The Surprise
1413 Words
Nora quickly ran downstairs. She was already late for work, and Hilary had asked her to go on a dinner date with him later that evening.
She grabbed her bag and headed straight for the garage. As soon as she entered her car, her driver drove her to the construction site for an inspection.
Since taking over her father's company, Nora had barely had time to breathe. Every day came with another meeting, another document to sign, or another executive trying to challenge her decisions.
Hilary had recently secured the subcontract for her and had also given her two of his trusted men to work with her. One of them was her business adviser, while the other served as her personal assistant and secretary.
They were both experienced and always ready to correct her whenever she was about to make a wrong decision.
At first, Nora wasn't entirely comfortable with the arrangement. She didn't like people constantly telling her what to do, especially when she was trying to prove to everyone that she was capable of running her father's company.
But she couldn't deny that they had been helpful.
After finishing the inspection, Nora's PA began explaining the details of the project to her.
She listened quietly, occasionally nodding her head.
Truthfully, she understood very little of what he was saying.
“Are you sure this is correct?” she asked.
“Yes, ma'am.”
Nora sighed.
“Good. Because I honestly don't understand half of these things.”
Her PA smiled slightly.
“That is why I'm here, ma'am.”
Nora rolled her eyes.
“Don't remind me.”
After the inspection, she left for the office.
Inside the car, Nora leaned against the seat and began scrolling through her phone. She was replying to a few messages when her PA called her attention.
“Ma.”
Nora turned toward him. He was sitting beside her.
“Yes?” she answered without looking up.
“You have an executive meeting by twelve noon, and there's also a pending contract you need to sign.”
Nora finally looked up.
“Another meeting?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
She let out a tired sigh.
The executives had been giving her a tough time since she took over the company. They questioned almost every decision she made, and some of them still treated her as though she was a child who had accidentally found herself in a position of power.
Nora picked up the documents and signed them.
“Do you know about the agenda for the meeting?” she asked.
“Yes. It's about the Imperial Company contract.”
Nora tilted her head from left to right, trying to remember.
Then it suddenly came back to her.
Hilary.
He was the one who had secured the contract for her.
“Oh,” she said. “Okay.”
She lowered her gaze back to her phone.
The car went silent again.
By the time Nora arrived at the office, she immediately went into the executive meeting.
The meeting took longer than she had expected, but Nora refused to let the executives see how exhausted she was. She listened carefully, asked questions when necessary, and defended her decisions whenever anyone challenged her.
Eventually, she finished her work as quickly as possible and left the office earlier than usual.
She had almost forgotten about the dinner until she checked the time.
“Oh, my goodness.”
She quickly drove home.
When she arrived, Nora rushed upstairs and took a quick bath.
She stood in front of her wardrobe, staring at her clothes.
After a few minutes, she finally chose a classy black dinner gown.
It was simple and decent, with an elegant A-line cut that made her look graceful without being overly flashy.
Nora did her minimal makeup. She had never been a fan of heavy makeup, so she kept everything natural. She tied her hair into a neat bun and stood in front of the mirror.
She looked at herself for a moment.
“Perfect.”
Her phone suddenly rang.
It was Hilary.
“I’m outside,” he said.
Nora grabbed her purse.
“I’m coming.”
She hurried downstairs and stepped outside.
Hilary was already waiting for her.
He looked at her for a few seconds when she approached.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
Nora smiled faintly.
“Thank you.”
They got into the car and drove to the restaurant.
Throughout the journey, Nora noticed that Hilary seemed unusually quiet.
She glanced at him.
“Where are we going?”
“You'll find out.”
“Why are you acting mysterious?”
Hilary smiled.
“Because it's a surprise.”
Nora narrowed her eyes at him.
She had a feeling he was hiding something.
When they finally arrived, Hilary got out of the car and walked around to her side.
Before Nora could ask another question, he brought out a blindfold.
Nora stared at it.
“What's that?”
“I want to blindfold you.”
Her eyes widened.
“Why?”
“It's a surprise.”
“Hilary, I don't like surprises.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you doing this?”
“Because I also know you'll ruin the surprise if I tell you.”
Nora laughed softly.
“You're unbelievable.”
“Trust me.”
After a moment of hesitation, Nora finally allowed him to blindfold her.
Hilary gently took her hand and guided her inside.
Nora could hear voices around her, but she couldn't make out what they were saying.
“Hilary, where are you taking me?”
“Just keep walking.”
She heard people laughing.
Her curiosity increased.
“Hilary!”
“Almost there.”
Finally, they stopped.
Hilary stood in front of her and slowly removed the blindfold.
Nora blinked several times.
Then she froze.
Her eyes widened as she looked around.
Lo and behold, it wasn't an ordinary dinner.
It was an engagement party.
The entire place had been beautifully decorated. Elegant lights surrounded the room, and flowers were arranged everywhere.
In front of her, the words WILL YOU MARRY ME? were boldly displayed.
Nora covered her mouth in shock.
She looked around.
Her friends were there.
Some members of her company were there.
Her trusted household staff were there.
Hilary's father and his two uncles were also standing among the guests.
His mother was noticeably absent.
Everyone began cheering when Nora finally realized what was happening.
She turned toward Hilary.
He stepped forward and took her hand.
“Nora.”
She looked at him.
Hilary's expression had changed. The playful smile was gone, replaced by something much more sincere.
“I know this wasn't how we planned things,” he began. “And I know our relationship started because of our families. But I've gotten to know you, and I don't want our future to be decided only by what our parents wanted.”
Nora's eyes softened.
Hilary took a breath.
“I want you to choose me.”
He got down on one knee.
“Nora, will you marry me?”
For a moment, Nora couldn't speak.
She looked around the room, then back at Hilary.
A smile slowly appeared on her face.
“Yes.”
The room erupted into cheers.
Hilary stood up and pulled her into a warm embrace.
Nora hugged him tightly.
They laughed, became emotional, and even shed a few tears.
For Nora, the moment felt different.
This was no longer just an arrangement between two powerful families.
It felt like a choice.
Their choice.
Later that night, after the celebration, Hilary turned to Nora.
“I want you to move in with me.”
Nora looked at him.
“Why?”
“I don't want to take any chances. The situation surrounding your father's company is still complicated, and I don't want anything to happen to you.”
Nora was silent for a moment before nodding.
She understood his concern.
Not long after, she moved into Hilary's home.
And slowly, their lives began to change.
They started building their home together.
Nora began making dinner for Hilary whenever she had the time.
Sometimes, Hilary would surprise her by preparing dinner himself.
They talked about their days, laughed over little things, and occasionally argued about the most ridiculous matters.
But somehow, those little moments brought them closer.
What had started as an arranged marriage was slowly becoming something neither of them had expected.
Something real.
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