Chapter 19%
In Canada, inside the elegant City Light Hotel, Chelsea and Alaric sat across from each other at a quiet table.
Alaric reached behind him and pulled out a small, beautifully wrapped gift box. He smiled as he handed it over.}
“Chelsea, for you. Just a little something to help you recover from today’s scare.”X
She accepted it with a gentle smile, but the moment she opened the box, her smile froze.
Inside lay a stunning necklace, its centerpiece a deep blue sapphire–The Mermaid’s Heart, a legendary heirloom passed down through generations of his family.
Chelsea knew exactly what it meant for Alaric to give this to her
As such, she slowly pushed the box back toward him.”
“Alaric, this is too precious. I can’t accept it.“”
As she started to pull her hand away, Alaric reached out and gently held it in his warm, steady grasp.
“Chelsea… after all this time, do you still not see how I feel about you?”
His voice was soft, but there was an urgency beneath it.
Chelsea’s eyes met his. Those eyes, bright as starlight, left her unsure of how to respond.”
A month ago, Alaric had brought her back to her family. To keep her parents from worrying, she kept everything that had happened a secret–until those photos of her and Alaric surfaced online.
Once her parents saw them, there was no hiding anymore. So, she told them everything.”
And that’s when she learned the truth.
Magnus had never truly wanted to marry her. Her father had forced his hand, threatening to cut his family off from any support unless Magnus agreed to the marriage.
But how could her father not see it? Love that’s forced never ends well. It only leaves everyone broken and bleeding.
The scandalous photos had brought Alaric to Chelsea’s home, where he reassured her family over and over that what the internet said wasn’t true. Then, with their blessing, he took Chelsea away.
And now, he was laying it all bare, placing his family’s most treasured heirloom in front of her like an open confession.
“Chelsea, Alaric said softly, holding her hand tighter. “You might not know this, but I’ve loved you for a very, very long time.”
His voice was calm, but the slight tremble in it gave away his nerves.!!
“It started back at that party when we were kids.”
Chelsea looked up at him, eyes wide in surprise.
She never imagined his feelings dated back that far. Back then, they had barely even exchanged a few words.
Alaric continued, his voice low and sincere, “There are a lot of kids in my family. And I was always the one who got the least attention. I was never supposed to be the heir. My mom had just passed away from cancer, and my grandfather was ready to send me away to the countryside I really thought that was it for me. But then you showed up.”
“You stood in front of me with a slice of cake and told me not to be sad. That everything was going to be okay. Maybe it didn’t mean much to you at the time, but to me… that moment changed everything. No one had ever cared how I felt. Not even once.”
“Since then, I wanted to be near you. Closer. So, I worked harder than ever. I fought back against everything my family had planned for me. In the end, I beat them all. I became the next heir
He paused, his gaze locking onto hers. “But just when I was finally ready to come find you… you’d already fallen for Magnus.”
