Chapter 54 Proposal
Adrian reached into his pocket and withdrew a small velvet box.
Eva's breath caught.
"I know it's soon," Adrian said quietly. "I know we've only been together for a few weeks, technically. But I've been in love with you for seven years. I've watched you from afar, dreamed about you, hated myself for leaving you. And now that I have you—now that I have our children and our family and this future we're building—I don't want to wait."
He opened the box to show a beautiful diamond ring that sparkled in the moonlight.
"Eva Fransis, will you marry me?"
Eva stared at the ring, then at Adrian, then back at the ring.
She couldn't think straight, but she knew exactly how she felt.
"Yes," she whispered. "Yes, I'll marry you."
Adrian's face lit up with joy. He slid the ring onto her finger, which fit perfectly, and pulled her into his arms.
"I love you," he murmured against her hair. "I've loved you since the moment I found you in that hallway. I'll love you until the day I die."
"I love you too." Eva pulled back to look at him, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't think I could ever love anyone again. After Derek, after everything... I thought that part of me was broken beyond repair."
"It wasn't broken. Just waiting." Adrian cupped her face in his hands. "Waiting for me to stop being an idiot and come back to you."
Eva laughed through her tears. "You're not an idiot."
"I left you alone for seven years. That's pretty idiotic."
"You're making up for it now."
"I intend to spend the rest of my life making up for it." He kissed her softly. "Starting with giving you the wedding you deserve."
"I don't need anything fancy. Just you, me, the children, our family."
"You'll have whatever you want. But Eva..." He pulled back, his expression serious. "I want you to know—this isn't just about us. When we get married, I want to formally adopt Lily and Ethan. Make them legally mine in every way."
Eva's heart swelled.
"They're already yours," she said softly. "They have been since the moment you showed them kindness."
"Then let's make it official. A new family. A new name. A new beginning."
Eva looked up at the man who had saved her, protected her, and loved her through it all.
"A new beginning," she agreed.
And as he kissed her under the moonlight, Eva knew with absolute certainty that the best part of her story was just beginning.
Three weeks.
For three glorious weeks, Eva lived the life she had always dreamed of.
She woke each morning to sunlight streaming through the windows of the home Adrian had bought for them.
Their new home was a beautiful property with plenty of space for the kids to play, enough privacy for the family to recover, and enough safety for Eva to finally sleep peacefully.
She watched Lily and Ethan thrive, their laughter echoing through the house. They had started calling Adrian "Dad" on their own, as if it was always meant to be.
Adrian, for his part, had taken to fatherhood with a dedication that made Eva's heart ache with gratitude.
She spent her days planning—the wedding, the foundation she wanted to build, the future that finally seemed possible.
Leonard was helping her establish "Eva's Hope," an organization dedicated to supporting women escaping abusive relationships.
Recently, a few of the women Eva had helped mentioned seeing unfamiliar faces around the shelters, asking odd questions.
Eva thought little of it at first, chalking it up to routine curiosity.
But now, those memories felt troubling, making her wonder if Eva's Hope had attracted the wrong kind of attention from people linked to her family's enemies.
There was a lot of paperwork, but each signature brought her closer to her goal.
She spent her nights with Adrian, wrapped in his arms, talking about everything and nothing.
They discussed dreams and fears, childhood memories and future plans.
They were gentle and loving with each other, and it still surprised her. After seven years with Derek's coldness, being truly wanted felt new and wonderful.
For three weeks, Eva believed the nightmare was over.
She should have known better.
It arrived on a Tuesday morning.
Eva was in the kitchen, supervising the breakfast chaos, while Adrian reviewed business reports on his tablet.
Lily was trying to convince Ethan that unicorns were real, while Ethan patiently explained that they were "scientifically impossible."
It was a normal day—a wonderfully, blessedly normal day.
Then the housekeeper appeared in the doorway, holding a small brown package.
"This was left at the gate, Mrs. Fransis. There is no return address."
Eva's blood chilled.
She had received packages without return addresses before. They had never contained anything good.
"Let me see it." Adrian was already on his feet, his relaxed demeanor vanishing instantly.
He took the package from the housekeeper and examined it carefully. "Has our security team checked it?"
"Yes, sir. There are no bombs or dangerous materials inside. The X-ray shows it is just a piece of paper."
Adrian met Eva's eyes. She saw her own fear reflected there.
"Kids," Eva said, keeping her voice carefully light, "why don't you go play in the garden for a bit? Mrs. Patterson will watch you."
"But Mommy, I haven't finished my pancakes!" Lily protested.
"You can bring them with you. Go on."
Eva's tone must have shown how serious she was, because even Lily didn't argue. The children were left with the housekeeper, leaving Eva and Adrian alone.
Adrian opened the package.
Inside was a single photograph.
Eva's heart stopped.
It was her children. Lily and Ethan. At their new school—the exclusive private academy Adrian had enrolled them in, with state-of-the-art security and carefully vetted staff.
They were walking across the playground, backpacks bouncing, completely unaware that a camera was capturing them.
Just like before.
With trembling hands, Eva turned the photograph over.
The message on the back was written in the same elegant script:
"Agreements can be broken. Don't forget who's really in control."
Eva felt dizzy.
"No." The word came out as a whisper. "No, no, no. We had a deal. Victor Chen said—"