Chapter 19 - THE PROPOSAL ATOP THE SKYLINE
It was late autumn when Alexander invited me to accompany him to a private dinner on the roof of the Sterling Capital headquarters.
A private glass pavilion had been constructed under the stars,
surrounded by twinkling fairy lights and winter blooming flowers.
A personal chef served a quiet,
exquisite meal,
but neither of us touched much of our food.
The air crackled with a palpable,
electric tension.
When the plates were cleared away,
Alexander stood up from his chair and walked around the table toward me.
He held out his hand.
I placed my palm in his,
letting him pull me up from my seat.
He led me out of the glass pavilion onto the open rooftop terrace.
The cold wind whipped our hair around our faces,
but the city lights below glittered like a sea of diamonds.
“Eve,
” Alexander began,
his voice dropping into a register so tender and raw it made my breath hitch.
“When you grabbed my lapel at JFK airport,
you called me out for being bad at hugging.
”
I let out a breathless,
nervous laugh,
tears instantly welling in my eyes.
“I was honest,
” I whispered.
“You were,
” he agreed softly.
Then,
right there beneath the starlit Boston sky,
the most powerful billionaire in America dropped slowly down onto one knee.
My hands flew up to cover my mouth as a sob of pure disbelief escaped my lips.
He pulled a small,
velvet black box from his jacket pocket and popped it open.
Inside rested a breathtaking ring featuring a rare,
flawless emerald-cut diamond flanked by delicate white gold bands.
“You crashed into my life like a storm I never knew I desperately needed,
” Alexander said,
his gray eyes shining with unadulterated emotion.
“You taught me that strength isn't about building impenetrable walls,
but about finding someone worth tearing them down for.
Will you marry me,
Eve?
Will you ruin my suits,
anchor my soul,
and stay by my side for the rest of our lives?
”
“Yes,
” I choked out through my tears,
nodding frantically.
“Yes,
May you like
a million times yes.
”
