Chapter 8 - The Engagement at the Lake
Spring arrived in Chicago, melting the ice over Lake Michigan and filling the air with the sweet scent of blooming lilacs.
On an extraordinarily warm Saturday evening in May, Damian chartered a private luxury yacht, the Aura, setting sail from the Navy Pier harbor just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the skyline in hues of brilliant gold, magenta, and deep indigo.
On the upper deck of the yacht, a long table was decorated with fresh white roses, glowing candles, and crystal glassware.
Ava sat in a plush armchair, wearing a simple pink summer dress, happily drawing the Chicago skyline with a set of soft pastel crayons. She was relaxed, unbothered by the quiet thrum of the yacht’s engine or the gentle splash of the waves.
Natalie stood by the teak railing, wearing a stunning floor-length emerald green silk gown that clung to her curves, her dark hair tumbling over her shoulders in soft waves.
Damian walked up behind her, dressed in a sleek black tuxedo without a tie, his top button undone. He wrapped his broad arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Happy?" Damian murmured, his voice rich and soft in her ear.
"More than happy," Natalie whispered, leaning back into his heat, laying her hands over his on her stomach. "Six months ago, I was worried about paying my rent. Now... I’m standing on a yacht with the man I love and the sweetest little girl in the world."
"You built this life, Natalie," Damian said, kissing the curve of her neck. "You brought light into a house that had been dark for ten years."
He gently turned her around in his arms so she was facing him.
The city lights behind him glistened against his dark eyes, casting an almost angelic glow across his scarred jaw.
Damian reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the velvet box he had shown her months ago at the courthouse. He popped it open.
Inside rested a breathtaking, flawless six-carat emerald-cut diamond, flanked by two deep blue sapphires—representing Ava and the life they had forged together.
Damian dropped to one knee on the wooden deck of the yacht.
The feared boss of Chicago, the man before whom politicians, syndicate leaders, and corporate titans trembled, knelt humbly before a former retail clerk from Michigan Avenue.
"Natalie Carter," Damian said, his deep voice thick with emotion, his eyes shining with absolute, unfiltered love. "You walked into my life when my world was breaking. You fought for my daughter, you healed my heart, and you stood by me in the middle of gunfire without flinching. I am yours. Entirely, permanently, and forever."
He looked up into her tear-filled dark eyes.
"Will you make me the happiest man alive? Will you marry me and become my wife, my partner, and the queen of my life?"
Natalie covered her mouth with both hands, tears of pure, overwhelming joy spilling over her lashes. She looked over at Ava, who was watching them with a wide, bright smile, clapping her small hands together softly.
"Yes!" Natalie sobbed happily, dropping to her knees on the deck beside him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Yes, Damian! A thousand times yes!"
Damian let out a deep, triumphant roar of joy, wrapping his heavy arms around her, pulling her close, and lifting her off the deck as his lips found hers in a passionate, breathtaking kiss that seemed to stop time itself.
Ava ran over, wrapping her small arms around both of their legs, giggling happily.
May you like
"Group hug!" Ava squealed.
Damian broke the kiss, laughing warmly as he reached down, lifting Ava up into his arms so all three of them were held tight together under the starlit Chicago sky.
