She Rolled The Dice On Our Marriage And He Let Her Win Chapter 09

She Rolled The Dice On Our Marriage And He Let Her Win Chapter 09

After that final conversation, Callum disappeared from my life completely.

My career kept growing. I started holding photography exhibitions, some small, some large, and I met friends

who truly understood me.

Everything that had happened before felt like another lifetime.

The next time I heard about Callum, it was because his company had collapsed.

People said he had fallen into severe depression. For the past year, he had stopped caring about the

business altogether.

Rourke Holdings, once brilliant under his control, had been taken over by his father’s illegitimate son.

Reporters caught photos of Callum looking pale and ruined, then plastered them across gossip sites.

What little property Callum had left after his half brother picked him apart, he gave entirely to Bria.

Even a fallen empire still left scraps.

At first, she lived comfortably enough. She even got into college. But once the truth about us came out,

things became harder for her.

Anonymous campus forums started whispering about her.

Then one day, the fact that she had falsified medical records was exposed.

The person who reported her was Callum.

She was convicted and received the punishment she deserved.

After that, I didn’t hear much more.

Soren looked at the gossip and evidence photos sent by his friends back in Briarwick, then let out a cold

laugh.

Callum Rourke had once had someone who loved him with everything she had.

And he had treated her like she was disposable.

Served him right.

Whatever happened to him now, Soren couldn’t bring himself to care.

Then Soren flopped into my lap.

“Honey,” he said, drawing the word out. “Can we go try on wedding dresses tomorrow?”

He nuzzled his face against my lower stomach.

“I already arranged everything. All you have to do is put them on.”

I nodded and ran my fingers through his soft hair.

A laugh slipped out before I could stop it.

“Soren, if you liked me that long ago, why didn’t you say anything?”

He went quiet for a while.

Even the restless way he had been burrowing into my lap stopped.

“Because I didn’t want to get in your way,” he said softly. “You were such a sweet kid, and then you suddenly

decided to run off to conflict zones. You scared all of us.”

“What did you think back then?”

“Me?”

He murmured the word, then smiled faintly.

“I thought, of course that’s our Ren. Brave as hell. Always amazing.”

“You were so determined back then. Even your grandfather couldn’t stop you. I didn’t want to overestimate

my place in your life.”

“I thought maybe that was fate. Maybe I just wasn’t meant to marry you.”

“But somehow, fate gave you back to me.”

He lifted his head from my lap and pulled me into his arms instead.

“I think I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

Soren leaned in and kissed my forehead.

His thick lashes trembled slightly.

The kiss felt careful.

Almost reverent.

“Maren Vey,” he said, “will you marry me?”

He opened his hand.

A diamond ring caught the light in his palm.

“So cheesy.”

He had already proposed half a month ago, in front of both our grandfathers and all our friends.

Soren pressed his lips together, smiling.

“When it comes to proposing to you, once will never be enough.”

“So,” he asked, “will you?”

“Soren Kells,” I said, smiling back, “I will.”