My Unfaithful Ex Accused Me of Cheating Chapter 06

My Unfaithful Ex Accused Me of Cheating Chapter 06 A Second Proposal

umn arrived almost before I noticed.

The sweet fragrance of the blossoms in our courtyard drifted through the bedroom on the evening breeze. I leaned against the window seat and watched Julian downstairs in the flower bed, tending the daisies I had planted on a whim.

The setting sun softened his outline. For once, the man who was usually so cold and formidable looked almost domestic.

As if he sensed me staring, Julian glanced up. A faint smile touched his face, and he lifted a hand in greeting

I smiled back, my heart turning impossibly soft.

Lately, he had cut out most of his unnecessary social engagements. He came home early every day to eat with me, take walks with me, or curl up beside me on the couch with an old movie.

The ordinary peace I had once thought I would never have was finally mine.

“What are you staring at so seriously?”

I had not heard him come in. Julian stood beside me with a glass of warm honey water and held it out.

I accepted it. Our fingertips brushed, and the warmth of that tiny touch lingered.

I tipped my head back with a teasing smile.

“You

“You. I was wondering when the mighty Mr. Cross turned into a gardener.”

A low laugh left him. He bent over me, gathered me into his arms, and rested his chin on my hair.

“I’d do anything for you.”

Then he took my hand and placed it over his heart.

“Maya, I still feel like I failed you that night. I should have protected you better. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”

My nose stung.

I wrapped my arms around him and listened to the steady beat beneath my palm.

“I believe you.”

By winter, I had recovered completely.

Julian took me away from the noise of the city to a quiet lakeside town in the south. We rented a small courtyard home beside the water.

In the mornings, mist drifted over the lake. At dusk, the calls of fishermen carried across the water.

Here, Julian was no longer the ruthless, decisive man everyone else feared.

He was simply the man I loved.

night, light snow began tapping softly against the window.

Curled against his chest, I listened for a while before speaking.

“Julian, could we live like this from now on? Just the two of us in a little place by the water, watching the seasons change.”

His arms tightened around me. He kissed my forehead.

“If that’s what you want, then yes. Anything you want, I’ll give you.”

Outside, the snow thickened until the stone bridge and every plant in the courtyard were covered in white.

Inside, the room stayed warm.

I closed my eyes and listened to Julian’s heartbeat.

There were countless beautiful places in the world, but none of them meant as much as having someone steady beside me.

By morning, the lakeside town had turned completely white.

Even the porch lights beneath the eaves had gathered a dusting of snow, their warm glow softened by the white.

Juljan came in carrying freshly brewed ginger tea. He slipped his arms around me from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder.

“Mesmerized? Don’t stand here long enough to catch a cold.”

I took the cup. Heat traveled down my throat and seemed to settle inside my chest.

I turned and smiled at him.

“The snow here is so much prettier than it is in the city.”

“If you like it, we’ll stay longer.”

He adjusted my scarf, his cool fingertips grazing my cheek.

The snow stopped that afternoon.

We walked along the lake, our shoes crunching through the white ground. Children’s laughter floated from somewhere in the distance, making the quiet landscape feel even more peaceful.

When we reached a stone bridge, Julian suddenly stopped.

He pulled a velvet box from his pocket.

Then he went down on one knee.

I stared at him, so startled that the hand warmer I was holding nearly slipped from my fingers.

looked up at me. Snow swirled in his eyes, yet his gaze felt warmer than sunlight.

“Maya, our parents were the ones who introduced us, and we married because of that arrangement. But this time, I want to ask you myself. I want to wake up beside you every morning for the rest of my life. I want to watch every season pass with you and give you every bit of tenderness I have. Will you marry me?”