Ella’s POV:
It started with a bouquet of lilies, my favorite flowers, not roses, not so generic arrangent.
Lilies. I found them waiting at the penthouse door as I returned from running errands.
A simple note was tucked into the stems: For the most beautiful part of my day - A
At first, I didn’t know how to react.
Arec had always been polite and thoughtful, but this? This felt different. Personal.
The kind of gesture that made wonder if he knew better than I realized. I set the flowers in a vase and spent the next hour circling the arrangent, unable to stop smiling.
Then ca the texts.
"Did you eat lunch?"
"Don’t skip, okay?"
And then, "I thought about that karaoke song you sang. You owe a duet next ti."
At first, I chuckled at his ssages, marveling at the fact that Arec Weston, stoic, focused, and always buried in work, was now the man checking on every hour.
I an, who was this? And what had he done with the man who used to treat our relationship like a business rger?
I didn’t reply right away. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t know how to. This version of Arec left off balance. It was thrilling, but it also made nervous. What if I got used to this and he suddenly pulled back?
By the third day, the surprises grew bolder. A small box arrived with a delicate bracelet inside, white gold with tiny, interwoven lilies. It was understated but exquisite, and I stared at it for what felt like an eternity before slipping it onto my wrist.
The ssage that ca with it made my heart skip:
"This reminded of you, elegant and tiless. Wear it for ?"
How was I supposed to resist that?
I couldn’t ignore it anymore. Arec wasn’t just going through the motions; he was putting in real effort, and it was catching off guard. Not just because it was unexpected, but because it made feel sothing I wasn’t sure I was ready to feel yet: secure.
Every ti my phone buzzed, I found myself grinning like an idiot.
"Thinking about you."
"Are you okay? You seed a little tired earlier."
---
By the fifth day, I was both overjoyed and on edge.
"Stop overanalyzing," Kate had said when I called her, trying to make sense of it all. "He’s crazy about you. Just enjoy it!"
"But what if it’s too much too soon?" I asked, pacing the penthouse living room. "What if..."
"What if you stop finding problems where there aren’t any? Ella, please. The man is sending you gifts and checking on you like you’re the queen of his world. Let him."
I laughed, but her words stayed with long after the call ended. Was I overthinking?
That evening, as I curled up on the couch, my phone buzzed again.
"Busy?"
I hesitated for a mont before replying, "No, just relaxing."
The response was imdiate.
"Good. You deserve it. I’ve been thinking about how we used to talk late at night when I stayed at the penthouse. I miss that. Do you?"
Did I? Of course I did. But admitting that felt like giving him too much power over my heart, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that.
Instead, I typed, "You miss talking to ? Or are you just saying that to be nice?"
His reply made blush:
"Miss is an understatent."
By the sixth day, I had to confront him.
I didn’t plan it, but when another package arrived, this ti, a handwritten letter tucked inside a first-edition book I’d ntioned wanting months ago, I couldn’t take it anymore.
When Arec called to check in, I answered with a breathless, "What are you doing?"
There was a pause on the line before he chuckled. "Hello to you too, Ella."
"I’m serious, Arec. What’s with all the gifts and the texts? You’re...you’re spoiling ."
"And that’s a bad thing?" His voice was calm, but I could hear the amusent underneath.
"No, but..." I trailed off, unsure how to put my feelings into words. "It’s just...a lot."
"Do you want to stop?" he asked, his tone suddenly serious.
The question caught off guard. Did I want him to stop? The thought of him pulling back, of the warmth and care he’d been showing disappearing, left a hollow feeling in my chest.
"No," I admitted softly.
"Good," he said, relief evident in his voice. "Because I’m not planning to stop, Ella. You deserve to be spoiled. I want you to feel cared for,, because you are. Is that okay?"
My throat tightened, and I found myself nodding even though he couldn’t see . "It’s more than okay," I whispered.
After we hung up, I sat with his words, letting them sink in. This wasn’t the Arec I’d first agreed to marry under contract. This was the man I’d always hoped he could be, the man who saw , valued , and wasn’t afraid to show it.
As I looked at the bracelet on my wrist and the lilies still blooming in their vase, I felt a wave of emotion so strong it brought tears to my eyes. For the first ti in a long ti, I felt cherished.
---
The sunlight filtered through the large windows of the penthouse, bathing the room in a warm, golden glow. I was seated on the couch, absentmindedly scrolling through my phone when it buzzed with an incoming call. The na on the screen stopped in my tracks: Arec’s Grandmother.
I stared at it for a second, unsure of what to expect. We hadn’t exactly had the warst interactions before, and now... she was calling ? For what?
Bracing myself, I swiped to answer. "Hello, Mrs. Weston."
Her voice, rich with an unexpected warmth, ca through the line. "Ella, dear, how are you doing?"
I blinked, sitting up straighter. Was I hearing this right? "I’m... I’m doing well, thank you. How are you?"
"Oh, I’m splendid, thank you for asking," she said, her tone so cheerful it almost threw off balance. This was not the sa reserved, mildly disapproving woman I rembered from our previous encounters.
"Good," I managed, still uncertain where this was going.
"I was just thinking," she continued, "that I haven’t had the chance to properly check in on you. A young woman carrying my great-grandchild deserves more than the occasional hello."
Her words hit like a bolt of lightning. My hand instinctively rested on my belly, even though it was still far too early to show. My great-grandchild. Did she just say that with actual affection?
"Thank you," I stamred, genuinely touched. "That ans a lot."
"I hope you’re taking good care of yourself," she went on. "Eating properly, getting enough rest. You know, these things are very important."
I nodded as if she could see . "I am. Arec’s been... very attentive."
She chuckled, a light and almost musical sound that felt utterly surreal. "I’m sure he is. That boy’s been positively glowing since the two of you decided to make things real. I suppose it was only a matter of ti."
Her words left flustered, my cheeks heating. "Well, we’re both excited about the future."
"Good, good," she said. "Speaking of the future, have you confird your final fitting for the wedding gown?"
I blinked. "Oh! Yes, it’s this Saturday, isn’t it?"
"That’s right," she said briskly. "We need everything to be perfect. I’ve been telling the designer to leave nothing to chance. After all, this is a Weston wedding. It should be a day for the history books."
I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. "I’ll be there, Mrs. Weston. Thank you for reminding ."
"And Ella," she added, her voice softening, "don’t hesitate to let know if you need anything at all. I an it. You’re family now."
Family. The word lingered in the air long after the call ended.
I set the phone down and leaned back into the couch, staring at the ceiling. My thoughts were a chaotic mix of emotions: disbelief, relief, and a surprising amount of happiness.
If soone had told weeks ago that Arec’s grandmother would one day call to check on , or, more specifically, her great-grandchild, I would’ve laughed in their face. This was the sa woman who had once looked at like I was beneath her.
And yet here we were.
I couldn’t help but chuckle softly to myself. So, all it took to thaw the ice queen was a great-grandchild. Who knew?
The thought made smile even wider, though a small part of couldn’t help but wonder: was her warmth genuine? Or was this just her way of ensuring the Weston legacy was secured?
I shook my head, pushing the doubt aside. For now, I wanted to believe it was real, just like my current relationship with Arec.
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