Chapter 73
The whole house had been decorated- not in the expected red and green, but in baby blue, which happens to be Harper's favourite color "Do you like it?" "I love it but isn't it supposed to be-" "Yeah, we know but... We have a surprise for you!" "What is it?"
That's when Harper saw a figure coming towards them. He finally stepped into the light and when her gaze landed on him, she was stunned. It was Harrison! He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt and a blue tie. She'd seen him in a suit several times, but he looked more handsome each and every time. Hold up, didn't he say he had an important meeting to get to? His meetings usually took quite some time, so how was he here? "Hello there, my love" "H-Harrison? Didn't you say you have to be at a meeting? How are you here?" Harrison chuckled "Well, the meeting ended earlier than expected" "Oh that's good- what are you doing?!"
Harrison knelt on one knee and he brought out a small velvet box from his suit pocket. No way, was he going to-
"To be honest, you were never a part of the plan. Not the way you smile, not the way you care deeply, or the way you make me want to become a better person. I may have made a lot of mistakes, but loving you has never been part of them" Harper's heart pounded as she stared into Harrison's beautiful grey eyes.
"Will you marry me again Harper? Not because you have to, not because we owe each other, but because I love you and want to spend the rest of my life proving it?"
Harper looked at him with tears threatening to fall but she wiped them away. She smiled before nodding vigorously "You idiot, of course I'll marry you" Harrison smiled at her response and slid the ring unto her finger before standing up to hug her amidst the cheers and hoots from the small crowd. He whispered against her hair "Thank you for choosing me"
The applause soon died down, and Robert's voice cut through the silence. "Harper dear, I know you love him but are you really willing to marry a man who cries like that?" Harrison's eyes widened slightly as he rubbed his eye with his hand. "I wasn't crying, it was just...wind" Gertrude raised her brow "Oh really? I'm really sure I heard you sniffle through your little speech just now". Harrison smiled "Can't blame me grandma, she said yes"
Harper laughed and held Harrison's hand tighter "If you cry like this at a proposal, I can't wait to see what'll happen at the wedding" "Only if you don't make me say vows in front of this many people again"
Harper was working in the kitchen when she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. The familiar scent of cologne wafted into her nose and she smiled "What are you doing here? I thought you'd gone home" "I wanted to stay for a bit longer" Harper turned around and hugged Harrison's neck as she smiled. Love really changed a person, who would have thought that Harrison would be so clingy? She didn't hate it though, she found his behavior rather endearing.
Harrison removed Harper's left hand from his neck and ran his finger over her ring finger. "It looks really good on you" It was the same ring he had given her the day they first went to Willowbrook together. "Of course it's pretty, seeing as it's from your mother" "You know about the ring?" "Grandma told me"
When Harrison was little, his mother had given him a pair of rings and she specifically told him
to give it to the woman he loves when he grows up. And he had given it to her without second thought!
"You're the woman I love, so it's best that it belongs to you" "Oh really? What about your fiancee?" "Jade? You know I never liked her, she was way too clingy and she actually used a lie to become my fiancee" "A lie? What lie?" "Do you remember saving a man who was in a car accident about 7 years ago?" Harper thought for a moment and she gasped softly before looking up at Harrison again. "It was you?" She remembered seeing some guy who had an accident on her way to ballet practice one day. She stopped to save him and ended up getting to class late, the teacher had even scolded her. She'd never expected it to be Harrison! No wonder she felt like she'd seen him before he started working in the company! "Speaking of Jade, where is she now?"
Harrison looked around and upon seeing no one, he held Harper's hand and took her out of the kitchen, heading for a sofa in the living room. "I want you to listen carefully ok?" "Ok"
Harrison told Harper a few words and she was stunned. Turns out that Jade was responsible for the accident that had happened some months ago. She had heard of Alfred trying to get Harrison and Harper back together so she ordered someone to kill her. She didn't love Harrison, she was obsessed with him. Jade was now in a psychiatric center, receiving treatment.
As for the Carson family, the company went bankrupt and Catherine took the rest of William's property and ran away from home. She was to leave with Chloe but they both got caught by the police and are now in jail. William on the other hand had died, he'd taken poison after the incident. Harrison had been kind enough to get the employees of the company good jobs in bigger companies, and they were all going well.
After Harrison recovered, he hired private investigators who uncovered proof that Julia had been siphoning money from the Whitney estate through shell accounts. She'd planned to flee the country once Harrison was out of the picture. Unfortunately for her, Harrison froze the accounts and had her arrested for embezzlement. She's now facing a long sentence-and sharing a cell with Catherine and Chloe Carson
Lewis tried to spin the situation, claiming he'd always supported Harrison behind closed doors, but Harrison didn't buy it. When he'd threatened to come after Harper next, Harrison didn't even flinch. Instead, he revealed that he had secretly transferred all authority over the family trust to Alfred and Gertrude-leaving Lewis with nothing. Now disowned and disgraced, Lewis lives alone in a small apartment, ranting to anyone who'll listen about "ungrateful children."
"I guess karma finally caught up with them uh" "You're right, but let's not think about them, let's think about us instead" "What is it?" Harrison pulled Harper to sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her small waist and lowered his head about to kiss her when all of a sudden...
"Hey boy, what do you think you're doing to my granddaughter?" "Sir? Nothing sir" "You'd better take your hands off her. She may have said yes to your proposal but there will be no kissing until after you're married. You hear me?" "Yes sir!"
After watching Robert leave Harper looked at Harrison who seemed to be sulking and laughed "Why are you laughing at me?" "Nothing, you just seemed so cute just now" "Me? Cute?" Harrison looked confused, he'd never really had someone call him cute before but it felt nice coming from Harper. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. She stood up and was about to leave when Harrison caught her by the hand and pulled her back to himself.
"What is it?" Harrison pointed to his lips "I want it here" She laughed and shook her head at him, boy was he childish. "Didn't you hear what grandpa said? No kissing until after the wedding" "But there's nothing wrong with a man kissing his wife" "Harrison?" Harrison smirked a little "So... there's something I didn't mention outside" "What is it?"
He shifted slightly, a playful glint in his eyes. Harper thoughts couldn't help but wander. If Clyde and employees of Whitney Corp saw Harrison like this, they'd probably go crazy!
"Those divorce papers you sent me... I didn't just forget to sign them"
She blinked, confused. He leaned closer, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret. "I burned them"
Harper's eyes went wide "You what?!"
Harrison grinned at her reaction, his pearly whites coming out on full display "Set them on fire. Dramatically. In a fireplace. Very therapeutic, actually."
She stared at him, part shocked, part amused
"You really burned them? Who gave you that idea?" "It was Ruby" "Ruby?" "Hmm hmm"
Harper was stunned. She knew from the voicemail Harrison had sent to her back then that he was willing to let go of her, even if it meant signing divorce papers. When he told her he'd actually burned them, she knew that couldn't have been his idea, she'd even expected it to be Kevin's but it was actually Ruby? What the heck was going on?
"Well, I thought about it for a moment and figured. If I couldn't let you go, I might as well make it official. And now look-here you are, engaged to me instead"
She narrowed her eyes, trying not to smile "You're impossible"
"And hopelessly in love with you"
With full silence that enveloped the couple, Harrison pulled Harper even closer to himself. "W-what are you doing?" "Something I should have done long ago" His lips met Harper's and they both sighed into the kiss. It was almost as if they finally got to breathe properly after so long
Harper and Harrison were completely lost in each other. He held her close, one hand resting against the small of her back while the other gently cradled her cheek. Harper's fingers curled around his shirt, pulling him as their lips finally met-soft, deep, unhurried.
A lover's kiss is like the missing piece to a puzzle; when it fits, everything else makes sense.
It wasn't just passion-it was everything unsaid, every apology, every promise, every heartbeat they'd ever shared. A kiss that felt like home. The crackle of the fire seemed to lean in closer, as though even it wanted to witness what years of longing had finally brought together.
Unaware that outside...
While looking at the scene that unfolded itself, a scandalized Robert gaped.
"I told that boy not to kiss my granddaughter!" he whisper-shouted, fists clenched, ready to charge in like a knight of overprotectiveness.
"Oh really?" Diane arched a brow as she smiled at her husband who looked like he could burst any minute "That was the deal! I gave him my grandfather glare and everything!"
''Oh please" Lily whispered, peeking around his shoulder. "That glare hasn't scared anyone since the 90's."
"I am terrifying!" Robert insisted, puffing up indignantly.
"You're wearing a sweater with reindeer on it" Diane muttered, pulling him back. "The only thing you terrify is fashion sense"
"Does he think he can do anything he wants just because he's tall and good-looking with nice hair? Well, not on my watch! I'm going in there" he declared, stepping forward dramatically.
Bethany and Diane blocked him in perfect sync like seasoned security guards.
"You interrupt that kiss and I will personally ensure you don't get one bite of my Christmas roast!" Diane warned.
Robert froze, jaw tightening. "That's a low blow, woman"
From behind, Alfred popped up with a chuckle "You know... I was a bit worried about Harrison at first" he said, smiling at the scene inside. "But he burned divorce papers and survived your dad's glower-he's one of us now"
"You mean he's Harper's now" Ruby teased. "Oh absolutely!"
Everyone chuckled softly-except Robert, who was still squinting at the window like a man who'd just lost a bet.
He crossed his arms with a loud huff. "I still don't like it. That boy's hands were everywhere. Did you see that? He even tilted his head-tilted!"
Gertrude and Diane rolled thier eyes. "Oh for heaven's sake, it was a kiss, not a tango"
"I'm filing a formal complaint" he muttered.
"To who dad?" Bethany asked. "The Department of Overprotective Grandpas?"
"You joke, but if that were a thing, I'd be the CEO"
Lily leaned toward Ruby, whispering, "Does anyone else feel like this is just grandpa Robert's way of coping because he knows Harrison's hotter than him?"
Alfred laughed. "He's not coping, he's losing it."
"I heard that!" Robert barked.
Diane gave him a light smack on the shoulder. "Let it go, Romeo. Your granddaughter's happy" Gertrude chimed in "Diane's right you know. Besides..." she added with a sly grin while looking at Alfred with a smile "Remember when you first kissed me under the mistletoe and my father caught us?"
Alfred turned pale. "Don't you dare bring that up"
"Oh I dare" she said proudly. "He chased you out with a fireplace poker!"
Ruby's eyes widened. "Wait, Grandpa was the original Harrison?"
Lily and Tina covered their mouths as they gasped and turned to look at each other. "History's repeating itself!"
They all burst out laughing-except Alfred and Robert who stared longingly through the window again, muttering something about 'fireplace pokers' and 'kids these days'
Then Tina, with a glimmer of amusement in her eye, squinted through the window. "Wait a second... did Harrison say Ruby gave him the idea to burn the divorce papers?"
All eyes turned dramatically to Ruby, who was casually munching on a candy cane.
"What?" she said with a shrug. "It was a great idea."
There was a collective groan before the two other ladies Tina and Lily high-fived her"Who knew she had it in her?" "Atta girl!"
"You're lucky they ended up back together" Robert grumbled. "Next time, consult the rest of us before playing Cupid with fire"
Ruby just smiled, completely unbothered. "Next time, I'm bringing marshmallows"
And with that, the family continued peeking, hearts full, noses cold, and very much invested in the love story that was still unfolding just on the other side of the glass.