Chapter 144:My Angel, My Princess

Inside the room, the door clicked shut. Prince let out a breathless exhale, pulling Nova into a desperate, crushing embrace. He pressed a tender, lingering kiss against her forehead.

”Thank you, my princess,” he murmured against her skin.

Nova raised a single, elegant eyebrow, her expression unreadable. “What exactly are you thanking me for?”

”For accepting me,” Prince replied, a genuine, boyish laugh escaping his lips as he held her.

Nova was about to reply when her sharp eyes caught an anomaly in the room’s grand architecture. A massive, heavy velvet drape was hung flat against the far wall, serving no structural or aesthetic purpose. Her gaze swept the meticulously clean bedroom, her instincts instantly flaring as she noticed several other hidden inconsistencies.

”Take a step back,” Nova commanded, her voice dropping to a cool, authoritative register.

Prince blinked, momentarily confused, but he obediently took a step away. “What is the matter, my princess?”

Nova didn’t answer. She walked slowly toward the far wall, her fingers gripping the edge of the heavy velvet fabric.

Realization struck Prince like a physical blow. His eyes widened in absolute horror. “Damn it. I was so excited she was actually here that I forgot to clean up the room!”

”Hold on, Nova, don’t—!” he shouted, lunging forward.

He was too late. With a swift, ruthless yank, Nova pulled the heavy fabric down.

The fabric hit the floor with a heavy thud, and the atmosphere in the room instantly shattered, replaced by a thick, suffocating tension. The entire hidden expanse of the wall was a sprawling, meticulously curated shrine.

Hundreds of photographs of Nova—candid shots taken on school, moments walking down the street, angles where she was completely unaware she was being watched—were pinned edge-to-edge. Every single one was stamped with a crimson seal of devotion.

”Wow,” Anah’s voice echoed in the silence. She materialized directly in front of the wall, floating closer to get a better look at the obsessive gallery.

Nova stood utterly still, genuinely taken aback by the sheer scale of it.

Prince stood frozen, his face draining of all color. He looked like a man standing before a firing squad. “I… I can explain,” he stammered, his usual icy composure entirely shattered.

Nova didn’t say a word. Ignoring his panic, she pivoted and walked gracefully toward the grand window drapes. Reaching out, she gripped the silk tassels to let the daylight in. The moment she pulled the curtains apart, a hidden mechanism triggered, releasing a sudden, torrential downpour of crimson rose petals from the canopy above.

Nova closed her eyes as the soft petals rained over her. When she opened them, she found herself staring at a towering, museum-quality oil painting concealed behind the curtains. It was a portrait of her, dressed in a flowing white shirt, painted to look like an ethereal, untouchable angel.

Etched into the gold plaque beneath it were the words: ‘My Angel, My Princess.’

”Wow,” Anah commented again, floating beside Nova and giggling in sheer amusement.

Nova raised an eyebrow. A slow, dark smirk crept onto her lips. She couldn’t help but find the sheer, unapologetic depth of his obsession fascinating.

Prince, however, was terrified. Seeing his deepest, darkest secrets completely dragged into the light, his chest heaved with panic. “I don’t mean any harm by it, Nova, I swear,” he whispered desperately, stepping closer to grab her hand. “I just… I just always want to feel your presence when I am alone. That is the only reason.”

Nova’s smirk lingered as she slowly dragged her gaze from the portrait to the massive king-sized bed in the center of the room.

Catching the direction of her stare, Prince’s panic spiked to a fever pitch. He stepped into her line of sight, trying to block the bed. “You know what? I think this room needs some serious rearranging. Let me take you to a luxury hotel first,” he offered frantically, grabbing her arm to lead her to the door.

Nova calmly but firmly slipped her wrist from his grasp. Walking past him, she grabbed the edge of the heavy duvet and violently yanked the bedsheets back.

The entire silk bedding was custom-printed with a flawless, high-definition imprint of her sleeping face.

”Just… wow!” Anah burst into laughter, hovering over the bed with a wicked, teasing smile.

”Can you shut up?” Nova snapped internally.

Anah’s smile only widened. She shot Nova a cheeky wink before vanishing into thin air.

Nova turned slowly, locking her freezing blue eyes onto a pale, terrified Prince. The silence was deafening. He braced himself for her wrath, fully expecting her to walk out the door and never look back.

”Well,” Nova finally murmured, her voice smooth like dark velvet. “At least the pictures were taken from my perfect angles. Not bad.”

Prince blinked, stunned. “You… you aren’t angry, my princess?”

”Why would I be angry?” Nova asked, a beautiful, captivating smile blooming on her face.

”Are you truly not angry?” Prince took a hesitant step closer, searching her eyes desperately to see if she was masking a violent fury.

Nova chuckled softly. “No, I am not angry. But tell me… what else in this room did you customize with my face?”

Prince closed his eyes, biting his lower lip as a flush of embarrassment hit his cheeks. “Only…”

”No lies,” Nova cut in smoothly, her tone leaving no room for deception.

”I mean… only this room,” Prince confessed, opening his eyes to meet hers. “I have completely forbidden anyone from entering. Not even the royal maids are allowed inside. No one else has seen it.”

Nova’s smile softened. She remained silent for a moment, stepping closer to him. “It is fine. You are my boyfriend now, anyway. There is no need to hide your obsessions from me.” Reaching up, she hooked a single finger under his chin, forcing him to look down into her eyes.

Prince’s heart hammered against his ribs. The sheer relief and euphoria crashing through him were intoxicating. “Can I kiss you, my princess?” he asked, his voice rough with desperate longing.

”Why not?” she whispered, leaning up to press a gentle, testing kiss against his lips.

That was all the invitation he needed. Overwhelmed with happiness, Prince wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, hauling her flush against his chest, and sealed her lips in a deep, bruising kiss. He had longed to touch her, to hold her, and to taste her for so long. He poured every ounce of his obsession and devotion into the kiss, proving exactly how much she meant to him.

The kiss stretched on, hot and breathless, until they finally had to pull away for air.

”Nova,” he breathed, resting his forehead against hers.

”Mhm,” she hummed softly.

”I love you. I love you so much,” Prince whispered. Stepping back, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a sleek velvet box. Without hesitation, the ruthless heir dropped to one knee before her. He snapped the box open, revealing a breathtaking, flawless diamond ring.

”Let me propose to you properly. Please, be my future wife,” he said, his eyes locked intensely onto hers.

Nova let out a low, amused giggle and nodded. “Sure.”

She extended her left hand toward him. Her ring finger was already occupied by three distinct, incredibly powerful rings from her other bonds. Prince didn’t even blink. He smoothly took her hand and slid his diamond onto the adjacent finger, sealing his claim. He immediately stood up, pulling her back into a fierce, triumphant hug.

”Right now… I am the happiest man alive,” he murmured into her hair.

Nova gently patted his back. “It is getting dark, and I have business to attend to. I have to leave now. I will come back later, and if I don’t, you can find me at my new mansion.”

Prince pulled back instantly, his eyes eager. “I will accompany you.”

Nova smiled warmly, shaking her head. “No need. I will be fine on my own. You know I am no delicate lotus.”

Prince conceded with a nod. “Where is your new mansion, then? I will wait for you there.”

”Let’s exchange contacts. I will forward the address to you,” Nova replied, sliding her phone from her pocket.

Prince quickly retrieved his device, scanning her contact code. A second later, his screen lit up with the coordinates of the most expensive estate in the city.

”Alright. Do not be late, and stay safe,” Prince murmured, pressing one last, lingering kiss to her lips before finally letting her go.

The moment Nova’s footsteps faded down the hall, Prince’s calm demeanor vanished. He aggressively tapped his phone screen, wiring a massive bounty of money to Liora’s account for her help by bringing Nova to him, before throwing himself backward onto his custom-printed bed with a joyous shout.

”Finally! Haha! Finally, I have her!” he laughed, staring up at the ceiling, completely consumed by victory.

Meanwhile, downstairs, as Nova descended the grand staircase and walked out the main doors into the evening chill, Mrs. Elena stood hidden in the shadows of the hallway. Watching Nova leave the grounds alone, she pulled out her phone and fired off a heavily encrypted text message. As the ‘delivered’ receipt popped up on her screen, a dark, venomous smile curled across her lips.