All Chapters of The Billionaire's Rebel Fiancée: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Zayn's POVMilan had changed me and shifted the axis of my world in ways I hadn't expected when I'd boarded that plane. Every morning waking up beside her, watching do things in her unique way every morning, falling asleep with her hair spread across my chest, and I knew with absolute certainty that I couldn't go back to a life without this.The ring had arrived yesterday, delivered to Connor's hotel room because I couldn't risk Adriana finding it in my luggage. I'd spent an hour on the phone with the jeweler three days ago describing exactly what I wanted, something elegant and understated that matched her style, that wouldn't scream billionaire excess but would show that I'd paid attention to every detail of who she was.Now it sat in my jacket pocket while I stood in her kitchen trying to look casual and failing spectacularly."You're being weird," Adriana said, pouring herself more coffee."I'm not being weird.""You've checked your phone many times in the last ten minutes." She l

Zayn's POVThe ring on her finger changed everything and nothing at the same time, a small piece of metal that somehow made the future feel both certain and terrifying. I'd been awake for an hour watching her sleep, the way her breathing stayed slow and even and the diamond ring catching what little light filtered through the curtains in the pre-dawn quiet.I'd built empires from nothing, turned ideas into billion dollar generating companies and transformed entire industries with nothing but vision and relentless execution. But I'd never built peace, never created something that felt like coming home to a place I didn't know existed until she showed me where to look.She stirred eventually and her eyes opened, found me watching her. "How long have you been awake?""A while." I pulled her closer. "Couldn't sleep.""Why not?""Just thinking." I kissed her forehead. "About you, about us, about how I managed to convince you to say yes.""You didn't convince me." She traced the line of my

Zayn's POVI told her I'd never hold her back and I meant it, but lying awake at three in the morning with London playing on repeat in my mind made me wonder if I'd just agreed to lose her all over again. Eighteen months felt like nothing when she'd said it across the dinner table with her eyes bright and determined, but now in the dark with only my thoughts to keep my company it felt like forever stretched thin and ready to snap.She'd submitted the application hours ago, hit send with shaking hands and then looked at me like she needed permission to want this. I'd given it without hesitation because what else could I do, tell her to stay small so I could feel secure, clip her wings because watching her fly scared me more than I wanted to admit.But supporting her and being fine with it were two different things entirely.I slipped out of bed carefully so I wouldn't wake her, grabbed my laptop and went to the living room. The city was quiet outside her windows, just the occasional ca

Zayn's POVShe'd been awake for hours, I could tell by the way she was sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop open and her coffee gone cold beside her, the city still dark outside her windows with just a few early lights coming on across the skyline. The interview was later that morning and she was wound so tight I was afraid she might snap if I touched her wrong."Come here," I said from the doorway."I need to review the faculty research one more time." She didn't look up from her screen. "Professor Anderson published a paper last month on predictive algorithms and I should be familiar with it.""You've read it three times already." I crossed to her and closed the laptop gently. "You're prepared, you're more than prepared, and if you study any more you're going to burn out before the interview even starts."She looked up at me with exhausted eyes. "What if I don't get it?""Then we try again somewhere else and we keep trying until you get exactly what you want." I pulled her t

Zayn's POVThe restaurant lights had gone dim by the time we left, Sage and Connor peeling off toward their hotel while Adriana and I walked back through empty Milan streets, and I kept my arm around her waist because letting go felt impossible when I only had fourteen days left. She was talking about the program, professors she'd studied and courses she couldn't wait to take, her voice bright with joy I'd kill to protect.Two weeks.Drake Foundation had given her two weeks to uproot her life and move to London, paperwork expedited and housing arranged like someone had greased the wheels to get her there fast. Connor's research sat heavy in my mind, forty-seven students who'd ended up working for Drake Industries, and now Adriana was about to become number forty-eight."You're quiet again," she said as we climbed the stairs."Just thinking about logistics." The lie came easily. "Two weeks isn't much time.""I know but they're handling most of it, visa expedited and housing sorted." Sh