Final Chapter

"Why?" Ryan Carter asked.

Was he finally about to hear the answer he'd been waiting for? He shot Jake Thompson a glare that clearly said, Get lost.

With a roguish grin, Jake obediently made his exit.

"Because I can't stand the thought of people rejecting you—but let's get one thing straight: if you ever bring a lover home, make damn sure I never see them." Chloe laid down her terms bluntly.

"Is that the only reason?" Ryan pressed.

"Do you accept my conditions or not?" Chloe snapped, using anger to mask her true feelings.

The last thing she wanted was for him to know she loved him—it would leave her feeling vulnerable and exposed.

"Listen to me. I'm not gay. And I love you—have loved you for so, so long." Ryan closed the distance between them, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear before cradling her face in his hands. ​"I mean it."

Chloe couldn't believe what she was seeing. Was that... love in his eyes? No way. She must be imagining things.

"Fine, I believe you." Chloe Johnson refused to let Ryan Carter's charm weaken her resolve any further. She twisted free from his grasp, her voice sharp.

"Do you want me to be gay?" Ryan was utterly exasperated. Why couldn't she just accept the truth? Was she hoping he was gay?

How could she want that? Hadn't he seen how hard she'd worked to "fix" him?

"I should just go. There's no point dragging this out—I don't belong here anymore."Chloe moved to the bed, gathering her scattered clothes with stiff motions.

"Then let me prove it." Ryan closed the distance, cupping her face and capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

If she'd already agreed to marry him, why hold back? She'd be his soon enough anyway.

Pressing her into the mattress, Ryan set out to prove his innocence—with actions, not words.

After Ryan Carter had thoroughly proven his "innocence"—

"I still don't get why Jake Thompson lied to me. Are you just that bad of a boss?" Facts spoke louder than words. Chloe Johnson finally accepted that Ryan wasn't gay.

"Regrets?" Ryan murmured, tracing his fingers over the faint marks left by their passion as he held her close.

"Not a chance! No wonder this stuff shows up in comics all the time—who knew it could feel this good?" Chloe sighed, already craving more. The initial discomfort had melted into pure, wordless pleasure.

Watching her earnest expression as she spoke, Ryan couldn't help but laugh softly. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." It reminded him of their first meeting—how she'd looked at him with that same wide-eyed wonder after their first kiss.

"What's so funny?"

"Chloe, I love you. From the moment I first saw you, my heart was yours. Twenty-eight years of calm, gone—just like that. Only for you."

"You think I drove you to school, took you to see cherry blossoms in Japan for no reason? Because I loved you. Because I wanted to build a life with you."

"But you were so young. So innocent. I couldn't rush you. So I waited—for you to grow up, to finally see the love in my eyes." Ryan laid bare every ounce of his devotion.

"Should I believe you?" Chloe teased, her heart swelling. So she hadn't fallen for the wrong man after all—she'd gotten one of the rare good ones.

Ryan released her and crossed to the desk, retrieving something from the drawer. If words wouldn't convince her, maybe this would.

Chloe stared, momentarily dazed by the sight of his naked form.

Holy—his body could give Ricky Martin a run for his money… She snapped back to reality, horrified to realize she'd been ogling him. A furious blush spread across her cheeks.

"See? Proof of my love." Ryan extended the items toward her, then paused at her crimson face. ​"What's wrong?"

"Have some shame! Prancing around naked in front of a proper lady!" She covered her burning face with both hands.

"'Proper lady'? Not anymore, are you?" He grinned wolfishly. Since when had she become so prim?

With an indignant huff, Chloe aimed a kick at him—only for Ryan to catch her slender ankle midair. His fingers began a slow, deliberate ascent up her bare leg.

"Hey—what do you think you're doing?" Chloe gasped as his touch sent shivers down her spine.

"A little late to play coy, don't you think?" Ryan's roaming hands continued their audacious ascent.

One universal truth had been proven today: even the most proper men turned downright wicked after intimacy.

"Do I love you or not?" Chloe mused aloud, turning the tokens of his affection over in her hands. Her words froze Ryan's wandering fingers mid-motion. He looked up sharply.

"You do." Ryan's voice was certain.

"Yes. I love you." She pulled him down, pressing a constellation of featherlight kisses across his forehead.

This man who'd fallen for her at first sight. Who cherished her so completely that her happiness became his compass. Who wanted her as his constant horizon—the very axis his world revolved around. When she laughed, he laughed with her; when she cried, he gathered her close and let the storm pass in his arms.

How could she not love him? A man who'd never cause her pain or confusion. Who'd wait for her as patiently as the tide waits for the moon.

"That first meeting sealed my fate. You stole my first kiss—back when I barely understood what kisses meant. But yours? I was addicted instantly." She traced his jawline, her voice softening before delivering the final jab: ​"Seems you've always known how to weaponize your charms."

"Like that, do you?" No sooner had he spoken than Ryan captured Chloe's lips again.

Their kiss became a vow—a promise that this sweetness would last forever.

"Let's have the wedding before your college term starts. Agreed?" Ryan murmured against her mouth.

"So sure I'll get accepted?" She arched an eyebrow. He made it sound inevitable.

"I believe in you. And if you don't? You'll retake the exams and enroll next year."He'd already calculated every possibility.

Ryan moved swiftly, arranging a meeting with both sets of parents at the Johnsons' home to finalize wedding plans. The date was set before Chloe could blink—she'd be an August bride.

Was she really getting married? A year ago, she hadn't even considered dating. Now she was becoming someone's wife at nineteen—nineteen!—when she'd never planned to wed this young.

What baffled her most was how Ryan had convinced her parents so quickly. What magic had he worked to make them agree to hand over their barely-of-age daughter?

"What exactly did you do to get my parents to agree?" Chloe Johnson stepped into the penthouse of The Apexion Tower, watching Ryan Carter pack his luggage as he prepared to move back home.

"I bought you for twenty million," Ryan Carter joked with a grin.

"Tell me the truth." Chloe snatched the clothes from Ryan Carter's hands and threw them onto the bed, glaring at him.

"I just did." Ryan blinked innocently, feigning ignorance.

"Fine. If you don't tell me, your wedding will only have a groom—I won't be there."Chloe crossed her arms, pouting.

"Is that so?" Ryan replied cryptically, then pulled off his sleep shirt and rummaged through the closet for fresh clothes.

Chloe's eyes lingered on the broad expanse of his back, and she swallowed hard.

Was she really starting to miss his body? No way. She wasn't some kind of lust-driven woman—since when did she crave a man's physique?

"Ryan." Chloe couldn't control herself—she stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, and pressed her face against his bare back, murmuring his name.

Ryan felt the curves of her body molding against him. He turned, pried her hands loose, and tilted her chin up, capturing her lips in a searing kiss that left Chloe dizzy.

Then he pushed her onto the bed, his scorching mouth trailing down her slender neck, leaving faint red marks on her porcelain skin until he reached the spot she always complained was "not impressive enough"—where he nipped teasingly.

Chloe clutched the sheets, her body burning under Ryan's relentless teasing, every nerve alight.

"We can't." Ryan suddenly stopped, rolling onto his back beside her.

"Why?" Chloe stared, dazed, at the man who'd just wrecked her self-control. The ache inside her was unbearable—like a parched man denied water.

"We're not married yet. This isn't right." Ryan deliberately tormented her, though it took every ounce of his willpower. But if he wanted to secure his future wife, he had to endure.

"But we've done it before without being married!" Chloe protested, straddling him.

"What if you get pregnant? Then what?"

"Then… fine, I'll marry you." She was hopelessly addicted to him—what choice did she have but to surrender?

With a victorious grin, Ryan covered her body, finally giving in to their mutual hunger.

Mission: Marriage—Success!

Chloe Johnson had once said he was good at leveraging his strengths. If it could win him the beauty, why not make full use of those advantages?

After their passionate encounter—

"Why did you refuse to marry me before?" Ryan Carter asked, holding Chloe Johnson, who now curled against him like a contented kitten.

"Ugh, you never actually proposed," she grumbled. "You just seduced me."

Chloe hated how easily she crumbled under his touch. The moment Ryan tempted her with that body of his, she surrendered without a fight.

"I did propose."

"That one doesn't count!" Back then, she'd only agreed because she thought he was gay—totally invalid!

So that was the issue—she wanted a proper proposal. Good thing he'd bought that exquisite diamond ring yesterday. Now was the perfect time to put it to use.

Ryan Carter reached for the diamond ring on the nightstand, then gazed earnestly at the woman in his arms.

"My dear Miss Chloe," he said, his voice steady and warm, "will you marry me? I promise to cherish you as much as my own life. Say yes, and I'll spend the rest of my days making you happy."

"I will," Chloe replied, her eyes shining. "And I'll make you just as happy in return." She finally extended her hand, letting Ryan slide the ring onto her finger—securing not just her commitment, but her heart and soul along with it.

"Thank you." Ryan kissed her deeply, pouring all his love into it.

Every kiss they'd shared since their first meeting had been proof of their devotion. He loved her, and she loved him—what incredible luck that was!

So take a careful look at the person beside you. Who knows? There might just be another Ryan Carter gazing at you with that same adoration. Make sure you recognize the love in his eyes.

[The End]