Epilogue
Eddie
Loving Lawliss is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.
And seeing her happy fills me with a joy I never thought I’d deserve.
We moved out of the penthouse to the estate across from her parents’ house. My parents’ home.
It was one of the first things I retrieved and bought back when I had the money, but I never returned to it until now.
Lawliss has made it hers, breathing warmth and life into the walls that had been abandoned. She even built a kiln for her pottery and she’s seven months pregnant now.
I’ve joined more family dinners than I can count, and each time, the Duas act like they aren’t one of the wealthiest families in the country. With our latest merger, their worth jumped into the multibillion range, and they deserve it. They work harder than anyone I know.
“Why did you name her Lawliss?” Elisa suddenly asks, and I suppress a sigh. Here we go again.
Chaos, that one. I like how her mind works and how she comes up with the wildest ideas and the craziest questions.
It’s due to one of her ideas Lawliss stepped out that night; we met again and I’m forever grateful. I even told her I owe her a debt. She just grinned and said she’d collect it in due time.
She doesn’t realize I’d do anything for this family without being asked because they aren’t just Lawliss’s family anymore. They’re mine, too.
“Did you foresee the future, Dad?” Elisa presses. “I mean, did you know she was going to be a lawyer, so you named her Lawliss?”
Andrei sighs, rubbing his temples. “Oh, dear… I wish I had that kind of foresight. I would have named you Brat. Brat Dua. It rolls off the tongue well.”
“Dad!!” she shrieks.
We all laugh.
Dinner is over, but no one leaves. We’re all sprawled across the room, full and content.
Lawliss is sitting with her mom and Aria, refusing to sit with me. Her reasoning? She wants to sit with the ‘moms’ so she can learn how to be a good one.
Her logic is flawed, but what do I know? In our home, her word is law.
I glance over just as Elisa wraps her arms around her father’s neck. And I have to admit... I’m curious about the name too.
“Elisa…” Andrei warns, already tired.
I chuckle.
“When I was pregnant with the twins,” Ines says softly, “I passed out on the road. The good Samaritan who took me to the hospital—her name was Lawliss.” That answer seems to satisfy her. She jumps to her mom while my eyes dart to Lawliss, a sharp flashback hitting me.
Her body limp in my arms. The fear that gripped me, the helplessness.
I shake my head, pushing the memory away. When my gaze meets Andrei’s, I know he’s thinking the same thing.
He gives me a small smile and an unspoken understanding passes between us.
After a while, Lawliss finally comes to sit beside me. I kiss her cheek, and she leans in, resting her head on my shoulder.
“When is the wedding ceremony happening?” Lauren asks us. She’s sitting across from us, with ice cream in hand.
I glance at Lawliss.
We’ve talked about this at length. Our relationship nearly ended because of this so we had to clear the air. To the world, I’m her fiancé. To her family, I’m her husband. But none of that matters. What matters is that we are together.
“After the baby is born,” Lawliss replies. “So, next year.”
I exhale in relief.
“What do you think, honey?” She asks, her new favorite thing—calling me honey.
I smile. “Anything is fine by me.”
“But it’s our wedding. You have to decide too.”
“Next year would be great,” I say, then smirk. “I wouldn’t mind you walking down the aisle now.”
I know exactly what’s coming. She’ll pick a fight with me, then later come crying, blaming her hormones.
And I’ll love every second of it because I get to experience every part of her.
“What do you mean there’s another scandal?!” Lauren’s voice suddenly booms across the room. Everything stills.
She listens to the response on the phone, then sighs. “I’ll handle it.” She hangs up, looking annoyed.
“What’s wrong?” Lawliss asks.
“Arthur Davis. His scandal just blew up again. And this time, it’s worse.”
Arthur is an A-list actor signed as a brand ambassador for the Dua Group.
“Why is he still the brand ambassador? Can’t you drop him?” I ask and instantly, I regret it. Lauren turns to me sharply, her gaze cutting.
Shit. I just landed myself on her shit list.
I notice everyone else shaking their heads at me, like they saw this coming. I need to redeem myself. Fast.
“I mean…” I clear my throat. “I wanted to pick him up as a brand ambassador for some of my projects at M Industries. That’s why I wanted you to drop him.”
Silence.
Then, Lawliss giggles.
Aria chuckles.
Elisa? Full-on laughter.
I relax slightly.
“That’s actually a great idea,” Lauren muses. “I’ll have him come by your office. It could help his image.”
Wait.
What the hell just happened? How did I get roped into this?
“What did I just do?” I whisper to Lawliss.
She’s sitting in my lap, absentmindedly twirling my hair between her fingers, her smirk dangerously amused.
“Well, for starters...” she murmurs, her voice teasing, “dropping Arthur goes against everything we stand for. We believe in standing by our people, in good times and bad.” I nod, already feeling the second blow coming.
"And our next best option, Nathan Smith, is Lauren’s ex-boyfriend. The one who broke up with her without an explanation.”
Ah.
That explains everything.
I sigh. “But why Arthur?”
“Because he’s our favorite actor,” she says like it’s obvious. “Have you seen his last movie? Oh my God, Eddie—”
I block out the rest. I refuse to listen to my wife fangirl over another man.
She notices.
Smiling, she tilts her face up toward mine. “You know I love you, right?”
I cup her cheek, pressing a kiss to her lips. “I love you too.”
And that’s all that matters.
Just as I think we’re done talking about Arthur, Lawliss smirks, eyes flicking toward Lauren.
“Though, if we’re talking about Arthur..." she drawls, “…I’d say Lauren has a much bigger problem than we do.”
Lauren, who has been pretending not to listen, immediately stiffens.
“Excuse me?” she says, narrowing her eyes.
Lawliss just shrugs, feigning innocence. “I mean, since you’ll be working directly with him now... up close and personal. Long hours. Late-night meetings.”
“Oh, please.” Lauren scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Just because I have to work with him doesn’t mean I have to like him.”
Elisa snorts. “That’s exactly what you said about Nathan.”
Lauren throws the throw pillow at her.
I watch, amused, as Lauren crosses her arms, clearly ruffled, while Lawliss exchanges a knowing look with Aria.
I lean down and murmur into Lawliss’s ear, “What exactly am I missing here?”
She grins. “Let’s just say Lauren has sworn off all celebrity guys... and yet, here she is, stuck with the one man she absolutely cannot stand.”
I glance at Lauren, watching the way her fingers grip her glass a little too tightly at the mention of Arthur.
Huh.
This should be interesting.
As the conversation continues around, I glance at Lawliss.
She looks tired but content, her hand resting on her stomach, her eyes soft as she watches her family laugh. Our family.
I stand, offering her my hand. “Come, let’s get some air.”
She raises an eyebrow but takes my hand, letting me guide her out into the garden. The night is quiet, the air warm.
I turn to face her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I love you,” I murmur, pressing my forehead against hers.
She smiles softly, wrapping her hands around my waist. “I know.”
I let out a breath of laughter before capturing her lips with mine. She melts into me, her fingers tightening in my hair, my hands pressing against her back.
This is home.
She pulls back just slightly, looking up at me with sleepy eyes.
“Let’s go home, husband.”
“Your wish is my command.” I grin, taking her hand, leading her towards our home.
And as we walk side by side, I know no matter what comes next, we’re exactly where we’re meant to be.
Want more of Lawliss and Edmund? There is a deleted chapter of them in London visiting Eddie’s grandparents and an extended epilogue you can access by Clicking here!
Other Characters that appeared in the book will have their own book with Lauren and Arthur’s book being next.
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