His Final Betrayal Was My First Move Chapter 25

His Final Betrayal Was My First Move Chapter 25

After that hug came a long, sleepless night. But unlike the countless nights Griffin had caused him to lose sleep, this time, what flashed through Julian’s mind was not painful memories, but Amelia’s face. Her surprise, her hesitation, and finally, the way she gently wrapped her arms around him.

As dawn began to lighten the sky, Julian could no longer lie still. Joy and a trace of uncertainty stirred inside him, making him eager to see her, to confirm that last night hadn’t been a dream.

He rose quickly, not even taking the time to properly straighten his shirt, and strode toward the door.

When he pulled it open, he froze.

Amelia stood outside.

In her arms was a large bouquet of wild Maine roses, their petals still carrying the morning dew. They weren’t the flawless, trimmed creations of a florist; they had a hardy, pure vitality, just like her.

The fresh floral scent rushed toward him, but Julian only saw the mixture of shyness and determination on Amelia’s face.

“Julian, good morning.” She took a deep breath, as if summoning a lifetime of courage, and poured out the words she had practiced all night. “I thought about it for a long time last night. I may not be able to immediately return the kind of intense, absolute love you feel for me, but since I’ve decided to be with you, I will give you my all.”

Her voice trembled slightly, but it was exceptionally clear.

“I will make sure that every single day, you know how much I care about you. I hope we can spend the rest of our lives together as true partners.”

After saying this, she lowered her lashes shyly, waiting for his response.

Time seemed to stop.

After a long moment without a reply, Amelia lifted her head in confusion. She saw that the man who was always so calm and self-possessed, who stirred the waters of Boston’s business world with ease, now had red-rimmed eyes like a child about to cry.

“I…” Amelia’s heart tightened. She wanted to comfort him but was at a loss for words.

Before she could figure out what to say, Julian abruptly stepped forward and pulled her and the bouquet of roses tightly into his arms.

His muffled voice came from her hair, thick with emotion and a hint of a complaint.

“Romantic things like giving flowers are supposed to be my job. You’ve already done everything I wanted to do for you. What am I supposed to do now?”

Amelia was almost squeezed breathless, but she couldn’t help laughing in his arms.

“Because I like you.” She tilted her head back, rubbing it against his chest. “It’s the twenty-first century. There’s no rule saying only one person gets to give flowers.”

Seeing Amelia standing before him with flowers in her arms gave Julian a strong sense of unreality. Only when he held her tightly, feeling her warmth and her real heartbeat, did that illusion fade. This embrace officially established their relationship.

Amelia didn’t immediately return to Boston. She decided to remain in Maine with Julian for a while longer so he could properly recover.

It was a quiet, healing time.

By the time they drove back to Boston together, winter had arrived. A heavy snow came unexpectedly, wrapping the entire city in white.

As the car slowly crossed the Charles River, Amelia looked out the window. The once-familiar red-brick buildings of Beacon Hill now wore thick white caps, like a quiet oil painting. In the Boston Common, bare branches were decorated with glittering snow. A few children chased each other, leaving footprints of different depths.

This snow was like a grand cleansing, washing away all the dust and pain of the past. This city, which had once brought her endless humiliation, now appeared in her eyes with a new, quiet beauty.

In Julian’s new apartment in Back Bay, the heat was turned up high. Amelia sat cross-legged on the carpet, focused on drafting the preliminary charter for her new foundation on her laptop.

Julian came over with two cups of hot cocoa, handed one to her, and then sat down beside her, a look of dissatisfaction on his face.

“I’m starting to feel neglected, Miss Reed,” he complained half-jokingly. “My girlfriend seems more interested in legal clauses than in me.”

Amelia looked up from the screen and smiled. “Is that so? Does Mr. Mercer need some extra attention?”

“Very much.” Julian’s expression instantly became serious, though a smile remained in his eyes. He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “So, to make it up to me, you have to go somewhere with me this weekend.”

He paused, enjoying her curious gaze.

“Tomorrow, come with me to Cape Cod to meet my family. To be honest, they’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time.”

Amelia’s smile froze, replaced by visible nervousness. “Meet… your family?”

“Don’t worry.” Julian saw her discomfort and tried to soothe her with a bit of humor. “They’re just very curious about what extraordinary woman finally got this ‘old patient’ a girlfriend. You don’t need to prepare anything. Just bring your appetite.”

Looking at his warm, encouraging eyes, her nervousness was replaced by a sweet anticipation.

This was no longer a social task to be performed as “Mrs. Whitaker.”

This was Amelia, being awaited by the family of the person she loved.

She nodded and agreed with a smile.

“All right. But I still need to buy gifts.”