Chapter 348 : I Think You Know

*Lucas*

As the deck rolled with the sea's rhythm, Lauren's gaze met mine. The weight of my confession hung in the air between us like the smell of salt.

"You love me?" Her words were barely audible, delicate as a breeze, and it felt like everything around us faded away.

I couldn't help but smile, my eyes crinkling with joy.

"Isn't it obvious?" I asked.

In that moonlit moment, she chuckled through her tears.

"I've never experienced anything like this," she confessed, her voice filled with emotion as her hand brushed against my arm. "Men have said they loved me before, but it always felt hollow."

Despite not echoing my words yet, her unwavering gaze and rapid heartbeat seemed to convey that she believed in my love.

Feeling vulnerable, I gathered my courage and asked, "Do you love me?"

The sound of the ocean's quiet whispers accompanied the tense silence that followed—a world of possibilities hanging on her response. And then, suddenly, she threw herself into my arms.