Chapter 77 I Choose You
“Nine years?!” Evelyn repeated, pulling away from his embrace completely now. She turned to stare at him, her gaze complicated, disbelieving.
She didn’t know what to feel.
Her chest tightened.
Nine years. That wasn’t just a relationship. That was almost a lifetime of memories.
“That’s almost a decade,” she said quietly.
He watched her carefully, his expression unreadable. "It was."
"Were you engaged?"
The question slipped out before she could stop herself.
He went silent for a moment.
"...At one point.”
Her breath caught.
Of course they were. Nine years. Families must have known. There must have been plans, discussions about the future, a life mapped out together.
“Why did it end?” she asked, her breathing uneven.
Roman’s jaw tightened. “It ran its course.”
“That’s not an answer.”
He held her gaze this time. “Let's just say our plans for the future didn't align. She wanted a life that didn’t align with me. Or my current values.”
There was something in his tone she couldn’t decipher.
So… if their plans had aligned?
“You loved her,” she said softly.
He didn’t deny it. “That was a long time ago.”
"Roman."
Silence stretched between them.
"Yes," he finally said. "At one point."
At one point?
So he loved her. And then at some point, he stopped.
Somehow, that made it worse.
Evelyn swallowed hard. The next question rose from somewhere deep inside her, raw and unbidden.
"Do you love me?”
The question hung heavy in the air.
Roman had always been everything to her. Kind, affectionate, patient, and possessive in quiet ways.
When it came to sweet words, Roman was generous, especially in those intimate moments when he whispered things that made her blush and melt.
But now that she thought about it…
He had never said I love you.
It hadn't bothered her before. This marriage had started as a contract, even if he'd said he wanted it real. She'd told herself the words didn't matter.
But now they did.
Because somewhere along the way, she had forgotten herself. Forgotten her revenge against Nathan. Forgotten her plans, her future, everything. Her world had narrowed to him.
It was as if she was seeing clearly for the first time.
The silence stretched. Roman just looked at her, saying nothing.
Evelyn's eyes glistened, but she held her composure.
“It’s fine,” she murmured, turning away. “If you don’t want to say anything.”
Before she could take another step, his arms wrapped around her from behind. He pulled her against his chest, holding her tightly.
“Lyn,” he said quietly. “Don’t try to compete with my past.”
She stiffened slightly.
"Yes, I gave her nine years of my life." His hands rested gently on her waist. "But I chose you in less than one.”
Her breath faltered. The words landed heavily.
“I don’t measure my feelings by time,” he continued. “I measure them by certainty.”
She trembled in his arms. "And you're certain?”
His chin rested lightly on her shoulder.
“I married you,” he said. “Not because of how we met. Not because of my family. Not because of business. Not because of my father’s rules.”
His lips brushed her neck gently.
“I married you because I wanted to.”
A shiver ran through her. Her heart fluttered wildly.
“But you’ve never said you love me,” she whispered. “So I don’t know what to believe.”
Roman chuckled softly, the vibration of it humming through her back.
"In that aspect," he murmured against her skin, nipping gently at her neck, "I prefer showing over telling.”
The weight in her chest began to lift.
"Trust me," he continued, "you won't see me like this with anyone else. Not even with her." His arms tightened around her. "And if you want me to say it, I'll say it a thousand times.”
He turned her gently in his arms, cupping her face in his hands.
"Lyn." His eyes held hers deeply. "I love you.”
The words were clear.
Her heart slammed against her ribs. Evelyn's face broke into a smile she couldn't contain.
She quickly turned around to hide her expression.
"And you're sure of your feelings?" she asked, needing to hear it again.
Roman pulled her into a warm hug, smiling against her neck as his breath tickled her skin.
“I’m not reckless with my decisions,” he continued. “And I’m not reckless with my feelings. I'm more than sure.”
She bit her lip. "What if I don't love you?”
He couldn't see her expression from behind, so she decided to ask.
“Me loving you is enough.” His voice was steady, certain. “I won't ask you to love me back. I just want you to really see me as your husband.”
Evelyn couldn't hold back anymore.
She turned in his arms and threw herself against his chest, hugging him with everything she had. Her face buried in the warmth of him, her arms locked around his waist.
Roman went still for a moment, startled. Then he smiled.
His arms came around her, holding her close. One hand stroked her hair gently, tenderly.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
In that moment, wrapped in each other, Evelyn finally understood.
Love wasn't always about the words.
Sometimes it was about the arms that held you. The patience that waited. The choice made again and again, every single day.
Because Nathan had always said the word I love you for 3 years, but Roman had not once said it, but everything he did, proved a point.
She lifted her head slightly, just enough to whisper against his chest.
"I love you too."
Roman trembled slightly, his arms tightened around her subconsciously.
Just as the moment settled between them, a knock sounded at the door.
Evelyn stiffened slightly in Roman's arms, her face heating as she realized how thoroughly she'd just melted against him.
“Young master, Madame." Mrs. Chen's voice came through the door, warmly. "The table is set whenever you're ready.”
Evelyn pulled away reluctantly, her cheeks still burning.
“L-let’s go downstairs for lunch,” she said, avoiding his eyes.
Roman chuckled at her flushed expression. He leaned down and placed a slow kiss against her cheek before intertwining their fingers.
“Alright,” he murmured, leading her out.
When they reached the dining area, Mrs. Chen caught sight of Evelyn’s red face and Roman’s unusually relaxed expression.
Her own cheeks tinted pink.
“Oh my,” she muttered under her breath, assuming she had interrupted something private. After placing the dishes down, she excused herself quickly, retreating toward the kitchen.
Roman pulled out a chair for Evelyn and sat beside her instead of across from her. At some point, he began feeding her absentmindedly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Evelyn accepted them with a shy smile that slowly relaxed into contentment.
Mrs. Chen had finished tidying the kitchen and was heading to her room when she remembered something.
She quickly wiped her hands thoroughly and headed to the storage room. After rummaging for a moment, she retrieved a neatly preserved parcel.
When she returned to the dining room, she paused.
Roman was holding Evelyn’s wrist lightly, guiding the spoon toward her lips. Evelyn was smiling faintly.
Mrs. Chen hesitated.
‘Perhaps later…’
She turned quietly
But Evelyn caught the movement from the corner of her eye.
“Mrs. Chen?” She turned, noticing the envelope. "What's that?”
Mrs. Chen stiffened slightly before turning back with an awkward laugh.
“Ah, this was mailed months ago. It has Madame's name on it. It arrived shortly after you both left for your vacation.”
Roman’s hand stilled.
Evelyn frowned. “Months ago?”
“Yes. I kept it in storage, thinking you would check it when you returned.”
Roman’s brows slowly furrowed.
Evelyn’s stomach tightened.
‘A parcel? Left months ago.’
Her mind immediately flashed back to the box she once saw at the front of her house, that had her mother’s picture and a necklace.
‘The necklace…’
She had almost forgotten about it.
Mrs. Chen quickly added, “You should continue eating. I can bring it to your room later—”
“No,” Evelyn interrupted, standing up.
The urge to know what was inside grew stronger by the second.
“Please bring it here.”
Mrs. Chen handed it over carefully, and excused herself.
The dining room felt strangely quiet.
Evelyn turned the envelope over.
The moment her eyes landed on the seal pressed into the back flap, her eyes widened in surprise. Her hands trembled in excitement, but it quickly died down.
Her fingers tightened around the envelope, suddenly feeling conflicted.
Slowly, she lifted her eyes to Roman, to find his gaze was fixed on the seal.
He quickly turned to her, a surprised and questioning look flashing across his face.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. She was at a loss for words.