Chapter5
1057 Words
I didn’t expect to say yes.
But when he stood in front of me outside the restaurant that evening—tall, calm, with his hands tucked awkwardly into his pockets like a man unsure of himself—it was hard to remember why I ever said no.
“Just dinner, Liana,” he’d said quietly. “Please. One evening. No pressure.”
And I agreed.
I don’t know if it was the way he said please or the way his eyes softened when I hesitated. But something in me—something tired and curious—said why not?
I wore my best dress. It wasn’t much, just a faded blue gown that hugged my figure enough to feel like me again. I left my hair down and added a swipe of gloss, and for the first time in a long while, I felt... seen.
He picked me up in a sleek black car, and the driver silently opened the door. But instead of rushing in like some cold CEO, Dominic stepped out and waited for me, his eyes meeting mine with something like awe.
“You look... beautiful,” he said, his voice soft, almost unsure.
I blinked. “You say that like you didn’t expect it.”
“No. I always did. I just forgot what it felt like.”
The restaurant was quiet, warm, and lit with candles. No flashy show of wealth. Just intimacy. Class. The kind of place you take someone you want to know—not someone you’re trying to impress.
We talked.
About everything and nothing.
He asked about my job, my mother, my childhood. And he listened. Really listened. His phone never left his pocket. His eyes never strayed.
When I told him about the weight of responsibility—about how I sometimes forgot what it felt like to just breathe—he looked pained, like it physically hurt him to imagine me carrying all that alone.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked finally.
His fingers tapped the edge of his glass before he looked up. “Because I haven’t stopped thinking about you.”
I stared at him.
He exhaled slowly. “I don’t know how to say this without sounding ridiculous. But I’ve known your name for longer than you think. I’ve known your smile. Your voice. I remember you from years ago. You probably don’t remember me... but I do.”
I didn’t know what to say.
He leaned in slightly. “I wanted to come earlier, but I kept convincing myself you deserved better than me. And now... maybe I’m just being selfish, but I don’t want to wonder anymore.”
My throat tightened. “You barely know me.”
“But I want to,” he whispered. “I want to learn you. Day by day. Slowly, if you let me.”
My heart fluttered against my ribs.
And then—he stood.
Walked around the table.
Kneeled.
Kneeled...
Right there, in front of me.
He reached into his coat and pulled out a small velvet box—not flashy, just simple and elegant. When he opened it, the diamond caught the candlelight and danced.
“Liana... I know this is sudden. I know it’s probably insane. But I don’t want to waste more time watching you from afar. I want to protect you. Share my world with you. Build something real with you.”
My breath caught.
“Marry me.”
Silence.
Warm, trembling silence.
I shook my head gently. “I... Dominic, this is too fast. I don’t even know what to feel right now.”
His eyes searched mine. “Then take your time. Think about it. I won’t pressure you. But I had to ask. Because not asking... would be my biggest regret.”
That night, I lay in bed staring at the cracked ceiling, the ring box still clutched in my hand even though I hadn’t brought it home. The memory was too loud, too impossible to forget.
I picked up my phone and called Nancy.
“Babe?” she mumbled. “It’s midnight.”
“He proposed,” I said, my voice still trembling.
Silence.
“You’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
Nancy screamed. Literally screamed in my ear.
“What did you say?!”
“I told him I’d think about it.”
“Oh my God. Liana! What’s there to think about? He’s rich, he’s hot, and he’s clearly obsessed with you. Babe, that man bent down on his knee for you.”
“I don’t know what to do. What if it’s not real? What if it’s pity, or guilt, or... whatever rich men feel when they think they’re saving someone?”
“Or maybe he loves you,” Nancy said gently. “Maybe he’s just been waiting for the right moment.”
The next morning, I sat beside Mom in the kitchen, helping her sip her medicine.
“I have to tell you something,” I said quietly.
She looked at me over her cup.
“Dominic Ricci... proposed to me last night.”
Her eyes widened. “Dominic Ricci? As in the Ricci family, your childhood friend?”
I nodded slowly.
She sat up straighter, her lips trembling. “And what did you say?”
“I said I’d think about it.”
She reached for my hand. “Liana, my daughter... this could be a blessing from God. Do you know what that family means? Do you know what this could do for you? For us?”
“I don’t want to marry for money, Mom.”
She looked at me with tears in her eyes. “Then don’t. Marry for peace. Marry for your future. You’ve carried too much, child. Maybe this man... maybe he’s the one sent to lift the load. Remember you had a crush on him when you were little. Don't think I didn't noticed” she said with a smile.
"Oh mom," I said trying so hard not to blush. I hate the fact he has this effect on me. He acted like I was invisible in highschool. I should be mad at him but I just can't.
Her words stayed with me all day.
Not because they convinced me.
Bu
t because, for the first time, I wondered...
What if she was right?
- Writer
