novelnext Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Bella looked at the snowflakes on her shoulders, turned around and pulled Mark's arm excitedly with eyes filled with joy."Look! The first snow!"Mark smiled softly and gave her a simple "Mhm," before unwrapping his scarf and gently looping it around Bella's neck. His scent enveloped her, warm and familiar. Carefully, he tied the scarf, his gaze lingering on the sweet, rosy-cheeked girl in front of him. Unable to resist, he reached out and caressed her cheek.Bella pouted. "You're just humoring me."Mark raised an eyebrow, his expression cool and composed. Without a word, he pulled a small, perfectly square box from his coat pocket. When he dropped to one knee, he opened it, revealing a ring much larger than the one she wore.
"Bella, will you marry me?"
Bella looked at the man beside her, feeling overwhelmed by everything that had happened over the past year. After breaking off her engagement to her boyfriend of five years, her career had soared. Then, somehow, this man had entered her life.
Back when she had just ended things, the heartbreak had been unbearable. Each night it felt like torture and the beautiful memories she once shared with her ex, Sonny, cut into her like a thousand tiny blades. Yet, through the pain, she had eventually let go, determined to embrace a new ###Chapter in her life.
Her move to Lagado City for work had unexpectedly brought her closer to Mark. Time and again, his gentle presence and genuine care had slowly mended her wounded heart.Wearing comfortable clothes, Mark sat on the couch, his head bent in serious concentration as he scrolled through potential wedding venues. This once-proud and dignified man had humbled himself for her more times than she could count.Noticing that his serious expression looked funny, Bella laughed, so she snuck over to disturb him and wrapped her arms around his neck then showered him with playful kisses."Stop that," Mark chided her calmly, then pushed her face away with a gentle but firm hand. "I'm choosing our wedding venue, with my wife."Feigning annoyance, Bella puffed up her cheeks and grumbled, "A lot of places are already booked out. What's the rush?"She leaned in a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Or is it that Mr. Ruffus can't stay calm with his beautiful fiancée right beside him?"Her teasing finger tilted his chin upward and Mark's breathing grew heavy. He finally gave up, tossed his laptop aside and pulled her onto his lap, letting her straddle him. He grabbed her wandering hands, then his eyes darkened, as he closed the distance and kissed her deeply.Bella responded with the same passion, her tenderness melting away Mark's last shreds of restraint.
He held her tightly, unwilling to let go even for a second."Bella," he whispered, his lips hot against her ear. "I love you."***Though they were planning their wedding, securing an earlier venue proved to be difficult. Mark kept pushing for them to get their marriage license as soon as possible. Bellaoften teased him for his impatience, not realizing how genuine his fear was, that one careless moment could mean losing her again.
When their friends from Chester City heard about the engagement, they made the trip to Lagado City to celebrate. It turned into a lively reunion, filled with laughter and stories as if no time had passed."Did you hear about Nicole?" One of her friends brought up the name everyone was familiar with and a wave of anger swept through the group.
They all knew how terribly Nicole had treated Bella."She went to find Sonny at his old family home," another friend chimed in. "However, some debt collectors caught up with her there. Now she's performing at a bar just to pay off her brother's debts."