Chapter 8 - The Proposal at the Lake
By late spring, the chaotic storms of the past few months had completely settled into a warm, beautiful routine.
Adrien had restructured his corporate schedule, working from home three days a week and leaving the office every day at 4:00 PM to pick up Lily and Maya from their preschool.
The Blossom Co. had been renovated into a breathtaking flagship floral studio, managed by Isabella and a team of three newly hired assistants.
On a clear, warm Saturday afternoon in May, Adrien took Isabella, Lily, and Maya to his private estate on Lake Geneva—a stunning timber-and-glass property surrounded by pine trees, rolling green hills, and quiet water.
The girls were down near the wooden dock with their nanny, feeding ducks with crusts of bread and laughing as the water splashed against their boots.
Isabella stood on the wide stone terrace overlooking the lake, holding a glass of chilled white wine. She wore a simple white sundress, the warm breeze playing with her brown hair.
Adrien stepped out onto the terrace behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.
"What are you thinking about?" he whispered softly.
"I’m thinking about six years ago," Isabella said, leaning back against his chest. "If someone had told me back then—when I was crying in that hospital bed with two newborn babies—that we would be standing here today... I would have told them they were insane."
"I was insane," Adrien admitted gently. "I was blind, arrogant, and foolish. I thought I had to conquer the world to be worthy of respect. I didn't realize that the only world that mattered was the one I walked away from."
He slowly turned her around to face him.
The afternoon sun was casting a golden glow over the lake, painting the sky in soft shades of orange and pink.
Adrien reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box.
Isabella’s breath caught in her throat. Her hands flew to her mouth as tears immediately filled her eyes.
"Adrien..." she whispered.
Adrien didn't pull out the three-carat diamond ring he had bought months ago for Veronica. He had returned that cold, ostentatious ring long ago.
Instead, he opened the box to reveal a simple, custom-designed ring made of polished rose gold. Set in the center was an exquisite, untreated pink sapphire, flanked on either side by two tiny, brilliant white diamonds.
"The two diamonds represent Lily and Maya," Adrien said, his voice thick with emotion. "And the sapphire in the center is you—the heart that kept them safe when I wasn't strong enough to be there."
He slowly dropped to one knee on the stone terrace.
"Isabella Vance," Adrien said, looking up into her dark brown eyes with pure, unadulterated devotion. "You gave me a second chance I never deserved. You taught me how to be a real man, and you gave me the greatest gift of my life: our daughters. Will you marry me? Will you let me love you, protect you, and build a life with you for the rest of our days?"
Down by the dock, Lily and Maya suddenly noticed what was happening. They came running up the grassy hill as fast as their little legs could carry them, shouting happily.
"Is Daddy doing the proposal?!" Maya screamed.
"Say yes, Mama! Say yes!" Lily cheered, jumping up and down on the grass.
Isabella looked down at Adrien, then at her two ecstatic daughters, and let out a breathless, joyful laugh. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she dropped to her knees in front of Adrien, throwing her arms around his neck.
May you like
"Yes!" Isabella cried, kissing his lips deeply. "Yes, Adrien! A thousand times, yes!"
Lily and Maya piled onto them, hugging both of their parents as all four of them collapsed onto the terrace grass in a tangle of laughter, tears, and pure, boundless love.
