Chapter 118~ Why is it you?
Lora's heart fluttered, butterflies in her stomach going wild.
Tears rolled down her cheeks when she looked into Ryan's eyes. She knew he would propose to her soon, but she had no idea he would do it this way.
When she was in the helicopter, looking down at what Ryan had prepared, she thought she was dreaming.
The effort he had put into the proposal was out of this world. She felt like she was a princess in her own fairytale movie.
"Thank you, Ryan. I really like this surprise," Lora remarked, sniffing away her tears.
Ryan smiled and wiped Lora's tears away before saying, "I'm glad you love it, baby."
The crowd soon joined the couple to congratulate them and wish them well.
Charles Kingsley was the first to hug his grandson. He patted his back and said, "What you've done right here, sonny... this is what a real man does. I'm so proud of you."
Ryan smiled, hugging his grandfather back. He replied, "Thank you, Grandpa. I'm glad you were always there to guide me and make me realise my feelings for Lora. I would have lost her completely if you hadn't been there to pump some sense into me." After pulling away from the hug, Charles glanced at his grandson proudly before replying, "Oh, look at you. Happiness looks good on you."
He then turned to look at Lora with a huge grin on his face, uttering, "I always knew you were meant to be a Kingsley forever! Congratulations on conquering Ryan!"
Lora blushed, giggling as she replied, "Thank you, Grandpa."
The other family and friends came through to hug the couple.
After they were done, it was now Lora's parents' turn.
Lora's eyes watered when she saw her mother. She sniffed and said, "Mom, I said yes without getting your approval. I love Ryan-"
Freya pulled her daughter into her arms. She stroked her back and replied, "Oh, sweetheart. I never wanted to stop you from being with the man you love. I just wanted to make sure you would be safe in his hands... he came to me and we talked. I already gave him my approval and that's why he prepared this proposal for you. He's going to take care of you, Lora."
More tears rolled down Lora's cheeks as she hugged her mother, feeling her warm embrace.
Jack Davis hugged Lora and said, "We will always be there for you. Even as you start over with Ryan, remember, you're not alone. You have a family who loves you and would do anything for you... so if he hurts you again."
"Sir, I have no intention of hurting your daughter. Please trust me," Ryan chipped in, interrupting Jack Davis' words.
Jack scoffed before pulling away from Lora and glaring at Ryan, saying, "You better not... my garden has a lot of chillies and you would eat all of them as punishment."
Ryan and Lora laughed just as the twins joined them.
"Mommy, Daddy, congratulations!" Ella exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.
"Congrats," Ethan said, smiling at his parents. It felt good to see them happy together.
Ryan ruffled Ethan's hair before replying, "Thanks for your help, buddy. You and your sister did great."
"Ryan..."
Ryan glanced at the source of the voice and found his father walking towards him with Celeste and Isabella walking by his side. "Dad," Ryan uttered, his jaw tight at the presence of Celeste.
"Congratulations and thank you for telling me about your plans," Miles Kingsley remarked as they reached the couple.
Celeste glanced at the twins and said, "I never knew you secretly had kids. How could you hide your kids from your father, Ryan?"
Ryan glared at Celeste but for his father's sake, he ignored her. He looked at Miles and responded, "Thanks, Dad."
"Larisa, you had us all fooled. Who would have thought you were still alive and kept the Kingsley heirs to yourself?" It was Isabella who spoke this time and the air around them suddenly turned cold. Miles saw that the atmosphere was changing, so he quickly greeted Lora and said, "We shall enjoy the party."
When he led the two women away Ryan clenched his hands into fists. "Celeste and Isabella have father fooled but they can't fool me They are not good people."
Lora sighed and replied, "Don't mind them... just work on your relationship with your father."
"Daddy, who was that with Grandpa?" Ethan asked, furrowing his eyebrows. He saw how the two women were looking at his parents with hatred.
"No one important," Ryan replied.
They had a small party on the island. There was good music and plenty of food and when it got dark, there was a display of fireworks that Ryan watched with Lora and the children.
"Wow, this is so cool!" Ella exclaimed as the sky lit up with blues, reds, pinks and golds...
"Yeah, it's beautiful," Lora replied, her eyes gleaming with joy as she rested her head on Ryan's shoulder. Her heart felt full.
...
Days later...
Adan Nicholson was at Maddie's Sports Apparel store when he heard a commotion from some of the staff.
He stopped one of them and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Sir, the male model we hired has not shown up and we have to shoot an ad. The female model is already waiting at the beach," the man reported.
Adan furrowed his eyebrows before asking, "What kind of ad are you shooting?"
"It's for the new sports swimsuit edition, Sir. We need to release them tomorrow," the man said.
Adan knew how important releasing a new product was. He looked at the man and asked, "Have you found a new model to replace the one who didn't show up?"
The man shook his head, an anxious look on his face. "No, Sir. That's why everyone is panicking right now."
Adan fell silent for a few seconds before saying. "I'll be the model."
The man's eyes widened in shock at Adan's words. The boss wanted to be his own model?
"What? Sir... you-"
"Do you want me to repeat myself?" Adan questioned. "Get everything ready." ""Y-Yes, sir!"
Meanwhile, Bianca was at the beach, wearing a pink one-piece swimsuit with cut-outs on her sides and part of her stomach. Her blonde hair was let down in curls for a stunning effect on the front page of the magazine.
"How long do I have to wait?" She asked, frowning.
The camera crew glanced at each other before saying, "Don't worry, Miss Jones. We've found a replacement and the shoot will start soon."Content held by NôvelDrama.Org.
Bianca nodded before turning to glance at the ocean, the clear blue sky reflecting on the still waters.
She stood like that for some time, letting the sun bath her skin.
"The model is here," one of the staff members said.
"Well, it's about time," Bianca remarked.
She whipped around and her jaw dropped to the ground when she saw the "model" standing in front of her in nothing but a pair of dark shorts.
The man smiled at Bianca and said, "Hi, Bee?"
"Why is it you?" Bianca asked, her heart sinking.