Page 50

1 YEAR LATER

ANYA

It is my first day as the owner of PureTech—well, I am part owner, but still. Daniel has given me the rights to do whatever I feel will be beneficial for the business. I did not like it, so I told him I would like for him to listen to all my plans before I move on with them. Two brains are better than one, right?

Walking into the meeting room, I take a seat and adjust my laptop on the polished wooden table, making sure everything is in order. The sunlight streams through the large windows, illuminating the space with a warm glow. I take a moment to breathe, reminding myself that I belong here. And it’s just Daniel I will be presenting to, but I fear I will not be able to maintain professionalism. I roll my eyes. As if he will. I did invite Frank, but he canceled at the last moment. When I asked for a reason, he fumbled and said he had to visit the doctor.

I know he’s much better now; the doctors say his condition has miraculously improved. Daniel cried in my arms that night, overwhelmed with gratitude. It wasn’t the first time I had seen him cry, but I felt so useless. Seeing him cry, I started crying, too, and in the end, he was the one who had to console me. I laugh softly, rolling the curtains down and switch on the lights.

I settle into the chair, feeling the smooth leather beneath me. It has wheels, and I can’t resist giving it a gentle spin. I pull myself closer to the table. He’s late. I open my laptop to go over the slides of my presentation once more. I frown. He has been too busy these days. I mean, I understand the pressure and the life of a celebrity that comes with his career, but it has never affected our time together in the past six months. It’s only this week that he is always late, and he is secretive about stuff. It’s just not like him.

There’s a knock on the door, pulling me out of my thoughts. I take a deep breath. “Come in,” I exclaim. The door opens, and Daniel steps in. My breath hitches. He’s wearing a sharp navy suit that fits him perfectly, the tailored lines accentuating his athletic build. His hair is tousled as if he’s been running his fingers through it repeatedly, and a shadow of stubble adorns his jaw. “You leave me breathless every time you are in a suit,” I whisper.

He chuckles lightly, but there’s anxiety in his eyes and stiffness in his shoulders. I will have to talk about it with him later. “I take it back!” I exclaim, “This is a highly professional environment, and you are just a stakeholder.” I shake my head to bring myself to my senses.

“Yes, it is.” He smirks, stepping forward and pecking my lips. My eyes widen.

“Do you ever even listen to me?” I ask. My eyebrows furrow.

“Yes, always. That’s why I have been blessed with ears: so that I can hear your voice,” he says, and I huff.

“Why are you late?” I cross my arms against my chest. His eyes roam around my cleavage. Pervert .

“I was trying to find the perfect suit,” he says, rubbing his nape. “You had invited me to our very first business meeting, after all. ”

“Well, thank you for the effort.” I give him a flying kiss, which he pretends to catch. “Can we begin?” I ask.

“Yes,” he says, taking a seat next to me. I turn the laptop so that he can see the screen too.

“Alright,” I begin. “I’ve been thinking about some significant changes that could really boost our growth.” Daniel shakes his leg continuously. I rest my hand on his leg.

“Okay, so first of all, I feel we should expand our market.” I switch to the next slide. I glance at him, gauging his reaction. He seems tense. There is something weighing on him definitely. I cannot keep going on like this. I shut the laptop. “Daniel?” He looks at me. “What’re you thinking about?” I ask carefully.

“I think I have a better idea,” he says slowly.

“Oh.” I frown. “Why are you tense about that? That’s good actually. Let’s talk about your idea first then.” I smile at him reassuringly.

He opens his mouth to say something, but the lights in the room flicker and go out. I shriek and instinctively lean toward Daniel, my heart racing. He gets up from his chair, breaking the silence of the room. I open my mouth to stop him, but then the projector whirs to life, casting a bright image onto the screen. My eyes widen as I see the title: A Business Plan for Life.

I turn to Daniel, my mouth agape. He’s standing next to the presentation, an amused yet nervous smile on his face. “What is this?” I whisper, my eyes already welling up. Is this what I think it is?!

Daniel takes a deep breath, clearly nervous yet determined. “Just keep watching,” he says with a small smile.

I look at the screen again.

The first slide reads: The Imperfect Partnership.

He shoots me a grin. “Our lives entwined when I spilled that coffee on you, and then, very kindly, fate decided to put us together for a project.” He sniggers. “That was so fucking unexpected, but I am happy that it happened. I did not put much effort on that assignment, but I promise to in our relationship. You can happily and violently remind me if I ever forget it.” I chuckle and sniff as tears well up in my eyes. “Life has given me what my soul needs, so there’s no way I am giving up on us. Ever.”

He skips to the next slide which reads: The First Investment.

“Now, I would like to say that I was the one who made the first move because you were too proud to admit your feelings to me.” He scoffs. “But I am glad you let me be your boyfriend because I cannot breathe when I imagine my life without you. I have never been this happy, Firecracker.” His eyes twinkle.

My heart swells. “Daniel,” I whisper, feeling overwhelmed.

He continues through the slides. “The next slide,” he says, “is about the risks.”

The words flash on the screen. “Life isn’t always easy. We will both go through ups and downs, and there will always be a risk with anything we do.” He skips to the next slide, which reads: The Rewards.

He smiles at me. “But I want you to know that we’ll always have each other. The bonus for you is that you will have a man who can brew your coffee order; you won’t have to go to a cafe.” He winks at me. I giggle, shaking my head.

He switches to the next slide. “Will you invest in a future together, Ms. Anya Mehra, and make me the happiest man alive?” he asks, his eyes shining as he bends down on one knee. “Will you give me a promotion?”

My mind is racing a million miles a minute. I sit on my knees in front of him to match his eye level although that’s impossible because he’s too tall. My tears won’t stop. “Will you let me be your husband?” He pulls out a small velvet box, opening it to reveal a stunning ring. “You are my partner in every sense of the word. You’ve made me a better person and I want to spend the rest of my life making you just as happy. Will you marry me?”

“You chose the most hilarious way to propose.” I chuckle. He's so cute. He wipes my tears using his thumb and I nod vigorously. “Yes. A million times yes, captain.” I throw my arms around him. Daniel rises from the floor, pulling me up along with him. He wraps me in a secure yet tender embrace, his body heat surrounding me. He buries his face in my hair, his arms around my waist, pulling me so close that our hearts are aligned. He tightens his hold as I bury my face in his chest, the tears making a wet patch on his suit, but he doesn’t seem to care, and neither do I. “I love you,” he whispers in my ear, his voice thick with emotion.

“I love you, too,” I say and kiss him.

There is no person I would rather spend my life with, no other man I would want to build my family with. He walked into my life unexpectedly, annoyed the fuck out of me, and stole my heart at the same time. He helped me grow as a person, and now, I want to grow old with this beautiful man. I look into his green sparkling eyes, and I know for sure, with Daniel by my side, life is always going to be the best, just like he is.

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