Chapter 102

Chapter 102
My eyes swept the room, but it seemed the one I was looking for wasn't present among them.

Sighing, I turned to look at my brother, David. He was saying something, but I wasn't paying attention, so I missed most of his words.

“Liz, are you with me?”

Color rose to my cheeks. “I beg your pardon?”

He cleared his throat. “I'm asking if you're looking for someone. You've been spaced out for a while now. Are you waiting for a secret admirer or something?” He teased me.

I rolled my eyes heavenward. "Oh, stop it. I'm just enjoying the party.”

When the dance ended, David walked to the side, leaving me alone in the middle of the room, confused.

The orchestra stopped, and the room was engulfed in total silence.

Suddenly, the man who had been occupying my thoughts emerged from the crowd. He walked with the elegance of a king and seemed to own the crowd as he passed by.

My breath hitched in my throat. Am I imagining things? I asked myself, watching him close the distance between us.

He stopped right in front of me. His lips stretched into a smile that took my breath away.

The sweet, musky scent of his perfume permeated my nostrils, triggering butterflies to flutter in my stomach.

I bit back tears and swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Crimson.”

He moved a step closer until the distance between us was only a ruler's width apart, then he offered his hand to me.

Blinking back the tears, I reached for his hand, setting aside all my inhibitions.

He captured my hand and placed it around his neck, then his arms slid around my waist, pulling me close to his chest until no air could pass between us. Being held by him felt so good that I didn't want the moment to stop.

A hundred pairs of eyes were watching us, but I felt as if we were alone in the hall. It was as if the universe paused and the world stopped spinning. The only thing that seemed to matter was the dance.

"Happy birthday," he whispered as he looked deep into my eyes.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words emerged from my lips. Instead, a warm stream of tears flowed freely down my cheeks.

He wiped the wetness from my cheeks with his fingers.

"Hush, stop crying… I’m here…"

The words were spoken so softly, like a gentle wind brushing against my heart. But instead of calming down, my tears flowed more abundantly.

I was relieved to see him looking fine and healthy. The anguish that had lodged itself in my heart disappeared in an instant.

"I'm relieved to finally see you after such a long wait.”

"I'm here now… I will never leave you alone again,” he murmured. “I've been extremely busy, which is why I couldn't see you. But since everything is settled now, I won't be leaving your side, no matter how hard you push me away.”

When he pulled me into his arms, everything melted away, including my doubts. My hand clung to his neck, and his arms encircled my waist.

A soft smile appeared on his lips. "I've missed you," he said, reaching out to hold my hand. "Seeing you makes everything better.”

The song finally ended.

“Come with me. We have to talk.”

Crimson's strong hand caught mine, his long fingers intertwining with my small ones, pulling me toward the door to escape the noise and the pairs of watchful eyes observing us in silence.

At first, I didn't know where he was taking me, but as soon as he turned left and we exited through the double doors, I realized we were heading toward the garden.

“I have something to tell you too,” I announced.

I was having an internal battle, wondering if I should tell him about my pregnancy or not, but I realized it was better if he knew.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and sat down next to him on the long wooden bench.

“What is it you want to tell me?”

His eyes sparkled like gems in the dim light, making me swallow the lump in my throat.

“I’m pregnant.”

His long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings. “You are what?” he blurted out with a disbelieving gaze.

“You heard it right.”

I looked away, not wanting him to see the fear in my eyes. Would he be mad that I was carrying his child?

“Elizabeth.”

He inched closer until our thighs touched.

Using his thumb and forefinger, he lifted my chin, gently forcing me to look at him.

“Are you angry?” I asked, expecting a dark expression on his face, but when my gaze landed on him, all I could see was the smile lighting it up, bright enough to surpass the lamps lining the stone path.

“Why would I be mad?” he asked. The warmth in his eyes melted my fears.

“You might not want another child after what happened to us.”

“Please don't say that, Liz.” His tone was soft and reassuring. “The child is ours. There's no greater blessing I could think of than having another life to raise. Even if you don't want me to, I'll still take responsibility for the child.”

“How will you take responsibility?”

He fished something out of his pocket and showed it to me. It was a glossy velvet box.

“I know you're not married to Liz,” he began, “You've managed to fool me for a long time, but I'm glad I know the truth now.”

Crimson abandoned the wooden bench and knelt down on one knee in front of me. Opening the box, he revealed an exquisite solitaire ring.

“Will you marry me?”

“You can still take responsibility for the child without marrying me,” I told him. It's not that I didn't want him to marry me. I just didn't want the child to be the reason for our marriage.

“Why?”

“I don’t want us to marry out of obligation..

“It's not a responsibility for me.” The words flowed smoothly from his lips. “I'm proposing to you of my own volition because I love you.”

My lips trembled, and my eyes watered as I met his gaze.

“I never stopped loving you all these years, Liz, not even for a second. I've met a lot of women who throw themselves at me without a second thought, but I never paid them any attention because none of them could fill the void you left. Only you can do that and make me feel whole again.”

“How can you still love me after all these years?” I asked in a barely audible whisper.

“Because you're my first love and my one true love. I will choose you over and over again until my last breath. And if there's a second life, I will choose you again and again. That's how much I love you.”

Tears fell down my cheeks, one by one. “You're crazy and stupid.”

“I am,” he admitted. “If loving you means being crazy and stupid, then I don't mind as long as you're happy.”

“Marriage feels a bit hasty… Should we wait a while?”

“Elizabeth, I spent the past four years thinking I lost you… That was torture for me. But when you returned to Flintstone City and I saw your face again, I realized God has given me a second chance, so I'm not going to waste it. All I want is to make you mine, serve you, and make you happy for the rest of our lives.”

I pulled him up from kneeling.

Crimson lifted his fingers to caress my face. “Don't you feel anything for me? I know you don't love me—”

“Hush.” I silenced him with my fingers.

I promised myself that I wouldn't keep anything from him anymore, especially after he saved my life. As promised, I would be honest about how I felt now.

“I love you.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “Y-you do?”

“Yes. I never stopped loving you all these years, Crimson. I was mad at you for hurting me in the past and for breaking my heart. However, I realized that back then, you had no choice. Our family was in chaos, and we sacrifice ourselves for their sake. Now, it's time for us to focus on our happiness, which is why I'm being completely honest with you.”

“Then why will you marry me?”

“Yes… but let's give our families some time to adjust to our relationship. In a month or two, we can get married.”

“Thank God. I thought you were going to say no.” Before I could even react, he slid the ring onto my finger.