were intense, focused, and brimming with vulnerability.
“Because for the last ten years, I thought my purpose was to build an empire,” Victor said softly. “I thought success was measured in stock valuations, market dominance, and political leverage. But when I almost lost Ethan… when I almost lost you on that rooftop… I realized that none of that matters.”
Lily looked at him, captivated by the raw honesty in his voice.
“Claire gave me a second chance at life through her final letter,” Victor continued, reaching into his jacket pocket. “She told me that Ethan needed a mother who loved him, and that I needed a partner who had a real soul.”
Victor stood up from his chair. He walked around the table and stopped directly beside Lily.
He slowly knelt down on one knee on the cool stone terrace.
Lily gasped, her hands instinctively flying to cover her mouth, her eyes instantly filling with tears of shock and wonder.
Victor produced a small, velvet box—not the gaudy, oversized diamond case Serena had demanded, but a vintage, handcrafted platinum ring set with a flawless, radiant sapphire surrounded by delicate diamonds, reflecting the deep blue of the evening sky.
“Lily,” Victor said, his voice deep, steady, and filled with immense emotion. “You walked into my broken life when it was surrounded by darkness and deceit. You bled for my son. You gave our family hope when we had none left. You are the strongest, most compassionate, most incredible woman I have ever known.”
He opened the velvet box, presenting the ring to her under the candlelight.
“I don’t want to just give you a title, or a fortune, or a house,” Victor whispered. “I want to give you my whole heart, my loyalty, and my life. Lily… will you marry me?”
Tears poured down Lily’s cheeks, catching the moonlight.
She didn’t hesitate for a single second.
“Yes,” Lily choked out through her joyful tears, throwing her arms around his neck. “Yes, Victor! A thousand times yes!”
Victor stood up, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around on the candlelit terrace. He captured her lips in a deep, passionate kiss—a kiss that sealed the end of a long nightmare and marked the dawn of an unbreakable future.
When he finally set her down, his hands trembling slightly with pure happiness, he slid the sapphire ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.
May you like
“To our family,” Victor whispered against her forehead, resting his brow against hers.
“To our family,” Lily answered, holding him tightly as the city lights twinkled beneath them like stars.
