Chapter 77 Exclusive Love for a Lifetime
Selena's POV
My mind went completely blank.
It was like the world had been put on mute. The sound of the wind, the roar of the flames—everything disappeared.
All I could hear was my own heart pounding in my chest. The sound was so loud it drowned out everything else, making my ears ring.
His breath, warm against my ear.
"Come here, be the one I'll cherish for life."
In my twenty-something years, I'd heard countless compliments and countless insults.
I'd been used as a tool, as a pawn, as trash that could be thrown away at any moment.
But never, never had anyone spoken to me like this.
This was more terrifying than any business contract, any exchange of interests.
I was used to scheming, used to playing games, used to analyzing every person and every situation with the coldest logic.
But now, this field of roses spelling out my name beneath my feet, every word this man whispered in my ear—they were all punching holes in my fortress of a world.
My body went rigid as stone.
I even forgot how to breathe.
My first instinct was to push him away.
My second was to laugh at him.
My third was to tell him that this kind of childish, Hollywood-movie romantic scene wouldn't work on me.
But my body, my mouth—they completely refused to obey me.
I just stood there stiffly, held in his arms, like a puppet drained of all strength.
My silence seemed to be exactly what he expected.
He didn't press for an answer, didn't force me. He just tightened his strong arm around my waist.
It was like he was using his actions to tell me he'd already claimed ownership, and I had nowhere to run.
"I know this scared you. It's okay, I don't need an answer right now."
He released me, but kept his hand on my waist, gently turning me around to face him.
The basket was small. Standing face to face, our knees almost touched.
I was forced to look up into his eyes.
"Selena," he raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushing aside my wind-tousled hair, "I'm just letting you know—I want you. You can run, you can hide, you can even show me your claws, but I'll still spoil you rotten, just like now."
I leaned against the other side of the basket, deliberately keeping my distance. My mind was a complete mess.
Myrdal had said sweet things to me too, but his words were like reading from a prepared script—beautiful but hollow. Being with him was more like a family-arranged assignment. We were well-matched business partners, nothing more.
But Royce...
This man had barged into my world with intense aggression from the start.
He was domineering, arrogant, with a control streak that was absolutely infuriating.
But he was using the most insane, most direct way to tell me he wanted me.
Not because I was the Hart family heir, not because of what benefits I could bring him.
He just wanted me, the person.
This realization filled me with unprecedented panic.
The hot air balloon began its slow descent.
It landed smoothly on the grass.
Staff immediately surrounded us, securing the basket.
Royce jumped out first, then stood below, reaching his hand up to me.
I hesitated.
But in the end, I placed my hand in his broad palm.
His hand was hot, his grip strong. With just a gentle pull, I landed steadily on the ground.
I looked away. I needed to leave this place.
Immediately.
"I have things at the office," I looked at Royce, trying to make my voice sound as calm as usual. "Today's companionship ends here."
"Our twenty-four hours aren't over yet," he reminded me.
"Hart Group is in the middle of an important acquisition. I have to go back and handle it." I pulled out work as an excuse.
This was my safe zone, the only place I could regain a sense of control.
He looked at me, those eyes seeming to see through all my pretenses.
I thought he would refuse.
But he just smiled. "Go ahead."
He reached into the nearby sea of roses and plucked the most magnificent red rose, its petals still carrying morning dew.
"Sir, the photos are ready," an assistant walked over with the pictures.
Royce took them. One was extremely high quality.
Against a backdrop of endless blue sky and clouds, he and I stood in the hot air balloon basket. The wind lifted my hair, I was turned to the side, gazing down at my name spelled out in roses below.
And he stood behind me, head slightly lowered, gazing at me.
Sunlight fell perfectly on his profile, outlining his handsome features, those deep eyes showing a focus and tenderness I'd never seen before.
Damn it.
This photo was too good.
So good it looked like the most iconic still from a romance movie.
So good that the woman in the photo didn't even seem like me.
He looked up immediately and said to his assistant, "Well done. I'm giving you a $100,000 bonus this month."
I almost wanted to laugh.
"One photo, $100,000?" I turned to look at him. "Mr. Sterling's money is really easy to earn. Anyone who didn't know would think you'd bought some priceless masterpiece."
"No," he turned to me, his gaze burning. "This photo is just a record."
"As for you," he looked at me, his voice low and clear, "you're priceless."
My heartbeat spiraled out of control again.
I hated this.
I hated how he could so easily disturb my composure with just a sentence or two.
He held out the rose and the photo to me.
I didn't take them.
I turned and walked toward my car.
Sitting inside, I saw in the rearview mirror that he was still standing there, holding that rose.
I started the car and practically fled.
Back at the office, Anna and Emily were already waiting.
"Selena," Anna handed me a document, "the legal department has sent over the final proposal for Kateson Industries. It needs your signature."
I took the document but couldn't read a single word.
My head was full of that red sea of roses, full of his words: "be the one I'll cherish for life."
A joke? In this world, men who wanted me to be their "beloved" could form a line from Wall Street to the Seine.
I shook my head, forcing myself to focus on the document.