Chapter 114 CHAPTER 114

Chapter 114 CHAPTER 114
Gabriel Morgan

Before we can question anything, she practically throws us inside the car.

"Mikael, take these two to the private airport."

He just nods and starts the engine.

I look back and see my mother and my parents-in-law waving as we pull away. I turn my gaze back to Ethan, who still seems to be trying to process everything.

"Your mother is a hazard, love."

I let out a laugh. He rests his head on my shoulder, clearly tired. I hold his hand, intertwining our fingers, and my eyes fall upon the ring shining there. I smile like an idiot.

When we arrive at the airport, I see my mother's private jet standing on the tarmac. I step out of the car and face Mikael.

"Is it just… we go?"

He nods again.

I sigh.

I hate the fact that he practically only speaks to my mother. A faithful little dog, without a doubt.

I pull Ethan by his waist, and we head to the jet. The door is already open. As soon as we walk in, we are received by the flight attendants, the pilot, and the co-pilot.

"Welcome, Messrs. Morgan. We were awaiting you. Before takeoff, you may change in the bedroom if you wish."

Ethan blinks a few times, clearly dazed. I can't hold back the laugh and pull him by the hand.

"Come on."

We walk into the jet's bedroom, and he looks around, impressed.

"Wow… I didn't even know private jets had bedrooms."

I let out a low laugh.

"The best part is that you can sleep."

He stares at me, incredulous.

"No way am I sleeping in this bed. I prefer the armchair, with the seatbelt fastened tight."

I smile, finding that adorable.

"All right. Let's change first."

We move closer to the bags on the bed.

"Do you know where we are going for our honeymoon?"

I shake my head.

"My mother does whatever she wants, without caring much about anyone's opinion."

He laughs and chooses some comfortable clothes. I help remove his suit carefully, then help him get dressed. When he finishes, he lets out a relieved sigh.

"This is much better."

I smile and kiss his cheek.

Next, he helps me take off my suit, passing his hands slowly down my back, drawing a sigh from me. I change clothes too, choosing something comfortable.

We leave the bedroom and head to the armchairs. I adjust his seatbelt, leaving it very firm, and then do the same with mine. A few minutes later, the jet begins to move until it takes to the sky.

Ethan holds my hand tightly. I smile, intertwine our fingers, and squeeze his hand, trying to reassure him. When the plane stabilizes, he takes a deep breath.

"I hate this feeling."

I caress his hand with my thumb. He rests his head on my shoulder.

"I'm sleepy… Do you mind if I sleep a little?"

"Of course not, my love. Sleep. I'm going to rest too."

I rest my head on his. We close our eyes.

And so, hand in hand, we fall asleep while the flight continues smoothly toward our honeymoon.

\[...\]

I can't say how many hours have passed, but I wake up with the light impact of the landing. The jet decelerates, and soon I notice the movement of the flight attendants. They bring the bags while Ethan awakens, still sleepy.

"Love… we arrived."

I remove his seatbelt carefully. He stretches slowly, rubbing his face, clearly still between sleep and reality. I get up right after, feeling my entire body locked up, and stretch completely before stepping down.

As soon as I step outside the jet, I look around, and my brain takes a few seconds to process.

Malé.

Holy shit. My mother sent us to the Maldives.

I look at Ethan. He still has no idea where we are.

"Come on, my love."

The flight attendants accompany us to a boat that is already waiting for us. They settle our bags while Ethan observes everything, confused, trying to understand what is happening.

"Mr. Morgan," one of them says politely. "When should we pick you up?"

"In two weeks."

She smiles and nods before stepping away with the others.

We board the boat, and soon the pilot starts the engine. The motor rumbles low as we head further out to sea. Ethan moves closer to the edge, his eyes fixed on the crystal-clear water ahead of us. The sea is an impossible blue, so transparent that you can see the bottom. He observes in silence, completely enchanted.

I keep looking at him, absorbing that expression of pure admiration.

"Welcome to the Maldives, my love."

He turns slowly to me, his eyes wide.

"Holy shit, Gabriel… seriously? Seriously?"

I burst into laughter.

"Yes. It seems my mother decided to bring us here."

He laughs, runs his hands through his hair, and looks back at the sea, completely euphoric. He speaks nonstop, pointing to the water, to the sky, to everything around, as if he were trying to keep every detail of that moment.

When we finally reach the island, the boat docks gently. We step down, grab our bags, and the pilot faces us with a polite smile.

"Enjoy, Messrs. Morgan. I'll be back to pick you up in two weeks."

I nod in thanks. Ethan doesn't even wait. He practically runs out, entering the place first.

I follow behind him… and stop.

The resort is simply magnificent. Isolated, silent, surrounded by water on all sides. The area is immense. The wide living room, with glass windows that look directly onto the sea.

The full kitchen is modern and totally equipped. The spacious bedroom, with a bed too large for two tired bodies. The bathroom is huge, with a tub that looks like an open invitation to rest.

I open the kitchen pantry and almost laugh. It is stocked with enough food for two, maybe three weeks. Everything is organized and thought out down to the smallest detail.

Ethan surfaces by my side, spinning slowly, trying to absorb everything at the same time.

"Is this real?"

I loop my arm around his waist and pull him close.

"It is. And it's only ours."

Ethan can barely contain himself. He lets go of my waist, walks completely around the veranda, and begins to laugh—that open laugh that always disarms me. In seconds, he is already taking off his shirt, then his shoes, leaving everything dropped along the way without the slightest care.

"Ethan…" I try to warn him, but it's useless.

He pulls his pants off in a hurry, stays only in his underwear, and runs toward the water like a child on vacation. He doesn't think twice before jumping. The dive kicks up high splashes, and soon he emerges, throwing his hair back, laughing out loud.

"GABRIEL! THIS IS PERFECT! "

The scene is so absurd and beautiful at the same time that I cannot avoid the laughter. The gleam in his eyes, the wide smile, the unfiltered happiness… all of it hits me full force.

I take off my clothes quickly, leaving everything tossed any which way, and run after him. I jump into the water right after, feeling the cold shock that draws a laugh from my chest. When I return to the surface, he is already close, swimming in my direction.

"You are crazy," I say, laughing.

"And very happy."

The crystal-clear water envelops us, the sun reflects on the surface, and the sea seems infinite all around. Ethan spins, splashes water, dives, and comes back laughing, as if he were living a waking dream. Every laugh of his, every easy smile, every shining look… all of it makes me fall even deeper in love.

His happiness has no price.

I hold his hand inside the water, pull him close, and press my forehead against his. He is still smiling, breathless, with eyes full of life.

And there, in the middle of the sea, with the soft sound of the waves and his laughter echoing, I understand that this simple, true, and whole joy… is exactly everything I always wanted to protect.