Chapter 35 You are enough
THIRD PERSON’S POV.
When Damian returned, Serena was standing on the aft deck, her shoulders hunched as she stared out at the water. The boat was still tied to the dock, yet the ocean stretched wide before her, and you could get the stunning view from where she stood.
She was still holding on to the folder, as he drew closer, he heard the quiet, broken sounds of her sobbing.
“Serena,” he called out.
Her shoulders stiffened.
“Are you okay?” He asked softly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulders.
“I can’t believe it,” she shook her head. “All this while I thought Clara had been the one deceiving my father.”
She sniffed and wiped a tear from her cheek. Her heart crumbled at the revelation of the truth because she’d never imagined Horace was part of Clara’s deceit from the very beginning.
Horace hadn’t been a great father but she had still believed had some limits, she never considered him a thief, she could understand Clara’s jealousy, she could even justify it but Horace? Her own father, how could he hate her so much that he would steal from her?
Out loud she said, “how long have you had this folder?”
She finally turned to face him, “how long have you known that I have been living with my enemies?”
“Serena, I tried to warn you severally but you didn’t want to listen.”
“You didn’t try enough Damian, you had so many chances but you let me believe in a lie.” Her voice broke and the tears fell harder now.
Damian rushed to her side,
“Serena, please don’t cry,” he said softly,taking her hands in his.
“Damian,” she sniffed, “I already knew about Clara and Jonathan’s betrayal.”
He stared at her, puzzled.
“Yes, I figured it out,” she cut herself off, she couldn’t reveal to him that she had been reborn, fate had given her a second chance and she wasn’t about to ruin it before she got her revenge.
“How did you know?” He asked.
“That doesn’t matter now.” Her eyes filled again, “How can my own father detest me so much? Why does he think I’m so unworthy that I can't inherit the shares my own grandfather left for me?” Her voice cracked.
Damian handed her a neatly folded handkerchief.
“Do you know that my entire life my father has never hugged me? He only speaks to me when he absolutely has to.”
Damian’s chest tightened. To be a little girl who felt unloved by the only parent she had left. He wanted to pull her into his arms, but he hesitated. Unsure if she would want that. So he stayed where he was, helplessly watching her break.
“But he was always with Clara,” Serena went on. “He didn’t show her any fatherly love but he spoke with her, he even cared enough to punish her when she misbehaved, he took her on trips and introduced her to important people but he would always lock me at home,”
The tears came freely now, falling like rain.
“Why am I never enough for him?”
Damian hugged her, before his brain could process what was happening, he had wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her to him like he wanted to shield her from all the pain of the outside world.
When he realized what he had done he shut his eyes in regret,braising himself for the push, the shove. She would push him away, he always did, he thought.
But instead her hand crept up his back, slowly, tentatively until they reached his neck and wrapped around him, clinging onto him tightly.
“Serena,” he murmured, "you are the kindest, most loving person I’ve ever known, you are deserving of all the love in the galaxy. Never say you are not good enough again.”
She nodded against his chest.
Damian’s voice was firm, it was hoarse, it was deep and his mouth was dangerously close to his ears and his breath hot against her skin while he spoke those words.
She shivered.
They remained like that for what seemed like an eternity before slowly, Damian pulled away, though he still remained very close to her.
“Serena,” he said carefully, “Right now, the only person you truly have is yourself and you are going to need help if you are going to win against your father in this fight and I’m offering myself as that help.”
He didn’t wait for a response.
“Serena, I need you to give a statement,say you were with me the night that girl is accused me of rape.”
He paused for a minute, then took her hands in his again.
“And I also need you to,” he cleared his throat, “I need you to marry me.”
A beat.
Serena opened her mouth to speak but Damian raised a finger, stopping her.
“The last time I proposed you said no. But this time around you need me just as much as I need you.” He interlaced his fingers between hers. “Let’s unite our resources and destroy our enemies…Please don’t say no.”
“Okay.”
He stepped back, startled.
“What’s okay?”
“Okay, let’s get married.”
His heart leapt, but he didn’t let it show. He couldn’t.
“perfect. It will be the strongest merger Monterra has seen in a long time, since your great grandparents.”
That word again, merger, that had been the reason she had turned down his proposal in her last life.
She never envisioned herself settling for a loveless, contract marriage. But right now, she didn’t have the luxury of choice, her happiness didn’t matter anymore.
“Serena,” Damian said softly. “I know this is a contract marriage but I still think you deserve a proper proposal. So would you mind taking this boat on a little midnight cruise with me?”
Her heart melted, she had always wanted to be proposed to by the river, she had told him that once,back when they were still friends.
She nodded.
“Good.” He said,clapping his hands.
“I’ll go get the crew.”
He disappeared to the back of the deck and then off the boat.
Serena smiled to herself. She clutched her coat tighter, gazing out at the water.
Moments later Damian reappeared with a captain and some yacht stewardess.
Soon the engine revved to life and the boat drifted further in tow the river.
Damian had been outside on the dock with the stewardess, he had asked Serena to stay inside the cabin to be called on when they were ready.
Ten minutes later,he returned.
He stretched out a hand and she placed her hand on his. He led her out to the deck and she gasped at the view.
The yacht had come to a gentle stop in a spot where the stars shone the brightest.
The wooden floor of the deck was lined with candles and petals of white calla Lillies littered the floor.
A harpist played a soft instrumental of Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé, the melody floating through the night.
When they made their way to the front, Damian got on one knee,
“Serena Gregory, Please do me the honor of being my wife and I promise to protect you with my life.”
He opened the red velvet box in his palms and inside, the most beautiful diamond ring glistened.
This was nothing like the performative proposal Jonathan has given her, this was magical, this was beautiful. This was everything she ever wanted.
She held out her hand to him and he placed the ring delicately on her finger and kissed it.
Her heart couldn’t take it, it felt like it would explode with joy.
Damian had done something so special for her, could this mean this was more than just a merger?
Standing back up, Damian draped an arm
Over her shoulder smiling broadly. She was about to tell him how much she appreciated him but then his next words came out.
“Smile, we need to take a picture for proof of our love.”
The camera flashed.
The fake smile she had plastered for the picture immediately disappeared.
It dawned on her that this was just business to Damian and it had to be just business for her too. She needed to stop feeding into her own delusion.
“Thank you," he said to the photographer.
“Thank you everyone, this wouldn’t be possible without you all. Myself and the soon to be Mrs Crowne greatly appreciate you.”
Mrs Crowne, she repeated the name back to herself and smiled. It has a nice ring to it.
“We can head back to the dock now.”
The deck immediately cleared out. Leaving just her, Damian and an open bottle of champagne. Which Damian picked up with two glasses as he headed to her.
Damian poured two glasses and handed one to her.
“A toast” he said, raising his glass. “to our future.”
“To us.” She replied.
She looked up at the stars smiling softly, Damian had taken the worst night of her life and turned it into one of the most beautiful.
Across from her, Damian watched the river in silence, his expression unreadable in the candlelight.
Serena followed his gaze to the dark water stretching ahead of them and for the first time that night, she wondered what tomorrow would demand of her now that she had said yes.