Chapter 164

Chapter 164
It was almost six o'clock on a Friday. The office hummed with that restless energy that always came before the weekend. I saved my last spreadsheet and shut down my computer.

I stood up and stretched.

My phone buzzed against the hard surface of the desk.

I glanced at the screen. Parker.

A smile tugged at my lips. I answered and tucked the phone between my ear and shoulder. "Hey. I was just packing up."

Parker’s voice came through the line. It sounded low and excited. "Don't leave yet. Look out the window."

I paused, my hand hovering over my purse. "Why? It’s just traffic."

"Just look," he insisted. "Give it two seconds."

"I’m looking, Parker. I don't see anything except—"

My voice died in my throat.

Directly across from my building, unfolding from the roof of the opposite high-rise, was a massive red banner. It was huge. The wind caught it, making it ripple against the glass facade. The white letters were bold and impossible to miss.

CHLOE VANCE, WILL YOU MARRY ME?

My breath hitched. I stood frozen, the phone pressed tight against my ear.

"Parker," I whispered. "What did you do?"

Before he could answer, hundreds of colorful balloons floated up from the street level. They drifted past the window like a scene from a movie.

"Oh my god! Look outside!" someone screamed behind me.

"Is that... is that for Chloe?"

"Chloe! Look down!"

My coworkers crowded the window. They pressed their faces against the glass, gasping and pointing. I looked down.

Standing in the middle of the plaza below, a tiny figure in a suit held a massive bouquet of red roses. He was looking up at my window. Even from this distance, I knew it was him.

He was waiting.

I spun around and ran.

I mashed the button for the elevator. The lights showed the cars were stuck on the upper floors.

"Screw it," I muttered.

I shoved open the heavy door to the stairwell. My heels clicked sharply against the concrete as I flew down the steps. Flight after flight. My breath came in short gasps. My heart pounded against my ribs.

I burst out of the lobby doors and into the cool evening air. I was breathless. My hair was a mess.

A crowd had formed in the plaza. In the center stood Parker Palmer. He looked devastatingly handsome. He held a bouquet of roses that was almost too big to carry.

He looked at me. His grin was wide and confident.

I didn't walk. I sprinted.

"I do!" I shouted. My voice cut through the city noise.

Parker laughed. He dropped the flowers just in time to catch me. I launched myself into his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he spun me around.

The crowd of strangers and colleagues erupted into applause.

"I do, I do, I do!" I laughed, burying my face in his neck.

"I figured," Parker said, setting me down gently. "But I wanted to make sure the whole city knew."

"You are insane," I said, wiping a happy tear from my eye. "Totally insane."

"Only for you."

Parker reached into his pocket. He pulled out a velvet box and flipped it open.

I gasped.

The diamond inside was enormous. It sat on the cushion like a small ice cube. It caught the fading sunlight and threw rainbows across his shirt.

"Parker..." I stared at the ring. "How... how big is that?"

"Ten carats," he said casually.

"Ten?" My eyes widened. "Are you trying to break my finger?"

"I’m trying to make sure no one else ever hits on you again," he teased.

He took my hand. His fingers were warm and steady. He slid the heavy platinum band onto my finger. It fit perfectly.

I held my hand out. The weight of it was shocking.

"I’m wearing a ten-carat diamond," I said. A giddy laugh bubbled up. "I feel like I need a bodyguard just for my hand."

Parker pulled me into a hug. "Do you like it?"

"Of course I like it! Who wouldn't like a ten-carat diamond? I'd be crazy not to."

I kissed him, ignoring the cheering crowd around us.



The adrenaline began to fade as Parker’s car pulled into the driveway of the Palmer estate an hour later. It was replaced by a cold knot of anxiety.

I sat on the plush sofa in his parents' living room. My hands were clasped tightly in my lap. Across from me sat Preston and Sophia Palmer.

Parker sat beside me, completely relaxed. He took my hand and squeezed it.

"Why are you so tense?" he whispered. "You’ve met them before. They don't eat people."

"This is different," I hissed back. "We’re telling them we’re getting married."

Parker cleared his throat. "Mom, Dad. Chloe and I are getting married."

The room went silent.

Preston Palmer looked at me. His expression was unreadable. Sophia Palmer sipped her tea, her sharp eyes scanning my face.

I held my breath. I prepared myself for the interrogation. I was ready for the polite refusal. I had already decided that if they said no, I would marry Parker anyway. I was ready to fight.

Then, Preston laughed.

"Well," he said, setting down his glass. "Parker’s right. You don't need to look so terrified, Chloe. We really don't eat people."

I blinked. "I... I know."

"Have you two thought this through?" Sophia asked. Her voice was calm.

"Yes," Parker said firmly.

Sophia nodded. "Good. If you’ve thought it through, then I have no objections."

"Neither do I," Preston agreed. "It’s about time he settled down."

"So," Sophia continued, pulling out her tablet like she was planning a board meeting. "How are we handling the wedding? I can help with the arrangements. The venue, the caterer..."

I stared at them, stunned.

That was it? No drama? No objections? I felt a strange sense of anticlimax. I had braced myself for a war, and instead, I was being offered a wedding planner.



Parker drove us back toward the city. The streetlights flashed rhythmically over the dashboard. He glanced at me.

"Let's go to City Hall tomorrow," he said suddenly.

I turned to him. "Tomorrow? Isn't that fast?"

"We’re getting married anyway. Why wait?" He shrugged. "Let's just get the paper."

I looked at his profile. He was impulsive, yes. But he was certain. And that certainty made me feel safe.

"Okay," I said. "Tomorrow."

"You should call your parents," Parker reminded me. "I don't want to give them a heart attack when I show up as their son-in-law."

"Right." I groaned. I fished my phone from my bag.

I dialed my mother’s number. She answered on the second ring. Her voice was sharp.

"Oh, look who it is. You still remember you have a mother? I thought you forgot about us."

I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Mom, I'm sorry. I’ve been busy... dating. I neglected you guys."

The word dating worked like magic. Her tone instantly shifted from annoyance to interest.

"Dating? Is it that Parker boy? How is it going?"

"It's going well," I said. "Actually, really well."

"Good. You need to hold onto him. Hurry up and get married. You aren't getting any younger."

I took a deep breath. "Well, that’s why I’m calling. We’re going to get our marriage license tomorrow."

Silence.

Then, a scream.

"What? Are you kidding me? Chloe Vance, if you are lying to me—"

"I'm not lying," I laughed. "He proposed today. Mom, he put a ten-carat diamond ring on my finger."

I couldn't help but brag. It was the quickest way to convince her it was real.

"Ten carats?" Her voice went up an octave. "Oh my god. Okay. Tomorrow is good! Tomorrow is perfect! Parker is such a reliable boy. I knew it!"

I nudged Parker. "She says you're reliable. You're the favorite child now."

Parker laughed. He leaned toward the phone speaker. "Thank you, Mrs. Vance. I'll make sure to take good care of her."

"Oh, Parker!" My mother sounded giddy. "You are wonderful."

"Mrs. Vance," Parker said smoothly. "I'll arrange a flight for you and Mr. Vance to come to Boston. My parents want to meet you and discuss the wedding. I'll handle everything."

"No, no! We can pay for ourselves!" she protested, though she sounded delighted.

"I insist," Parker said. "I'll pick you up from the airport myself."

"Fine, fine! You are too kind." She paused. Her voice dropped to a serious whisper. "Chloe? Listen to me."

"Yeah, Mom?"

"That ten-carat ring... don't wear it on the subway. Take it off when you walk outside. It’s too dangerous. You’ll get robbed."

I smiled. A warmth spread through my chest at the familiar nagging.

"I know, Mom," I said softly. "I’m just wearing it tonight to enjoy it. I’ll keep it safe."