Chapter 29: The Woman

Chris Virtanen's POV

"What do you mean, you don't have the ring yet?" My grandpa asked me as I was rubbing my neck. I was back in my apartment after yesterday's stunt. But of course, Sophia was not with me when her father was forbidding her to be with me.

Even though we're married legally on papers.

"Well, you don't say when I will be meeting my fiancée, so I was not prepared for all of that," I said as I was sitting on the couch as my grandpa was pacing back and forth in front of me. One thing for sure, grandpa was a perfectionist.

And even when we're married, he wanted to do it in the right way.

I sighed before I was rubbing my face with my hands. I was taking a deep breath before I was looking at my grandpa. Then he was sitting in front of me before his vivid green eyes were looking at me.

"Well, you just have to go shopping with her then," he said as I was turning my head sharply at him. I blinked my eyes before I was staring at him.

"Sir?"

My grandpa was waving his hand dismissively. He was thinking as I can see that his motor was turning in his brain right now.

"You already married the girl. Archie makes sure of that and I think this will be a good time for you guys to go on a date before the big day," grandpa said as he was smirking at me. Oh uh! I don't think I wanted to know what my grandfather was planning now. Then he turned to look at me.

"What are you waiting for? Go and buy your wife the wedding and engagement rings!" He barked at me as I was scrambling to my feet before I was out of my apartment and I was running to the garage to start the engine and sped off to take Sophia out like my grandpa wanted to.

You can never go rebel with my grandfather. He was a force to be reckoned with.

And here we are, I and Sophia were at the most exclusive of the jewelry empire in Denmark and was known all over Europe, with the royalty of Scotland to buy and invest in their company. Its name was Vork's Vow.

We were sitting at one of the VIP rooms as I was staring around the room. Sophia was smiling from ear to ear as the salesperson was showing all the latest designs and unlisted ones as well. Exclusive for members only. And I am one.

"Oh, how exciting for us to be here right now," Sophia said as she was looking at the rings. I mean, it was shiny and all but I don't think that it would be a good idea for Sophia to have a big engagement ring.

I mean, what if she got robbed or something?

"Love, I think we can go with the simple princess cut or something like that. Nothing too fancy, you know," I tried to reason with her as Sophia was turning to look at me. She arched her eyebrow at me.

"And why is that, Virtanen? Afraid that I might get robbed?" She asked me, the challenge in her eyes.

Blast her!

"Well, technically yes. I am afraid that you might get hurt from that and I don't think I want you to be in any danger at all," I said as I was kissing her knuckles. She smiled before she was caressing my cheeks before she was leaning forward. But we were interrupted when someone was gasping at us.

"Sophia?" A middle-aged woman was asking for my wife when Sophia turned to look at her, her blood drained from the face.

"Mama?" Sophia said as she was standing up before I stood up as well. I was looking at the familiarity of the two women and they are related.

The blonde hair.

The same face.

It was like looking into a twin, only older.

But their eyes, it was different. The old woman has brown eyes but Sophia has blue eyes, taking from her father.

"So it is you. And you are with a man! How wonderful. Looking at an engagement ring?" She asked before Sophia was gripping her hands into fists. I was looking at her tensed face before she forced a smile.

A smile that I don't like, at all.

"Yes, and why do you want to know. After all, it's only been 20 years since your visit," Sophia said as the old woman was smiling weakly.

"Sophia, I—"

"I think I have lost my enthusiasm to shop for rings now. Let's go, Chris," she said as she was pulling me out of the VIP room. I was looking at the old woman before I was staring at Sophia. She was gripping my hand too tight before we were out of the building. We were walking out to my car before I was pulling her to the side as I was hitting her back against the wall. She gasped before I saw it.

The tears in her eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong? Who was that?" I asked her as I was looking at my wife. Sophia never shed tears, well except for that night we first make love in the kitchen, but this was for a different reason.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked her as she was shaking her head. Then she hugged me. I was taken back when she was shaking under my body. But I soothed her out as I was caressing her back and I realized that she was crying actually.

"It's okay, my love. It's okay," I whispered to her as she was sobbing silently. I don't know that the day that was supposed to be happy can turn 180 degrees and Sophia was crying in my arms right now.

I just hoped that she would open up to me and talk to me whenever she felt like it.

After a moment we were in that alley, Sophia was calming down. she was sniffing but she did not shed tears after that. I was looking at her before she was smiling weakly at me.

"Sorry, I know how much you wanted me to be happy and forget all of the other things that might ruin our day together. I'm sorry," she said as I was shaking my head at her. I took her face into my hands as I was staring into her blue orbs.

"Do not be sorry for your tears, my love. You are a human and you will feel things about anything. I just hope that you will one day tell me about it," I said as I was caressing her cheeks. She leaned into my touch as we were locking our eyes together.

"One day,'' she said before she was smiling at me. I was chuckling before I hugged her. I was taking a deep breath before I was kissing her hair. She was smelling of apple blossom. I loved it so much that it was my new favorite scent now.

"So, that's that. Should we get something to eat first then come here again?" Sophia suggested as her usual smile was there. I was smiling at her before I was nodding.

"Sounds like a plan," I said as we were walking out of the alley and we went to the nearest restaurant after that. But I still wondered about that woman that she called 'Mama' and why she behaved like that after meeting her.

Someday, she will tell me about it.

*****

Then again, we were back at the VIP room after the lunch that we had together. Sophia was being cheerful again as she was smiling and playing with my hair as she would touch my hair that was falling to my forehead. I smiled as I wanted her to play it as much.

"So, here we have the collections for our exclusive member and the unlisted ones as well," the salesperson said as I was smiling at him. He was nodding at me before he left the room to give us some privacy for the choosing of the rings.

"Which one do you like, husband?" Sophia asked me as I was looking at the rings. It was too big and too small for the stones. I don't think I wanted Sophia to wear a small stone. That would not be ideal.

Considering she was related to royalty and all.

Yes, I know about her background as my grandpa would tell me who was my fiancée was. Sophia Hansen was related to the current Prince and Princess of Denmark. But I did not care about them.

I only cared that Sophia was mine and mine alone.

"How about this one?" She showed me the princess cut diamond that would be perfect for her long, thin hand. I smiled before I was thinking of some adjustments that needed to be made.

"Cool. We will take that for your engagement ring. And our wedding bands?" I asked her as we were searching for the pair of wedding bands before we both spotted the right one.

"Jinx," we said simultaneously before I was smiling at her, Sophia kissed me briefly. I arched my eyebrow at her.

"Thank you,'' she whispered to me as I was caressing her side.

"For what?"

"For staying in my life until the death does us apart," she said as her blue orbs were shining. I smiled with my heart swelled out for her.

"And thank you," I said as Sophia was arching her eyebrow at me. "For saying yes to be my wife," I said as we were smiling at each other before the salesperson came in and took our rings. I think this would be nice to end something with both of us that might enjoy as I was pulling Sophia out to the car and sped to my apartment to show her how much she meant to me.

The rings can wait.