Chapter 42

Kia "Pasta and Cornetto, and what would you like to take?" I asked while glancing through the menu. I and Vivian were sitting at one of the best Italian restaurants in New York.

"Same," Vivian said while gazing at me.

"What?"

"Are you Italian?" He asked.

I shrugged. I had never shared it with anyone. "Yup, half. My mother is Italian, and my father is Irish."

"I can tell you through your features. You look Italian and your name is also Italian." He rested his elbows on the table and leaned toward me. "You are a unique piece of ass." He whispered sexily.

I tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear. "Just don't be sexy right here." I giggled and glanced across the restaurant. People were throwing curious glances at us. Most of the women kept their eyes on Vivian. "I'll kill every single woman in this place. They are staring at you as if you are the only man in this room."

Vivian ran a hand through his hair, grinning widely. "Perhaps they must wonder how an old man got such a beautiful young girl?"

I punched the side of his shoulder, and he let out a small laugh. "An old man? You are an old man?"

"I'm thirty-year-old and seven years older than you. That was the only reason I did not want to be close to you. You deserve better than me, Kia." He took hold of my hands, and his eyes were soft. "Are you sure that you want to marry me?"

I raised my hand, showing him the small diamond ring which was given to him. "I am 99.9% sure. You will be my husband and one more thing. I don't care how old you are as long as you are hot as fuck." The last three words caught the attention of people and they stared directly at us. I ignored their inappropriate stare and looked back at my fiancé.

Vivian had not yet admitted that he loved me, but it was all written on his face how much he cared about me, how much he wanted me, and how eager he was to make me his. And If it was not his love, then I did not know the real meaning of love.

"Kia, will you marry me?" It took me a moment to understand his words. Marry him? I watched him dumbfounded.

"M-Marry you?" I shuttered while gaping at him.

He stood up from the chair and stepped toward me. His expression was unreadable as usual. He didn't say anything, just observed me quietly. I wished I could read his mind. Was he being serious? Or was it some sort of prank?

"Are you kidding me?" I searched in his eyes.

"Does it look like I am kidding?" He asked in his damn serious tone.

I kept silent, waiting for him to clear things up.

He let out a long sigh. "I was being an asshole to you, wasn't I?" He grabbed my face with both hands. "You betrayed me, Kia. And you know what shocked me the most? I still want you and I still cling to you. I failed to get you out of my mind."

Now I caught his sad eyes.

"I am not sure about love, but I promise you I won't let anything happen to you. Throughout my life, I will respect you. I'll never let you down. I'll never insult you and let anyone do it." He placed my hand on his heart. "It is my word to you I'll keep you like a queen all my life. I am a man of my word, Kiara. Now the decision is yours whether you want to marry me or not?"

"Kia." Vivian's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Yes. What were you talking about?"

"Max will guard you when you go wedding shopping."

I snorted. He kept his eyes on me 24/7 as if I was trying to escape again. I would not do that again. I had got familiar with the feeling of how devastating I was when I left Vivian and Harley behind. Without him, I had no meaning in my life. He was my first love, and he would be the last one. I could not picture my life without him.

The server approached our table with his plastered, forced smile. He was afraid of Vivian. We ordered and handed our menus over to him.

"Vivian, Could I ask you for a favor?"

He nodded. "Yes, of course."

"Can we get married in Chicago? Since that is my birthplace, I want to meet my father before I get married to you. I just want to show him my gown and ask him, do I look pretty?" I shook my head. "You think it is silly but..." I bit my lips, gazing my food down.

He squeezed my hands softly. "Kia, it is not silly. Loving someone still after his death is not silly." I stared into his eyes, which were sad. "We'll make out wedding arrangements in Chicago as per your wish if that makes you happy. Trust me, I can do anything for your small smile."

I smiled. "Thank you."

After finishing up our lunch, we got out of the restaurant and sat down in the car. "How's our baby?" He asked while starting the car.

I rubbed my tummy, which was still flat even after three months of pregnancy. "I feel nothing." I chuckled. "Do you have any idea when I will show?"

"Are you that eager to show?" He laughed while looking down at my tummy. "Maybe after a month."

"Harley is very excited about the baby. She always asks me about her sister." Harley had already assumed that she would become a big sister of a little girl. I did not know the gender of the baby yet, but I hoped I would get a baby girl. "Vivian, what would you want, a boy or girl?"

He kept his focus on the road. "I'll be happy whatever it is as long as it is healthy. But particularly, I want a baby girl." He glanced at me briefly. "Harley is shy, easy, and a little sneaky. I want another version of you, Kia, a feisty, confident, and a little arrogant. Then I'll have two girls with different personalities. And if there is a boy, I have to be harsh on him for his wrongdoings, which will be very difficult for me."

He rested his hand on my thighs, and I placed mine on him. He stared at me for a while, and something flickered in his eyes. "Kia, stay with me forever."

I shook my head. "I am sorry. I would never leave you and Harley, Vivian."

He shook his head. "No, you did, right? If you hadn't left me, how could I know the value of you in my life?"

I unclasped my seatbelt and kissed him right on his lips. "Love you."

He didn't say anything, just gave me his pleasant smile.

When we arrived, we got out of the car and entered the mansion. Harley quickly ran to us. "How was your date?" She asked.

I glanced at Vivian, who was also frowning. "Who told you we had a date?"

She looked back at David and Caleb, and they looked back at Ava, who stood close behind them and Ava looked back at Rose, who was standing near the couch.

What the hell is this?

"Why are you looking back at each other? Who told her we had a date?" I asked them.

"Caleb and David told me," Harley said while pointing her finger at them.

"Ava told us you both had a date." David and Caleb said simultaneously.

Ava shrugged her shoulders. "I got it through Rose."

Rose smiled widely. "I thought you had a date."

I reached her. "Of course, we had, but you can't tell this to a six-year-old girl. She doesn't even know what the date is?"

David looked back at his grandma and then at me. "She knows what the date is. She was with Ashton a month ago near the public park."

"I have another one next month." Harley blurted out after hearing David.

I watched her wide eyes. "You can't date at such a small age, Harley. And Who the hell is Aston?"

"Baby elephant," Vivian commented.

"Baby elephant?"

Caleb nodded, laughing. "He is fat and round."

"Shut up!" Harley shouted angrily, glaring at Vivian and Caleb.

I could not hold back the laughter. She fixed me with a cold glare. "Can I laugh since it is good for the baby's health?"

She looked down at my belly and came towards me, rubbing it slightly. "How's she?"

I placed my hand over hers. "She is happy." I smiled while looking at Vivian, who was watching us with affection.

*********

Finally, the day had come. I had been waiting for it. I was going to marry him in a few hours. Mrs. Miller. God. His wife. Our wedding was a small ceremony where no one had been invited except a few people. Alice and Henry had arrived here yesterday from New York. And Sarah and her husband would be there in the last hours. And Vivian, Ava, and Harley had arrived in Chicago three days before the ceremony. I was missing Lucian. He was out of the country with Leonardo.

"Leonardo has phoned me. He will be here in three hours," Mamma informed me.

I raised my brows. "Three hours? I'll be married by then."

She checked on my hair before pinning a few strands of it. "At least he would get a glimpse of you and Vivian."

"I hope he will be on time. I miss him a lot. I should have told him about my wedding plans, but he had already flown to the Philippines with Leonardo. And I don't want to disturb their romantic moments. I am happy for him. Finally, he has someone." I smoothed my gown. I had worn my mother's gown. It was floor-length, long-sleeved, and had an O-neck which was less sexy. It did not mean I had to look sexy for him.

Mamma turned me around. "Oh my God, Kia. You are looking incredibly beautiful. I'm sure Vivian won't be able to take him off of you. You are going to give him a hard time." She giggled.

I lowered my gaze, blushing. My phone rang and Ava's name appeared on the screen. I quickly picked up the phone. "Hey, Ava."

"Hey, beautiful. How are you? Are you ready for today?" She let out a soft laugh, and I heard Harley's voice in the background. "Well, Vivian has asked me to call you to make sure you are okay. When will you be here? We have made everything ready, and everyone is waiting for the bride." She said excitedly.

I glanced at the clock. "Maybe in fifteen minutes." I wanted to go to the cemetery first.

"Ok, I'll inform bro, otherwise he'll annoy me by asking about you again and again. Bye, Kia. Please come as soon as you can. We are very excited." She giggled. "She'll be here in a few minutes." She informed someone on the other side.

"I'll try to come as soon as I can." I grabbed her attention.

"Okay," she said and hung up the phone.

I smiled at myself because of an unpleasant flutter in my stomach. I looked at mamma. "First, I want to meet him. You go first and I'll be there in a few minutes."

She shook her head. "I can't leave you alone. I'll also go with you."

"God, Mamma. You'll ruin your makeup. I am damn sure that you can't stay there without tears. You go. I'll be right there in a few minutes." I knew that when she would go to her father's grave. She could not hold her tears back and it would cause me more pain. I did not want to ruin our happiness, so it would be better if I would send her first.

Finally, she gave me a small nod before walking out.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror one more time. After my self-satisfaction, I wore silver high-heeled sandals on my feet. Now I was feeling taller. At least I could reach Vivian's nose easily. It would be easy for me to reach his lips. I giggled at this thought and went down. I clutched my gown and pulled it above my knees. Descending with floor-length gowns and high-heels was a hard task.

As long as I reached the living room. "Ryan!" I called my driver. I have already wasted five minutes now. I had only ten minutes to meet my dad and reach there on time.

"Kiara." A familiar figure appeared in the doorway.

*********