CHAPTER 81: WHERE WE STAND

By the time Rivera reached the foyer, James had already opened the front door.Luke stood outside with both hands buried inside his pockets. He looked as though he had driven straight there in a haste. His hair was slightly messy, and there was a faint shadow of exhaustion beneath his eyes.The moment he saw Rivera, the smile he'd worn on the drive over disappeared. She looked worse. The oversized cream sweater hanging loosely off one shoulder wasn't hers. He recognized it immediately. It belonged to Reagan.Her hair was tied into a careless bun, and there were dark circles beneath her eyes that makeup couldn't hide because she clearly hadn't bothered wearing any.For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Luke had prepared a joke, but it died as soon as he saw her."You've been crying."Rivera looked away with an embarrassed smile. "I've looked better.""You've looked a lot better."She stepped aside. "Come in."Luke thanked James quietly before following her into the living room. Riv

CHAPTER 82: A DIFFERENT TYPE OF LOVE

Luke looked up, surprised. "You hid it well," she continued, "but not well enough."She laughed softly. "There were moments that gave it away, and at first I thought it was just muscle memory from Italy; you know, the little things you'd say, the way you'd always show up when I needed something, how patient you were with me even when I was being impossible."She lowered her eyes, absentmindedly tracing the rim of her mug with her thumb."I just pretended not to notice."Luke smiled to himself. "That was kind of you."She shook her head gently. "No. I think I was just confused." Her gaze drifted toward the large windows. "Italy was the safest I'd felt in a long time. You gave me a home when I didn't think I had one. You made me laugh when all I wanted to do was cry. You never made me feel like I was a burden you were forced to carry."She looked back at him, her eyes warm with gratitude. "I'll always be thankful for that."Luke looked away, blinking once before smiling."But," she cont

CHAPTER 83: HOME AGAIN

On the seventh day, just when Rivera had almost convinced herself to stop waiting by the window every few minutes, she heard the familiar sound of tires rolling over the gravel driveway. Then came the sound of a car door closing.She froze. The book she was reading slid from her lap onto the couch unnoticed. She was already halfway to the front door before she realized she had left her footwear by the couch she was sitting on.The door swung open. There he was. Reagan stood at the entrance with one hand still resting on the doorknob.His suit was wrinkled from travel. His tie hung loose around his neck. A rough shadow of a beard covered his jaw. He looked utterly exhausted.She didn't think too much about it, she ran towards him and Reagan barely had time to open his arms before she crashed into him.He closed his eyes the moment he felt her. Home. That was the only word his tired mind could think of.Without saying anything, he wrapped both arms around her and buried his face against

CHAPTER 84: CHOOSING EACH OTHER AT LAST

The room grew quiet again. It wasn't awkward though, it was very warm and comfortable.Rivera was still sitting beside him on the bed. She looked at him carefully, as though she was trying to memorize every line on his face now that he was finally back."You've lost weight," she murmured.Reagan looked down at himself. "So have you.""I wasn't the one chasing dangerous men around the country."He smiled tiredly. "No."She reached over and brushed a finger across the faint bruise near his jaw. Her fingers paused there."This happened during your meeting with Justin?""Hmm," he simply hummed. He instinctively reached for the cut. "Nothing serious.""You fought?" she pressed."I wouldn't call it a fight."She looked at him skeptically. "But he punched you," Rivera said with concern written all over her face."I still won fair and square. I'm not a violent man you know? I fight through other means.""I can see that."He leaned back on the bed. "I'd hate to waste all the effort.""There he

CHAPTER 85: FOREVER

The wedding invitations went out exactly one month later. Simple cream envelopes embossed with elegant gold lettering, were delivered to the people who had somehow become part of Reagan and Rivera's extraordinary story."Mr. and Mrs. Reagan and Rivera Royce request the pleasure of your company..."It didn't take long before the city found out.An hour later, every major business magazine had picked up the story. The cold, elusive CEO who had once made headlines for a secret marriage was marrying the same woman all over again.News outlets replayed photographs taken over the past few months. There were images of Rivera standing beside Reagan at charity galas and company dinners when everyone thought that she was just his secretary.There were also blurry paparazzi shots of them leaving Valmont together, photographs from Arizona that somehow found their way online, and old articles that had once described their marriage as a business arrangement.Now every headline told a different stor

CHAPTER 86: AND ALWAYS

By noon, the garden had been transformed into something that looked as though it belonged inside a dream.Rows of ivory chairs lined a stone pathway dusted with white rose petals. Delicate arrangements of peonies, roses and eucalyptus framed the aisle without overwhelming it.Beyond them, the lake shimmered beneath the warm spring sun, its surface rippling gently whenever the breeze wandered across it.Guests began arriving one after another. Daniel and Tessa were already teasing Chloe before they had even reached their seats."I told you we'd be late because of you," Daniel muttered. "I wonder how much an earring choice mattered that you changed them four times.""They mattered.""They absolutely did not matter that much."Tessa laughed. "You two are exhausting."A few rows away, Jake, May and Crystal admired the view."I still can't believe we're here," May whispered.Jake smiled. "Who would've thought that disastrous Arizona trip would end with this?"Crystal folded her arms with a