CHAPTER 60
Dominic’s POV
The dining room glowed with a soft, golden warmth. Candles flickered in crystal holders, casting dancing shadows across the table set with polished silver and white porcelain.
The scent of fresh lilies mingled with the aroma of the meal our chef had spent the afternoon preparing. It was intimate, elegant, and personal. Ethan’s favorite.
I had hosted hundreds of dinners in this penthouse over the years, but this one was different. This wasn’t about business deals or negotiations, or the silent power plays that used to define my life.
Tonight was about us celebrating our return home after months away, surrounded only by the handful of people who truly mattered.
And most importantly, it was about Ethan.
I adjusted my cufflinks and glanced toward the hallway, listening for his footsteps. Upstairs, he was getting ready, probably fretting over which shirt to wear or how his hair looked, even though I knew he’d be perfect no matter what.
A small smile tugged at my lips.
Ethan didn’t know the full truth about tonight. Yes, it was a simple dinner to celebrate coming home. But beneath it all, I was carefully laying the groundwork for something bigger something I’d been planning since the moment he said yes to my proposal.
Tonight was the beginning of his wedding celebration.
Not the ceremony, that would come soon, and it would be private, sacred, just for us and the people we loved most. But the party, the gathering where everyone could share in our joy, was already in motion. I’d been planning it for weeks, working quietly behind the scenes to make sure every detail was perfect.
Ethan deserved a night that would leave him breathless.
The sound of footsteps drew me from my thoughts. I turned, and there he was, framed by the doorway like some vision I couldn’t quite believe was real.
He wore a soft gray shirt, the kind that made his eyes seem impossibly blue, and his hair was slightly mussed, as if he’d been running his fingers through it in frustration while getting ready. His gaze found mine, and his whole face lit up in that way that still managed to undo me completely.
“You look incredible,” I said, crossing the room to meet him.
He flushed, ducking his head a little. “You always say that.”
“Because it’s always true.” I brushed my fingers over his jaw, savoring the feel of him. “Are you ready for tonight?”
“I think so,” he said with a soft laugh. “I’m a little nervous. It’s been a while since we’ve done anything… like this.”
I kissed his forehead gently. “You have nothing to be nervous about. Tonight is just a celebration of us, of everything we’ve been through to get here.”
His shoulders eased slightly. “It feels strange, though standing beside you like this, openly. For so long, it was just… our private world.”
“And now,” I said, cupping his face so he’d look at me, “the world gets to see what I’ve always known. That you’re mine. And I’m yours.”
Ethan’s breath caught, his smile softening into something tender. “That sounds very final.”
“It is,” I murmured, kissing him once, lingeringly. “Exactly the way it should be.”
Before he could respond, the intercom buzzed. The first guests had arrived.
The evening unfolded smoothly. The conversation flowed easily. Wine glasses clinked, laughter rang out, and the room filled with a kind of warmth I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.
Ethan stayed close to me at first, his hand brushing mine beneath the table whenever he needed reassurance. But as the evening went on, he relaxed, his natural charm shining through.
I watched him from the corner of my eye, my chest swelling with pride. It struck me how different my life had become.
Once, dinners like this had been arenas for battle, each smile calculated, each word carefully measured to win advantage. Now, there were no stakes beyond the happiness of the man sitting beside me.
When dessert arrived, I reached under the table and rested my hand on Ethan’s knee.
“Happy?” I asked quietly, leaning close so only he could hear.
His fingers brushed over mine. “So happy,” he whispered back.
I kissed his temple, fighting the urge to tell him everything right then and there: about the plans I’d been making, the way I envisioned his face when he saw the venue for the first time, the promise I wanted to give him in front of everyone we loved.
But no. It wasn’t time yet.
For now, I would let him bask in this moment, believing it was just a simple dinner. Soon enough, he would understand that it was only the beginning.
As the night wore on, I caught snippets of conversation — my friends teasing Ethan about his favorite memories from our travels, laughter about a disastrous boat ride in Greece, quiet reflections about the months we’d spent away.
When Ethan laughed, really laughed, the sound went straight to my heart.
“You two seem… different,” one of my friends observed, glancing between us with a knowing smile. “Happier. Lighter.”
I met Ethan’s gaze and felt the truth of that statement settle deep inside me. “We are,” I said simply. “This is where we’re meant to be.”
After our guests left, the penthouse grew quiet again. Ethan leaned against the door, letting out a soft sigh. “That was… wonderful. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed being around people who know us.”
“You were perfect,” I told him, pulling him into my arms.
He tilted his head back to study me. “You seem especially pleased with yourself tonight.”
“Maybe I am.”
“Should I be worried?” His tone was light, teasing.
“Never,” I said, kissing him before he could press further.
Later, when Ethan drifted off to sleep beside me, I stayed awake, staring at the ceiling while the city lights glimmered through the curtains.
The evening had been a success. Ethan felt cherished and safe, unaware of the bigger surprise waiting just around the corner. I pictured his face on the day of our wedding celebration, imagined the tears shining in his eyes when he realized what I had been planning for him all along.
My hand found his beneath the sheets, holding on tightly as he murmured something in his sleep and curled closer to me.