Page 106 of The Secret Heir Next Door

She steps forward, still looking around, her eyes wide. “This is… this is amazing. I don’t even know what to say. I thought we were just going out for dinner.”

I chuckle, feeling the tension in my chest start to ease at the sight of her smile. “Dinner’s part of it, but I wanted to start here. I’ve got a few surprises planned.”

She looks at me, her eyes glimmering in the golden light of the setting sun. “You didn’t have to do all this.”

I step closer, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I wanted to. You’re worth every bit of it, Serena.”

Her cheeks flush, and she gives me that look—one part exasperated, two parts deeply touched. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“Only when it comes to you.” I lead her to the table set for two, covered with crisp white linen and soft pink roses, her favorite. The quartet starts playing her favorite song, a gentle melody that fills the evening air, and I watch Serena’s face light up as she recognizes it.

“This is beautiful,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion as I pull out her seat for her. “I can’t believe you did all this.”

I sit across from her, unable to take my eyes off her. “You make me want to do things like this. You make me want to be better, to show you how much you mean to me.”

Dinner is served, course after course of all her favorites—lobster risotto, truffle pasta, and a delicate lemon tart for dessert. We eat, talk, and laugh under the glow of the candles, and I feel this overwhelming sense of rightness. This is how it’s supposed to be. Us together, away from the noise of the world.

Serena leans back, her fingers tracing the edge of her wine glass. “Logan, I don’t know how you pulled all this off, but… thank you. No one’s ever done anything like this for me.”

I reach across the table, taking her hand in mine. “I’d do it a thousand times over if it meant seeing you smile like that.”

She blushes, but there’s something else in her eyes—something deeper, more vulnerable. It’s as if she’s letting herself truly believe that this is real, thatwe’rereal. I stand up, taking her hand to help her up. “There’s one more thing.”

Serena follows me to the rooftop's edge, where the view is most breathtaking. The city stretches out before us, alive with lights and energy. I pull her close, wrapping my arm around her waist as we look out together.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time,” I say, my voice low, filled with love and hope. “You’ve changed everything for me, Serena. You’ve made me see the world in a completely different way, and I can’t imagine my life without you in it. You’re my best friend, my partner, and the love of my life. And I want to spend every day making you as happy as you’ve made me.”

She turns to me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Logan…”

I drop to one knee, pulling the ring box from my pocket. The look on Serena’s face is priceless—pure shock, followed by a flood of emotion that leaves her speechless.

“Serena, will you marry me?”

For a moment, she just stands there, her hands covering her mouth as tears spill down her cheeks. It feels like the world has stopped, and all I can see is her, standing there with the city at our feet and the future in her eyes.

“Yes,” she breathes, her voice breaking as she nods. “Yes, Logan. A thousand times, yes.”

I slip the ring onto her finger. It fits perfectly, like it was always meant to be there. I stand up, pulling her into my arms as the quartet plays softly behind us. She kisses me, and everything else fades away—the city, the lights, the noise. It’sjust us, wrapped up in this moment that’s as perfect as I’d hoped it would be.

“I love you,” she whispers against my lips, and I feel the smile vibrating there.

“I love you, too,” I say, holding her tight, feeling like the luckiest man in the world.

We stand there for a long time, watching the city lights dance around us.

Both of us lost in the promise of forever.

29

SERENA

Istand in front of the tall mirror in Logan’s sprawling estate, taking in my reflection.

Our sprawling estate.

Dang, that’s going to take some getting used to.

I can hardly believe it’s me. The dress is a dream—delicate lace fitted at the waist and flowing out into a soft, trailing skirt that swirls with every movement. It’s the kind of dress I used to dream about when I was a little girl—the kind of dress that belongs in a fairy tale.

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