Chapter 131: Finally!

Maya’s POV

Helen stayed for another hour before finally deciding it was time to leave.

She thanked Kelvin again for considering her application and promised to prepare her documents as quickly as possible.

I walked her to the door with a smile, reminding her to send everything to me once it was ready.

The moment the door closed behind her, I released a quiet breath.

The apartment suddenly felt like ours again.

Kelvin turned toward me. "You look tired."

"I am not tired."

He gave me a knowing look. I smiled and reached for the dessert bag he had brought home earlier.

"You bought several things, so I think we should share them."

"You wanted the desserts."

"I did," I admitted. "But I don’t want to eat everything alone."

I carried the desserts to the dining table and opened the containers. Kelvin followed me, and we sat together.

I gave him one of the pieces I knew he liked, then took one for myself.

The truth was that I wanted to make him happy.

After everything that had happened between us, I had finally understood that pushing him would only make him retreat.

Patience had brought him closer. Caring for him, appreciating the little things he did, and reminding him why we had fallen in love in the first place seemed to be working.

I wanted to keep that progress. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

We spent the rest of the evening together without discussing the wedding. I deliberately avoided the subject. I did not want to ruin the peace we had finally found.

Later that night, after we had both changed and settled into the bedroom, I noticed Kelvin rubbing the back of his neck.

"You look tense," I said.

"It has been a long day."

I moved closer. "Would you like me to massage your shoulders?"

He glanced at me. "You want to?"

"Yes." I nodded.

He considered it briefly before nodding. "All right."

I moved behind him and placed my hands on his shoulders.

His muscles were tense beneath my palms. I began massaging slowly, applying gentle pressure while he remained quiet.

"You carry too much tension here," I murmured.

"I suppose I do."

I continued for several minutes. The quiet between us gradually changed.

I moved closer, my hands slowing as I leaned toward him. Kelvin turned his head slightly, and our eyes met.

Neither of us said anything, so I touched his face.

He caught my hand gently. "Maya."

I smiled. "I truly do miss being close to you even though we were together last night."

Something softened in his expression. Then, the next second, he pulled me toward him, and I settled against his chest.

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The next morning, I woke with Kelvin’s arms around me.

I remained motionless, feeling His warmth envelop me as his steady breathing brushed against my hair.

I smiled, then turned carefully in his arms and looked at him.

Kelvin opened his eyes. "Good morning."

"Good morning." I rested my head against his chest.

He wrapped his arm more securely around me.

I smiled to myself.

Then he began to stroke my hair. "There is something I want to tell you."

My heart immediately began beating faster. I lifted my head. "What is it?"

He held my gaze for a long moment before speaking. "I have spent the past few weeks thinking about us. About everything that happened, and about why I chose you in the first place."

I released a slow breath.

"When I first fell in love with you, it was because I felt that you understood me. We came from similar backgrounds. We knew what it meant to struggle and build something with our own hands. I never had to explain that part of myself to you."

I smiled as he continued. "That was different with Emerald."

My smile almost faltered.

"I cared about her once," he said. "But we came from completely different worlds. She grew up surrounded by wealth, influence, and family connections. Sometimes I felt that she never understood what it was like to have nothing and have to fight for every opportunity."

My smile widened slightly. Kelvin had always believed that difference mattered.

"She would talk about her family, their influence, their connections, and the things they could do," he continued. "Even when she didn’t intend to make me feel inferior, I sometimes felt like she was reminding me of everything I didn’t have."

I slowly rubbed my palm across his chest, but I did not interrupt him.

"And you understood me," he said. "That was one of the reasons I chose you."

My heart swelled.

Kelvin looked down at me. "I didn’t hesitate when I decided to leave Emerald for you because I believed you were the person who truly understood me."

I smiled softly.

He took a breath. "But I was disappointed in you."

My smile faded slightly.

"You hurt my trust when you lied to me. You went behind my back, manipulated the situation with Emerald, and because of what happened, I lost three per cent of Mercer Technologies."

I lowered my eyes. "I know."

"I was angry about that for a long time." His fingers moved gently through my hair. "But then the accident happened."

I looked back at him.

"When I thought I might lose you, everything else suddenly seemed less important. I realised that no matter how angry I was, I couldn’t imagine my life without you."

My chest tightened with emotion.

"I spent these past few weeks taking care of you and watching you recover. Somewhere during that time, I realised something I had been refusing to admit."

He paused, then confessed, "I cannot afford to lose you, Maya."

My eyes filled with tears. Instantly, he wiped one away with his thumb. "I forgive you. And I want us to move forward."

I smiled through my tears as I rested my palm against his chest again, feeling his heartbeat beneath it.

"What does that mean?" I whispered.

Kelvin looked directly into my eyes. "It means we are going to continue with our wedding plans."

For a second, I could not breathe. Those were the words I had been waiting to hear for weeks.

The wedding. Our wedding.

I smiled, unable to contain the happiness spreading through me. "You mean it?"

"I mean it."

I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly. He held me just as firmly.

I closed my eyes against his chest, smiling. Everything I had feared losing was finally coming back to me.

The wedding would continue, and Kelvin was staying.

After weeks of uncertainty, I finally felt like I had won him back completely.