SIXTY - NINE

SIXTY - NINE
CELESTIA

Nearly one year later
The phone flashed for the fifth or six times in the middle of the conference where I had put it on mute. The screen blinked with Raffaele's name, and I knew he would not stop calling until I actually picked up.
"Excuse me. I need to take this." I marched out of the room and quickly swiped the screen before it would go to voicemail.
"Tell me," I answered.
An exasperated voice roared from the other side. "Why weren't you answering your phone, Celestia? I have been calling non-stop—"
"Will you please come down?" I tried to soothe. "There was a last-minute change I had to do before the conference so that I couldn't answer your call. I am okay, love."
His exhale was loud over the speaker. "Right. I just got…worried."
"I know." I smiled, even though he could not see me. "We are meeting over dinner, right?"
"Yes. I will pick up at seven. Be ready."
"I will. Bye." Ending the call, I breathed a sigh.
Raffaele was not irrational, by any means, but even a year later, his paranoia did not ease. Kyla was still in the wind, and so were the people who were involved with her. Once or twice, we found a lead to a chase, but it only turned out to be a dead-end for us. Nevertheless, Raffaele did not give up his search.
The inheritance of Donovan Inc. fell over my inexperienced shoulders as I did not know how to run the business, let alone save it from the massive loss that Kyla has incurred over the years.
Thanks to Amadeo, I managed to hire the right people from various managerial sectors to deal with the resurrection for most of my father's business. At the same time, I threw myself into studies and work experience to be able to deserve the ownership rights.
Selling Donovan Inc. was not an option; hence I had to scratch and scrawl to bring it to life. It was nowhere easy to deal with courses and office, but at the end of the day, when I came home—home to Raffaele—all the worries seemed to have evaporated.
Sometimes we traveled to New Orleans to meet my aunt or to Paris and stay a few days at Mrs. Roselli's beautiful Parisian home for a week's change. And our life seemed to have fallen into a lovely routine.
For the past couple of months, Raffaele and I were tied up with so much work that we barely got time to be with each other. Even at night, we barely had an ounce of stamina after the day's toil and would spoon each other to sleep.
Finally, we braved through the tidal waves of work pressure and managed to squeeze out tonight to make time for each other. So I wrapped up everything on the desk and retired for a little earlier than usual so that I could deck up for my man.
It was a simple navy blue midi dress, hugging the curves, which I paired with pumps and waited for him to pick me up. And sharp at seven, he arrived.
"Are you telling me this time?" I asked. Even after all this time, he would not reveal the venue where he took me. It turned out that Vegas still has so many places I have not yet been to.
"Absolutely not. I am not breaking the tradition of keeping you on edge."
I frowned, smacking his arm as he laughed. But as soon as he pulled up near the place, I recognized. It was the same restaurant where he had taken me out for the first time – the first unofficial date, as he likes to call it.
"Oh, my God," I whispered, stepping out as he handed the keys to the valet. He returned and snagged an arm around my waist, pulling me closer.
"Do you remember?" he grinned as we walked up into the place.
"Are you kidding me? Of course, I do."
"Come," he smiled and led me to the very place we have sat before. It was remarkable how the place and decoration were just the same as if we time traveled into the past.
"God, I have missed you," he breathed the moment we seated.
"I live with you!" I reminded him.
"It is still not good enough. You should come and work with me in the office," he said, rubbing my knuckles with his thumb.
"We did remember? Apparently, none of us actually work. So it is better we have a different workplace." The arrangement worked only for a month because I wanted to have some practical experiences of a company. But it turned out, and it was a very bad idea. We ended up having sex in all positions in his office, and the moans were shameful.
"Good times," he almost purred.
Laughing, I finally changed the topic. "I like how they kept this place the same. The decor and everything. It was exactly the way it was a year ago," I mused. When my eyes locked with his, Raffaele had a mischievous glint in his eyes. I knew it! "Hang on - you paid them to do that?"
"Not exactly," he shrugged and smirked. "Since I own the place, it wasn't much to ask. Is it?"
I rolled my eyes. "I really forget sometimes how rich and obnoxious you are."
"Are you sure everything is still the same it was a year ago?" His smirk turned a few notch vicious as I furrowed my brows.
What does that mean?
Confusedly, I looked around, muttering, "Of course. The musicians, that lovely view there and the tables—wait. Is that Lila?"
It was then I realized the faces in each table were known. Lila was seated to the left, Amadeo and Cesar beside them. Then, there was my aunt, Raffaele's mother, and a whole of my close associates from the office.
I was confused as hell.
Why was everyone here?
And why was everyone smiling and staring at me?
My mind was a muddled mess. I could not even add the two plus two and see that everyone was there for me. Or it is for us – me and Raffaele?
Until Raffaele rose and stood.
The music quieted, the murmur died down around me, and everything else happened in slow motion. The whole place faded out in my vision as the man I love got down on one knee.
I had to blink so many times to make myself believe that it was true.
"Celestia Donovan, I wish I knew better words to proclaim my love for you, but I truly don't. What I know is that I love you. When I am with you, I am a better man. And I want to spend my life with you as your husband. So, please tell me you will be my wife because I have been waiting for you my entire life – and I don't want to wait anymore."
I was shocked, happy, and frantic and on cloud nine.
The words left me completely as I laughed and cried at the same time and nodded wildly. If it was possible, I fell a little more in love with him at that moment.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny princess cut diamond ring and slipped into my fingers as I stood frozen to the spot.
"You took my breath away!" I grinned, throwing my arms around his neck and kissed him hard.
The wishes poured in from the family members and well-wishers, followed by a night-long celebration as I smiled, danced, and celebrated with the people who actually made my life worthwhile.