It wasn't a love confession, yet it felt like one —every word soaked in aning, in promise.
She hadn't said 'I love you.'
But the promise of the lifeti that she made was enough to outshine everything she didn't say.
Aiden's breath hitched the mont he heard her.
Yes, he had said before that he didn't need a ring to feel secure —that as long as she stayed by his side, it was enough.
But that never ant he didn't crave it.
He did. Deeply. Quietly. Always.
He had simply learned not to expect too much.
Because loving her ant accepting the reality she was thrust into —a reality where she had forgotten their past, the mories they once shared, the bond that once had been unbreakable.
Expecting anything from her when she rembered nothing of what they had once been … would have been selfish.
And if there was one thing he refused to be with her —it was selfish.
But now…
It felt like heaven had finally taken pity on him.
Because she had chosen him. Again.
Without the weight of old mories. Without needing reminders of what they once were. She had chosen him as he was now —not just for the present but also for the future.
And in that mont, he could not hold himself back any longer.
Leaning in, he captured her lips in a kiss —firm, tender, full of everything he couldn't say aloud.
The longing he had buried within him for so long.
The ache of waiting.
The love that he had carried patiently, quietly, endlessly … until she found her way back into his life, all over again.
Arwen's breath caught at the intensity of his kiss. It wasn't rushed. It wasn't wild. It was filled with reverence, with gratitude. Like he was kissing a miracle.
Her fingers curled into his shirt as she leaned into him, responding with just as much unspoken feeling.
When they finally pulled apart, Aiden rested his forehead against hers, his voice low and raw.
"Thank you, Moon," he said.
There was sothing in his tone that she couldn't decipher —sothing soft, vulnerable, aching —but she didn't ask. She couldn't, for it would have broken the mont they were sharing.
So, she said nothing.
She just let herself exist in the space they shared.
After a mont, her gaze flickered back to the ring on his finger.
"This was ant to be a surprise for you," she said softly. "But it flopped terribly yesterday. I wanted to make the mont perfect, but —"
"It wasn't any less perfect than what it could have been," he interrupted gently, not letting her mull over the last night's events. "Ask and I will tell you how shocked I was when you handed it to to hold and then slipped it on my finger."
"You were surprised?" she asked, eyes widening a little. She hadn't had the ti to notice —it had all happened too quickly —but now that she thought about it, he seed to have frozen for a second.
Had it really taken him that off guard?
Aiden nodded. "Especially when you claid in front of so many people. I couldn't take my eyes off you. I stood there, staring at you, trying to believe that it was real."
Arwen chuckled, the sound soft. "Introducing you like that was always my plan," she admitted, before adding with a small sigh, "I just hope for a better atmosphere than what we got yesterday."
"Still," he said, looking down at the ring on his finger, "it didn't make much of a difference. Nothing made love this any less."
"You loved it?" she asked, her eyes brightening up. "I just chose the design that I thought would suit you —sothing subtle and minimal. And … it carries a piece of . Sothing that you can wear without anyone noticing."
Aiden's brows lifted at her words before his gaze dropped to look down at the ring on his finger. "A piece of you?"
"Mhm-hm~" she humd, smiling. "Just like mine. Rember how you added your touch to mine?"
Aiden gently turned the ring on his finger, loosening it to the tip but not pulling it off completely. His gaze sharpened as he noticed the delicate carving on the inside of the band —a small crescent moon etched into the tal.
His lips curved up into a soft smile. "Moon …" he murmured, barely above a whisper.
"Yes," Arwen chuckled. "That's ."
He looked up at her again, his eyes holding sothing warm and deep.
"Did you like it?" she asked, shy under his gaze.
She had been confident when asking Mr. Castille to craft it, but now she couldn't help wondering if she had been … a little childish.
"It's just perfect," Aiden replied, his voice sounding just very satisfied. "It just ant to suit the best."
He then reached into his pocket and drew out the sa velvet box from the night before.
Arwen watched as he opened it, revealing another ring —the one that had been left behind … the one ant for her finger.
"Now," he said, extending his hand towards her, "it's my turn. Please."
She nodded, slipping her hand onto his, only to see him gently slide the beautifully carved rose diamond ring onto her finger.
"They are looking perfect together," she murmured, glancing down as their fingers intertwined, the two rings glinting side by side.
***
anwhile, in New York —
A sleek, red Lamborghini pulled up in front of a grand estate, and the next mont, Selene stepped out with the sa confidence she carried every ti she walked the runway.
Her eyes lifted to look at the grand villa that she still rembers from the past.
Not much looked changed here. And seeing it still the sa, Selene felt comfortable.
Closing the door behind her, she was just about to head toward the entrance when a figure stepped into her path, stopping her midway.
William.
"Ms. Martin," he said with a asured tone that was neither overly appreciative nor rude, "you are here?"
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