Chapter 1858: (END)

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Before she could ask, Damian explained. “I was on the phone with Nick before I got here. He told me where you were, and I stayed on the call.”

Nina spun around to glare at Nick. “You sold me out!”

Nick threw up his hands. “Your boyfriend made me! Said he’d spill my secrets to my new girlfriend if I didn’t.”

“New girlfriend?” Nina raised an eyebrow.

Nick scratched the back of his head, sheepish. “Yeah, new girlfriend.”

Nina sighed. His looks made him a magnet for admirers, and he cycled through relationships like changing seasons. But he was quick to clarify, catching her expression. “I’m upfront with her. No lies, I promise.”

Nina let it go, not wanting to dwell on it.

𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Soon after, Damian took her hand and led her away, the hum of their friends’ conversation fading behind them.

In the car, he brought up proposals. “What kind do you like?”

“Anything works,” Nina said softly.

Knowing he had already overheard her plan took some of the wind from her sails, but she was glad he was the one thinking about it.

“I want to know what you actually dream of,” Damian pressed, his expression more open than usual, his hand warm around hers. “I want it to be everything you’ve ever imagined.”

Nina smiled, her heart full. “As long as it’s you, I’m happy.”

Damian squeezed her hand gently.

The car turned down an unfamiliar road. “Where are we going?” she asked.

“To watch the sunset,” Damian said, keeping the larger plan to himself. “There’s a new villa with a perfect view — good for sunsets and stargazing.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Nina said, perfectly content just to be with him.

Two hours later, they reached the villa as the sun began its descent. The sky blazed with streaks of gold and amber, casting a warm, glowing light across everything.

They sat together and watched the sun sink below the horizon, the sky deepen into violet, and the stars emerge one by one.

“Let’s go get dinner,” Damian said, his tone easy and unhurried.

“Sure,” Nina replied, suspecting nothing.

As they rose to leave, a small group approached — each person carrying a delicate bouquet.

Nina went still, her breath catching in her throat.

Then Damian dropped to one knee, a ring in his hand, his fingers trembling ever so slightly.

His proposal was quiet and unhurried, filled with everything he had never quite known how to say. Nina’s heart raced as shock and joy washed over her in equal measure.

Even after saying yes, she could hardly believe it was real.

Kristian, one of the friends who had been in on the secret the whole time, strolled over with a satisfied grin. “Told you you’d know his ring size by Friday. I kept my promise.”

Nina laughed and nudged him. “You knew and didn’t tell me!”

Kristian simply smirked and said nothing.

Not long after, Jesse and Alayna quietly tied the knot.

Months later, Nina and Damian’s wedding was everything it was meant to be — a warm, joyful celebration surrounded by the people they loved most.

At the reception, Jesse glanced at Alayna and asked, “Sure you don’t want a wedding of your own?”

“Nope,” Alayna said, her voice calm and certain.

Jesse didn’t press.

In the years that followed, they became the couple everyone quietly admired — perfectly in sync, steady in a way that looked effortless from the outside.

Alayna’s research flourished, earning her recognition as a brilliant and driven woman. But privately, she knew the truth: Jesse had won her heart completely, spoiling her with the kind of quiet, unwavering love she had never thought to look for.

People said marriage was a gamble. Alayna felt like she had hit the jackpot.

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End

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Message from Noa: Have a great Tuesday dear readers. God loves you and Noa wishes you all the best. (=◡=) /

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