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As the year drew to a close, Cosmo became even busier. He left early in the morning and returned late at night, which meant Eloise rarely got to spend time with him.

On New Year’s Eve, Cosmo finally had some free time. He planned ahead and invited Sasha and Faro to celebrate the New Year with them at Stillwater Bay.

Faro had been to the villa before, but it was Sasha’s first time, and she was full of excitement. Eloise warmly allowed her to explore the house.

“When you see a woman’s cloakroom, you also see what kind of man she has,” Sasha remarked as she looked around. “Some men are rich and powerful but stingy with their wives, yet they spoil their mistresses.”

Eloise smiled as she followed her. “Still, a wife is like a man’s image. Even if it’s just for show, he still spends so he won’t be embarrassed.”

“And what about the women who still have to beg their husbands for clothes and jewelry money? That doesn’t feel like a wife at all.” Sasha shook her head. “That’s why, when a woman gets married, she has to keep her eyes open. If things aren’t working out, she needs to know when to step back. Better to divorce early.”

Eloise kept quiet. When it came to money, Cosmo never let her go without. Before they even talked about expenses, he already had everything prepared.

“Wow, I can’t believe you have this bag,” Sasha said excitedly, staring at a pink bag inside the glass case. “It was sold out everywhere in Europe last time! And here it is, just sitting in your house? Cosmo really has good taste. He actually makes an effort for you.”

Sasha looked through Eloise’s bags and wardrobe. Almost everything was limited edition and matched Eloise’s personality perfectly.

Eloise laughed. “Good thing Cosmo’s great in all aspects. But I invited you here to relax, not to audit my husband.”

“Of course I have to audit him! If I don’t, how can he improve? You’re too attached. Me, I’m just an observer. I can see more clearly if something’s wrong. I don’t want you to get the short end of the stick,” Sasha replied.

After touring the house, they went back to the living room. Cosmo and Faro were having coffee. Sasha immediately grabbed Faro’s cup and took a sip.

“You took mine?” Faro asked with a smile. “You have your own cup right there.”

“Hmp! We’re close now. Do we really need separate cups?” she replied and handed it back.

Faro just shook his head quietly.

Meanwhile, Cosmo looked over at Eloise and smiled. “You know everything about me.”

Eloise raised an eyebrow. Looks like my best friend really enjoys stirring things up.

Dinner was abundant and cheerful. It was rare for them all to be together at the house, so the conversation flowed easily. After the meal, Sasha and Faro left right away.

Eloise knew they had their own plans. They had even reserved a river-view room to watch the fireworks. Romantic and sweet, perfect for the New Year’s mood.

When only she and Cosmo were left, it suddenly felt like they were an “old married couple.”

“Do you want to see the fireworks too?” Cosmo asked.

Eloise smiled. “No need. I’d rather stay here with you. I’m not the type who chases after things like that. What matters is who I’m with.”

“If you want, I can still arrange it. Don’t worry about me,” Cosmo said.

Most of the time, Cosmo just wanted to hear directly from Eloise what she really wanted, the same way he once waited for her to ask him about Chloe.

Eloise answered firmly. “Don’t overthink. I don’t see you as someone fragile or different. I see you normally, okay? And if I really wanted to go, I wouldn’t wait for you. I can make my own plans.”

She wanted to show Cosmo that she could surprise him too, not just always be the one expecting surprises.

Cosmo smiled. “What if you feel a little off seeing how happy Sasha is? I’m worried you’ll feel that contrast.”

“That’s normal. Sometimes I envy her, and sometimes she probably envies me too,” Eloise replied. “We all admire different things. We have different personalities and go through different experiences.”

Eloise could feel how much she had changed, especially when it came to Cosmo. Now she could speak directly, without hesitation or fear of being misunderstood. She was open, and she trusted him completely.

She picked out a movie for them to watch, and as she and Cosmo leaned against each other on the sofa, Teresa prepared dessert for them. When Eloise went downstairs and came back to the room, she noticed something unusual, a large bouquet of flowers that immediately caught her eye.

“Secret surprise?” Eloise asked with a laugh. “Where did you hide this earlier?”

“In the guest bedroom,” Cosmo replied with a smile. “Paolo hid it, not me.”

Cosmo didn’t just prepare flowers. He also had a gift wrapped in a velvet box. From its size and shape, Eloise immediately thought it was a ring.

“Why don’t you open it and take a look?” Cosmo said softly when he noticed Eloise staring at the box for a while without opening it.

“You’re already holding it, you open it instead!” Eloise replied, though the truth was she was nervous.

Cosmo opened the box, and Eloise’s guess was right, it was a ring. But it wasn’t just a simple woman’s ring. It was a pair of wedding rings.

Eloise remembered her past conversation with Tania about marriage, but since then, she hadn’t thought much about it. That’s why she was so surprised that Cosmo had already prepared rings.

“When did you have these made?” Eloise asked, her eyes shining with joy.

“A few months ago,” Cosmo answered. “But it takes time to make, so they only just finished.”

“Really? You had them customized that early?” Eloise thought back, at that time, she and Cosmo were still having some misunderstandings, yet he had already been planning this in secret.

The rings fit perfectly, cool against the skin, and the design was simple but elegant. Exactly her style.

“A serious man always has a plan B, unlike you,” Cosmo said with a laugh as he raised his hand, clearly meaning for Eloise to put the ring on him.

Eloise felt a bit nervous, but with her whole heart, she picked up the men’s ring, held Cosmo’s hand, and slowly slipped it onto his finger.

“Men and women are different,” Eloise said while looking at him. “Marriage benefits men more. We’re the ones who are more vulnerable.”

She glanced at Cosmo, then quickly shifted her gaze back to the ring in her hand. Receiving a wedding ring felt different from any other gift. With just that small thing, she suddenly felt more valued.

Cosmo took a quiet breath and held her hand, gently stroking the ring. “You didn’t get me a gift this New Year. Don’t I get at least a consolation prize?”

Eloise fell silent for a few seconds. Then she leaned forward and kissed Cosmo softly. Her kiss was tender, practiced, as if she had been preparing for it for a long time.

Cosmo pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. They could both feel each other’s heartbeat. His kiss grew warmer, more sincere.

After a while, when the moment had calmed, they fixed themselves. Eloise looked at the rings on their fingers and couldn’t resist holding Cosmo’s hand. She took out her phone, searched for the best angle, and snapped a photo.

Within minutes, comments started pouring in on her social media post.

Usually, Eloise only shared about work or simple things. But that night, on New Year’s Eve, everything changed. From being someone single, she was now part of a “we.”

She was always quiet and lowkey, but suddenly, she showed her sweetness to the public. That alone was proof of how much she loved him.