CHAPTER 41: CONFESSIONS

Damian held the lounge door open, let Rowan stepped inside carefully, making sure Lyra’s head didn’t bump against the frame.

He carried her straight to the Casa Padrino baroque chaise longue and gently lowered her onto the cushions.

He grabbed a bottle of water from the nearby bar counter, then returned to her side.

"Drink a little."

Lyra reached, realizing he had already loosened the cap for her.

"Thank you," she murmured, taking small sips.

He knelt in front of her, gently slipping off her shoes, lifted her legs onto the chaise, arranging them so she could rest comfortably.

Rowan pulled a soft blanket from the armrest and draped it over her.

Lyra’s eyes never stopped following him.

He usually carried himself with strength, reserve, and pride. Being cared for this gently by a man like him caught her completely off guard.

Rowan sat down in the small space beside her, his body angled toward her.

He wait until Lyra finished drinking, took the bottle from her hands, twisted the cap shut, and set it aside.

Lyra leaned back, settling into a comfortable position. The chaise felt so soft beneath her that she nearly drifted off on the spot.

Rowan leaned in without warning, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her into a gentle hug.

Lyra starlet, but she let him hold her. She shifted her arms, wanting to hold him too. Her hands wrapped around his neck, her fingers tangling gently in his smooth black hair.

He wasn’t the type to admit but his actions made it obvious. The hug showed just how worried he had been before he finally found her.

She felt his breath warm against her neck. They stayed like that for a long, before he finally eased back, letting her go.

His hand rose to her hair, giving a gentle tug that made her meet his eyes.

"I looked for you last night," he said. "Where did you go? Why didn’t you call me?"

His voice wasn’t angry but just worried, edged with a sadness he couldn’t hide.

"Father told me you were upset... that you went back to Mistvale without me."

Seriously, Lyra almost laughed because Albert was clearly teasing Rowan on purpose. Maybe trying to make his son taste a bit of his own medicine.

She cupped Rowan’s face with both hands so he could feel her touch.

Ever since the night he left her room without a word, she had been wondering what had put him in such a bad mood.

Instead of answering his question, she asked.

"Were you mad at me that night because I went to the bathroom on my own?"

"Yes," Rowan admitted. Then he added, "But it wasn’t your fault. It was mine."

Lyra frowned, confused. "Why?"

"Lyra," he breathed, "I thought you still couldn’t let go of your ex-fiancé. I thought you didn’t ask for my help because you didn’t need me anymore. I was afraid you would leave me once everything settled down."

The confession stunned Lyra.

So all this time... Rowan was afraid she would change her heart once the chaos ended.

"Why would you think that?" Lyra asked softly.

"I made a promise at the altar, remember? I swore I’d be a faithful wife."

She smiled, hoping it would ease the weight pressing on his chest.

But Rowan lowered his gaze.

"You were with him for three years. Memories like that... they don’t go away overnight."

His voice cracked on the last word.

Rowan suddenly seemed fragile, a stark contrast to the commanding man who had stood in the women’s lounge just minutes before.

"Rowan..." Lyra took his hand gently. "Meet my eyes."

Lyra tried to lock eyes with him and read the emotion in his gaze.

And she could see a stubborn sheen begin to gather there. Her thumb brushed it away gently.

"Those three years aren’t sweet memories... they haunt me," she said.

"Those years leave marks, remind me how foolish I was for choosing the wrong man. I wish it could fade easily. Honestly... I was young back then. I didn’t know what love really meant. Just because Lucas treated me kindly in the beginning, I convinced myself his feelings were sincere."

She paused for one breath.

"For years, I kept blaming myself... thinking I wasn’t good enough when every time he put everything else above me. But now, I’m relieved I didn’t end up with him."

Rowan was hit by a heavy silence.

Realizing he had acted foolishly not believing her, letting Lucas’s words get under his skin, letting them cloud his judgment.

But he felt a flicker of hope.

Maybe it wasn’t too late to make things right between them.

Lyra then continued with a teasing smile, "What about you? Don’t tell me you never had a girlfriend before me."

"Never had one. Not before you," Rowan said.

"Really?" Lyra pouted, convinced he was lying. But Rowan didn’t budge. He had never been in love with anyone.

Women and love had always like a burden and distractions that would only pull him further from reaching the pinnacle of his career.

But Lyra was different. She was the first woman he truly wanted to keep beside him.

"Lyra..." He curled his fingers around hers. "Don’t think about the past. Fate has already brought us together."

She tilted her head slightly as she examined the man before her. "Do you believe in fate?"

Rowan lifted her hand to his lips, brushing a soft kiss against her fingers.

"Yes... The moment you walked into my life, nothing has felt like a coincidence."

"So," Lyra whispered, tightening her hold on his hand, "how about we start fresh... and learn how to love each other properly?"

A slow smile curved on Rowan’s lips. "Okay, madam, as you wish."

Slowly, he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.

Soft and careful, as if asking whether she wanted the kiss as much as he did.

For a second, Lyra stopped breathing from the surprise of the kiss. It overwhelmed, leaving her weak in a way she never expected.

Rowan’s rough thumb trace her shoulder gently and affectionately.

She moved closer responding to his touch, letting herself sink into him physically and emotionally.

Their kiss deepened, turning hungry as Lyra clutched the fabric of his shirt, grounding herself in the moment.

His lips moved against hers with a quiet desperation, pouring out everything he struggled to put into words.

When he finally pulled back, their foreheads touched.

Their unsteady breaths blending in the warmth between them.

Rowan kept her in his arms, wanted the moment to last longer. Lyra laughed softly and whispered, "So... where are we going for our honeymoon?"