Chapter 8 - THE PROPOSAL ABOVE THE CITY
The crowded ballroom at the Plaza Hotel seemed to fade into a blur of distant music and quiet murmurs.
Marcus took my hand and gently led me away from the grand ballroom, through the heavy velvet curtains, and out onto the private terrace overlooking Central Park.
The cool night air brushed against my face. Below us, the city stretched out like an endless sea of amber lights, glittering under the clear, star-lit sky.
“Marcus... what are you doing?” I whispered, my heart beating frantically against my ribs.
Marcus stood before me, holding the small black velvet box in his hands.
“I had planned to do this next month,” Marcus admitted softly, his voice trembling slightly with genuine emotion. “On a private beach in Italy. Somewhere quiet and perfect. But standing in that room, listening to people who know nothing about love or truth try to undermine what we have... I realized I didn’t want to wait another day.”
He flipped open the velvet box.
Inside, resting on black silk, was a breathtaking diamond ring—a flawless, emerald-cut diamond flanked by two smaller sapphires, glowing magnificently under the moonlight.
“Elena,” Marcus said, dropping down onto one knee on the stone terrace floor.
The multi-billionaire CEO, the man who commanded vast global financial markets, looked up at me with tears glistening in his hazel eyes.
“A year ago, I was living in a golden cage,” Marcus said, his voice raw with emotion. “I had billions of dollars, but I had no one who cared if I lived or died. I woke up on my thirty-fourth birthday completely alone in a fifty-two-floor glass tower.”
He reached up and took my left hand in his.
“Then your daughter knocked on my door and gave me a crown drawn on recycled paper,” Marcus continued, a soft laugh breaking through his emotion. “And you walked into my life and tore down every lie I was living in. You brought love, warmth, family, and real meaning into my existence.”
He looked deep into my soul.
“I don’t want to spend another day of my life without you and Sophia. I want to build a real family with you. I want to protect you, cherish you, and love you for the rest of my days.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks, hot and heavy, shining under the city lights.
“Elena Vance,” Marcus asked softly. “Will you marry me?”
I couldn't speak for a second. My chest was so full of love and gratitude that I felt as if I were floating above the city.
I dropped down onto my knees beside him on the cold stone terrace, wrapping my arms around his neck, burying my face in his shoulder.
May you like
“Yes!” I cried out softly into his neck. “Yes, Marcus! Yes!”
Marcus held me tightly, lifting me slightly as he laughed with pure joy. He slid the breathtaking ring onto my finger—a perfect fit. Then he pulled me into a deep, passionate kiss as the wind swept across the terrace, carrying away every painful memory of the past and sealing a promise for the future.
