“It will be nice to see everyone. I haven’t seen anyone but Emily and Matthew in ages.”
I haven’t been back as an employee of Langford Holdings since the poisoning incident. I don’t miss the work per se, since PR wasn’t really my thing, but I do miss the peoplefrom time to time. I should make time to come visit them, but I’m so busy lately that I haven’t even thought of it.
After his grandfather’s memorial, Asher and I launched Langford Charities, and I’ve been the head of it since. I love the work, I truly do. Sometimes I laugh at how on brand it is to be that stereotypical rich bitch who runs a charity, but then I remind myself that this is something I’ve truly grown a passion for, and I get to use my marketing skills more often than not, so it’s a really good fit for me. Plus, with the literal hundred million dollars Asher transferred into my bank account, and the fact that I live in Asher’s world where everything is provided for me, I never have to work a day in my life again. I know how stupidly fortunate that is, and I want to give back. Between Langford Charities and my brand ambassadorship with Lennox Rose, I’m busier than I’ve ever been. And with Asher, I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
I’m still learning to navigate the attention from the paparazzi, which has let up some but is still very much a part of my life. And I’m still getting used to people recognizing me and publishing all sorts of news and stories about me—most of which are false—but it is what it is. With my focus on charity work and the opportunity to interact with amazing people working to help those in need every day, my perspective remains clear. At the end of the day, I’m incredibly lucky, and I don’t take it for granted.
But it’s not just the money and lifestyle that make me so damn lucky. It’s Asher. Those things are secondary to him. Without him, all of that would be meaningless. Since I met him a year ago, life has been crazy, but it’s also been heaven on earth. We still argue about his overly protective ways, and he still often acts first and asks for forgiveness later. But it’s okay, I secretly love that about him. He’s been much better at communicating with me since the memorial, so I take it as a win.
“Why aren’t we heading to the east lobby?” I ask, confused at the direction he’s leading me in.
“Emily wanted to show me something quickly before the party. It’s in her office, and I don’t want to make her bring it up, so I told her we’d meet her there first.”
“My old marketing floor,” I say as we take the elevator up.
“Feeling nostalgic, Ms. Hale?” He quirks a brow.
“Maybe I am. Maybe you can fuck me on my old desk.”
Asher chokes and covers it with a cough.
I smile despite myself as Asher pushes open the glass doors that lead to the marketing and PR floor. I can’t help but think of how intimidated I was by him in our PR meetings and how he hated me at first. I chuckle to myself. How times have changed.
“What are you laughing about?”
“I was just thinking about how mad you were the first time we met. And how you seriously thought about firing me on more than one occasion.”
Asher grins. “Good thing I didn’t.”
Asher heads left, and I furrow my brows. “I thought you said we were meeting Emily in her office. It’s the other way.”
“Did I say her office? I meant the conference room.”
Asher pushes open the doors to the conference room, and as I follow him through, I gasp. The lights are off, but the room is lit with hundreds of candles that are spread across the floor and the table that has been pushed against the wall. Rose petals cover every inch of the floor, and the ceiling has been draped in cream tuille. It’s beautiful, decadent—romantic. But the best part is that standing in the center of the room, holding more candles, are the people we love most. My mom, Maya, Zahra, Lucy, Declan, Sterling, Alec, Harrington, Catherine, Emily, and Matthew.
Asher leads me to them and kneels in front of me.
I immediately start to cry.
“One year ago today, you stumbled into this office in the most god-awful clothes, late to our meeting.”
I let out a small laugh through my tears.
“I was so angry about being forced into that meeting that your disruption almost made my temper boil over. But it didn’t. Because one second after seeing you, something inside me shifted. I didn’t realize it at the time. I hardly recognized it. But it happened, nonetheless. Something about you immediately drew my attention and intrigued me, and by the next day, I knew you were something remarkable. I could see it in your clever mind and work ethic, and of course, I couldn’t help but be awed by your beauty.
“I wanted you long before I admitted it to myself. And then once I had you, you were like an addiction I couldn’t get enough of. No matter how hard I tried to stay professional, to keep boundaries, I couldn’t. Something deep inside me wanted you—all of you. And once we decided to drop all pretense and be together, I realized I’d never known true happiness before in my life.
“Ella, you’re my world, my everything, and I can’t live without you. Will you make the happiest man on earth? Will you marry me?”
Tears spill freely down my cheeks. “Yes,” I squeak, barely able to speak.
“The ring, idiot,” Declan stage whispers.
“Oh, right.” Asher reaches into his suit pocket. He pulls out a dark blue velvet jewelry case. A Langford jewelry case. He opens the box and a ring I’ve seen before sits inside. A ring I’ve worn before. But I keep that bit of information to myself. No need to explain to his parents that I wore alotof Langford jewelry once upon a time. But Asher remembers. He winks and smirks at me as he slides it onto my finger.
The diamond ring is oval shaped, and such an ungodly size that it can possibly be seen from space, and it’s set into agorgeous gold band with more diamonds. The ring is simple but stunning, and most importantly, it links Asher and me together forever.
Asher stands and lifts me off my feet, kissing me.
