Chapter 62: The Proposal and New Beginnings

Chapter 62: The Proposal and New Beginnings

As Ethan knelt down, he held out a small velvet box. Inside, a diamond sparkled brilliantly, catching the light in every direction.

For a moment, Emily was stunned, unsure if it was a ring or a pendant.

If it was a ring, it was certainly oversized.

Ethan spoke softly, "This blue diamond is something I acquired recently. I had it made into a ring, exactly 7.7 carats."

Emily recognized it as a deep blue square-cut diamond, surrounded by a crown-shaped arrangement of smaller diamonds.

"The last ring we had, I also broke it and set it into this one."

Because of his height, even kneeling, Ethan was at her waist level. It was unusual to speak to him from this angle, and the intensity in his eyes as he looked up at her felt especially profound.

"I know you don't hold much affection for our past, considering all the mistakes I made. Still, the three years I spent with you are the most precious of my life," Ethan paused, his deep gaze rippling with emotion. "Emily, you are the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Please, don't leave me, okay?"

Emily blinked slowly, as if processing everything in slow motion.

Here was the man she loved, kneeling before her, pleading for her love, looking at her with eyes full of tenderness.

—How could she not be moved?

Emily tugged slightly at his sleeve. "Stand up first."

Ethan remained kneeling, stubbornly holding the ring up for her to see.

"I won't get up until you agree."

Emily: "…"

Could proposals be handled like this?

She suddenly understood why he reserved the entire restaurant.

Emily lowered her gaze to the man on the ground, her lips twitching slightly. "Is this because your grandfather pressured you today?"

Ethan was momentarily taken aback, then he chuckled softly. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

He took her hand, his thumb gently brushing over her soft, pale skin.

"My life has been planned out since the day I was born. But you were never part of that plan," he smiled at her.

"Emily, you are my only choice, the one thing in my life that I chose for myself, and the choice I'll never regret."

"I'm not asking you to be Ethan's wife; I'm asking you to be my lover," Ethan added, his voice thoughtful. "You don't need to worry about my grandfather. If you're still unsure, no one will pressure you. I promise, no one will dare speak ill of you again."

Emily didn't seem to hear the last part of his speech. All she heard was that he didn't want her to be Ethan's wife—he wanted her to be his lover.

That was perfect. She wasn't in love with Chairman Harrison or the billionaire.

She was in love with the Ethan who held her tightly and refused to let go, the Ethan who obsessively tried to win at a claw machine, the Ethan who waited for her in the snow, the Ethan who risked his life to protect her during the explosion...

Emily closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, they were calm and clear.

She sniffed lightly, her voice soft as she replied, "I'll have to see how you perform."

Ethan: "Hm?"

"You have a terrible track record. I'll need to observe you for a while longer. You get a two-year probation period. If you don't perform well, I'll fire you for good!"

Ethan stared at her, still processing her words.

Emily's lips curled into a slight pout, her haughty demeanor returning.

"What? You wronged me for two years, and I can't test you for two years in return? If that's a problem, then—"

"No," Ethan interrupted quickly, springing to his feet. "Of course not."

"Whether it's two years, twenty years, or a lifetime, I'm willing," he said, swiftly removing the ring from its cushion as if afraid she might change her mind.

As the oversized ring slowly slid onto her finger, Emily felt a strange flutter in her chest. Once the ring was in place, she looked up, meeting the solid embrace of his chest.

He pulled her into his arms, and she felt the warmth of his lips brush against her temple before he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

It was a kiss devoid of any desire, filled only with affection and care, yet it made her heart skip a beat. She wrapped her slender arms around his broad shoulders, a secret smile curling her lips where he couldn't see.

"Move back home, will you?" Ethan whispered in her ear, his voice tender and filled with longing. "I've missed you so much."

His deep, magnetic voice was laced with affection. "I'll make bird's nest soup for you every day, okay?"

Emily nodded, then hesitated for a moment.

"But all my things are still at the other house—my pajamas, my scents, my aromatherapy… they're all there."

She hadn't taken much with her when she left, except for her bedtime essentials. Emily was very particular about these things and would never use anything that wasn't exactly to her liking.

Ethan knew this about her. He released her slightly, still holding her hand, and pulled out his phone.

"I'll have someone bring them over right now," he said, dialing a number and putting the phone to his ear. "Actually, forget it. I'll just buy you new ones."

Emily: "…"

It seemed he wasn't planning to let her go.

Seeing how eager he was, Emily had a strong suspicion that his motives weren't entirely pure.

He clearly wasn't just missing her presence—he was craving something more!

**

By the time they arrived home, all of Emily's things were already set up in the living room, and sure enough, everything was brand new.

Emily picked up a bottle of bath fragrance, popped open the cap, and took a sniff. She glanced at the French label on the bottle. It was indeed her favorite white tea scent.

But for some reason, it didn't smell as appealing as it used to.

She couldn't help but recall the scent of the embrace she'd been wrapped in during the car ride...

Emily leaned into the man who had just removed his coat, sniffing the air around him. Ethan turned to face her, his chest brushing against her upturned nose.

"What's wrong?" he asked, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

"What body wash do you use?" Emily asked, placing a hand on his shoulder and pressing her face closer to inhale more deeply. "I want to use it too."

She was leaning against his chest, her expression and the way she scrunched her nose were soft and endearing, like an unaware kitten showing its cute side. Her nose brushed lightly against his neck, almost teasing.

The unintended gesture sent a shiver down Ethan's spine.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Why would you want to use my body wash?"

His fingers played with a strand of her hair, twisting it suggestively.

"Why not just use me instead?"

Emily: "!"

Before she could respond, he swept her off her feet, carrying her in his arms.

"Didn't you say you were going to test me?" he murmured.

**

The next morning, Emily woke up surprisingly early. She lay there for a moment, staring at the sunlight filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting patterns on the carpet. She lowered her gaze and saw the arm wrapped around her waist.

The back of his hand was pale, the long fingers elegantly defined, with a wedding ring still on his finger.

It seemed he had never taken off his wedding ring.

Emily stared at his hand for a while, her mind flashing back to the previous day, remembering how it had held her from behind, gripping her tightly until the veins stood out...

She quickly shook her head.

This man is crazy…

She turned over, finding herself face to face with Ethan's long, closed lashes. Mimicking the way he often teased her, she reached out a finger and gently tapped his eyelashes twice.

He didn't react, his breathing slow and steady.

Emily smiled, propping herself up on one elbow. Her mischievous finger bounced from his lashes to his chest, tracing the firm lines of his muscles, moving down his abs, and stopping at the mark on his throat.

She stared at her handiwork for a moment, then lightly touched the base of his throat.

Just as she was about to pull her hand back, her wrist was suddenly caught.

Ethan took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss.

"You're pretending to sleep again!" Emily scolded him playfully, but she was quickly pulled into his embrace, his arms wrapping around her.

"Waking up to see you," Ethan murmured, his voice husky with sleep, "is the best."

He glanced at the clock on the wall, then suddenly flipped over.

"There's still time…"

Emily: "...!"

She pushed him away, "Are you crazy?!"

Her face flushed with embarrassment. "You… you better be careful, or you'll exhaust yourself!"

Even if he wasn't exhausted, her legs were already trembling…

Ethan raised an eyebrow as if he'd been challenged.

"Emily," he whispered, kissing her ear. "You owe me over eight months' worth of debts."

With that, he pulled the blanket over their heads, eager to settle the score with his wife.

"Why don't you test me and see if I'm really tired?"

Soon, a delicate white foot slipped out from under the blanket, the toes curling tightly together in sync with the rhythmic sounds filling

the room…

When Emily woke up again from a nap, he was gone.

Her head was still a little foggy, her last memory was of him carrying her to the bathroom…

As she wished, she was now enveloped in his scent from head to toe.

Emily lazily propped herself up, turning her head to see a thermos of bird's nest soup on the bedside table, along with a note.

She opened the note, recognizing his bold handwriting:

The bird's nest soup is ready, drink it while it's hot.

I've contacted your studio, you don't have a shoot today. If you don't feel like going, you don't have to.

Rest well at home, and we'll have dinner together tonight. What do you want to eat?

xx

Emily chuckled softly, setting the note back on the table. She opened the thermos, seeing the still-steaming bird's nest soup inside.

After a few sips, she frowned slightly.

He said he would "make her bird's nest soup every day."

But was this "bird's nest soup" really just bird's nest soup?

At this rate, she wasn't sure she could handle it every day. :)

**

The photographer spent the day lounging around, only starting to get ready when she received a text from Ethan.

By the time Emily was ready and stepped outside, the driver quickly got out of the car to open the door for her.

"Madam, Chairman Harrison is at the media headquarters today," the driver said respectfully. "Would you like to go there, or directly to the restaurant?"

Emily thought for a moment, "Let's go to the headquarters."

"Very well."

During rush hour, by the time the car pulled into the underground parking garage of the media building, night had already fallen.

Emily was considering whether or not to apply mascara as she looked into a small mirror when the car suddenly braked hard, almost sending the mascara flying out of her hand.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, madam!" the driver quickly apologized, pointing out the windshield. "I… I didn't see him, he just appeared out of nowhere—"

Emily craned her neck slightly to see ahead.

A tall figure stood in front of the car, his posture upright and graceful, with the brim of his hat pulled low.

Ryan took off his baseball cap, his signature eyes fixed steadily on the black SUV.