The house always had a kind of liveliness to it with the amount of staff inside the mansion and around the house.
Though she had never really paid much attention to it, Reyona realised there was always a subtle sound going on somewhere in the house from someone doing something or going somewhere.
At the moment, it seemed like she was the only one in the house.
"Where is everyone?" she wondered.
"Maxwell?"
"Jane?"
"Toria?"
Maybe she should have checked Toria's room.
But knowing her sister, she knew Toria would not be in bed till now unless something was wrong.
Or if she had gone partying.
They had met her at home the day before while she was busy working and giving some suppliers hell for delayed delivery.
When they had their dinner sent to them in bed, Reyona asked if Toria and her mum had sat for dinner, but the maid had said Miss Dexter was still busy with work and Mrs Rochester had eaten with Junior and Jane.
It looked like Toria had worked late last night, so she wouldn't have had the time to get wasted at the club to the point of sleeping in till now.
"Mum?" Reyona called as she got to the top of the stairs, and she couldn't see anyone in the living room either.
She was reaching for her phone when she realised she had forgotten it in the room in her haste to share her news with them.
The news that nobody was around to hear!
She turned around with a huff to go get her phone.
Maybe she would even remove…
"Hello, beautiful." She heard his voice simultaneously with the sound of footsteps from below.
Her slight frown dissolved into a beaming smile as she saw the bouquet of red and white Chrysanthemum.
"Have I ever told you that your smile lights up my world?" he said as he slowly came up the stairs.
"Maxwell," Reyona said in an overwhelmed voice as tears tickled her eyes.
He was dressed up too!
He looked handsome in a light blue button-down shirt with rolled-up sleeves, khaki chinos, and exotic white sneakers.
He had a silver watch which matched her silver bracelet.
The first two buttons on the shirt were undone, and he peeled back the lapel, revealing a hint of his tantalising chest that Reyona's hand immediately itched to touch.
His eyes glistened with unspoken emotions as he reached her.
Reyona couldn't hold back the tears lacing her eyes as his hand trembled slightly when he raised it to tuck her hair behind her ear.
"You beautify my world, Reyona. I am so lucky to have you in my life," he said before he kissed her forehead.
He leaned back and trailed his finger down her face to her lips as they stared at each other's eyes mesmerisingly.
He silently handed the flowers to her.
Reyona bent her head and drew in the heady scent that had nothing on the most intoxicating scent she had ever known. His scent.
His scent mingled with the sweet and earthy smell of the flowers. She looked back at him as she asked "I love it. How do you know that I love Chrysanthemum?"
"I have my ways," he said with a sheepish smile.
Toria.
In contemplation, she said, "We still have a lot to learn about each other, don't we?"
"I will gladly spend the rest of my life learning all I need to learn about you. Knowing everything I learn about you will only make me love you more. I am eager to start, Mrs Rohan."
She nodded and hugged him. "Thank you for the flowers.", then she whispered in his ears. "I love you."
She felt his body stilled.
Then he slowly moved back from her embrace and Reyona was bowled over by the look in his eyes as he looked into her eyes. "You…you mean that?" he said in a breathy voice.
"Hmm," Reyona said with a beaming smile as she placed the bouquet against the newel post and smoothly cinched her hands behind his neck as she moved closer to him.
When she placed her head against his chest, it felt like coming home.
She closed her eyes against the rush of emotions as she sighed and said "I should have told you a bit earlier but…"
"This is as perfect a time as any other," Maxwell said as he placed his hand at the sides of her face and brought her face closer to his. "You have…you don't know how much it means to hear you say that. I promise to never make you regret trusting me with your heart, Reyona."
Tears filled her eyes as she nodded slowly.
How did he get to understand her so well sometimes?
"Can I hear you say it again? I have been dying to hear it for a long time," he said in a heartfelt tone.
Reyona smiled and looked straight into his eyes as she said "I love you, Maxwell Rohan. I love you more than I ever believed it is possible to love anyone again. I love you in a way I have never loved any man before. I…"
She saw tears slide down the side of his face just before he seized her lips with his.
They breathlessly kissed each other for a long while before they separated breathlessly.
Reyona had never realised how liberating it would feel to finally say it out loud.
As they gave each other a long look, she knew in her mind that it was the right thing to do.
She just had this conviction she couldn't explain.
He shook his head as if he still couldn't believe his fortune, then he laid his hand on her stomach.
"I can't believe I got to start a family with such a phenomenal woman like you. How did I get so lucky?"
Reyona's eyes widened as she remembered what she had been excited about earlier. "She kicked. Pat kicked. Twice!"
"What?!" Maxwell exclaimed with a proud smile on his face.
He quickly leaned towards her belly and placed his ear against it. "Hey there. It is me. It is Dad."
Nothing.
"Hello, Pat?" Reyona called expectantly, expecting the baby to kick again.
Nothing.
He looked like a kid who had been denied his candy when he raised his head.
Reyona shrugged slightly as she said, "I guess she will do it when she is ready?" Then her eyes brightened again as she said "It was the most incredible feeling ever. I was coming out to tell you…where is everyone by the way?" she asked suddenly as she looked around with a questioning look.
His wistful look morphed into a secretive smile as he curved his arm for her to take "Come with me, ma'am."
"What is going on?" Reyona smiled fully as she took his arm. Then she looked back at the flowers. "My flowers."
"Someone will put it in the water for you," he said. "Come along now. We can't have the celebrant missing her event, you know."
"What event?" she asked curiously as they walked down the stairs.
He only chuckled and said, "There might not be one if we never showed up."
Reyona flicked her hair back and got into character as she said "Haven't you heard about being fashionably late? Who else has the right to be late if not the celebrant?"
He laughed, and she tugged at his lapel. "Whatever this is, I love it already. I love the way you look in that."
Then she saw what she had overlooked when she was on the landing.
A red carpet that led towards the grand foyer.