Chapter 26
The lake house glowed with warmth as they stepped out of the car. Fire pits flickered across the lawn, heat lamps cast amber light across the heated tent, and the entire Oath Capital staff mingled with champagne glasses in hand.
Ronan appeared at the edge of the tent, his face lighting up when he saw her. He crossed the distance in quick strides.
“You made it.” He kissed her cheek, then turned to Eleanor and Andrew. “Thank you for bringing her.”
“Our pleasure,” Eleanor said with a smile.
A server appeared with a tray of champagne. Ronan handed glasses to each of them, his fingers lingering on hers for just a moment.
“Come on,” he said, guiding them inside the tent. “Everyone’s here.”
She stepped inside, taking in the crowd. Colleagues from the office, the catering staff moving efficiently, and—
“Lucy?” Her voice pitched higher. “What are you doing here?”
Lucy grinned from her spot near the dessert display. “Ronan invited me to stay. Said I should enjoy the party after delivering the desserts.”
Before she could process that, Ronan pulled a pen from his pocket and tapped it against his champagne glass. The sharp clink cut through the conversations. The tent quieted.
“Thank you all for coming tonight,” he said, his voice carrying across the space. He turned to Eleanor and Andrew. “And a special thank you to the Beauchamps—for your trust in Oath Capital, for taking a chance on us, and for everything you’ve done to make this partnership a success.”
Applause rippled through the crowd. Eleanor inclined her head graciously. Andrew gave Ronan a subtle nod, and Ronan winked back at them.
Then his gaze found Devney’s, and something flickered in his eyes. A hint of nervousness.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you up to?”
He set down his glass and took both her hands.
“You think you’re here to celebrate the first milestone of the Beauchamp deal,” he said, his voice wavering slightly. “And that’s true.”
He paused.
“But hopefully, it will be a different type of celebration than the one you’re expecting.”
His fingers trembled.
“I wanted everyone here tonight because I want the world to know how much I love Devney Sinclair. And I couldn’t wait another minute to lock down the most important merger of my life.”
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
“The first time I asked you to marry me, it was a charade. A business decision. This time, it’s real.”
He knelt.
Her hand flew to her mouth as he drew a velvet box from his pocket. Around them, gasps. Lucy’s sob cutting through the silence.
“You changed everything.” His voice cracked.
“You challenged me. Pushed me. Saw through every wall I built. You made me realize that success isn’t measured in profit margins or market share.
It’s measured in moments like this—standing before the woman I love, terrified and hopeful and certain that you’re the only future I want. ”
He opened the box, and for a heartbeat, she forgot to breathe.
Inside, a vivid yellow diamond sat nestled in a bed of velvet, its deep golden hue catching the amber light of the tent.
Surrounding it, smaller white stones were set in a delicate, radiating pattern of petals.
Her breath hitched as the shape came into focus.
A sunflower. It was a sudden, sharp ache of recognition—the one flower that had always meant home.
“I love you,” he said, his voice a low vibration that grounded her. “Will you marry me? For real this time?”
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Yes.” Barely audible. Then louder, voice breaking, “Yes!”
He slid the ring onto her finger as cheers erupted around them. He rose, and she threw herself into his arms.
“I can’t believe you did this.”
She pulled back, looking at him. “Is this why the Beauchamps insisted on bringing me tonight?”
He nodded. “They knew. And Lucy. Everyone else thought this was just a Beauchamp deal celebration.”
“You orchestrated all of this? A fake property viewing, a surprise party, witnesses—”
“I wanted it to be perfect. You deserve perfect.”
Lucy crashed into them both. “Oh my God, Dev! Look at that ring!”
She lifted her hand, and the yellow diamond caught the firelight.
“You always remembered.” She met his eyes over Lucy’s shoulder. “The sunflowers.”
“I remember everything about you.”
For a moment, they just looked at each other, the noise of the celebration fading into the background. Then Lucy tugged on her arm, demanding to see the ring again, and the moment broke.
The rest of the evening passed in champagne toasts and congratulations.
Eleanor and Andrew appeared with warm smiles.
Knox regaled anyone who would listen with increasingly embellished tales about their courtship.
Gabriel stood slightly apart, observing.
Through it all, Ronan stayed at her side, his hand finding hers repeatedly.
Later, they escaped to the dock under the pretense of getting air.
He wrapped his arms around her from behind as they stared out at the dark water.
“You really thought I might say no?”
“I hoped you wouldn’t.” He pressed his chin against her hair. “But hope and certainty are different things.”
She leaned back against him. “I’m certain. About you. About us. About all of it.”
“Good.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Because I’m not letting you change your mind now. I have witnesses.”
She laughed and turned in his arms. Fire pits flickered behind them. She reached up and traced the line of his jaw.
“For the record, this was much better than the first proposal.”
“The bar was fairly low. The last time you bought your own ring.”
“You’ve improved your technique. But you know what the best part was?”
“What?”
“You were scared.” She touched his chest, right over his heart. “You let everyone see it. The real you, not the CEO mask. That’s what made it perfect.”
His hand covered hers. “You’ve made me brave. Or maybe foolish. I’m not sure there’s a difference anymore.”
“Definitely foolish. But I’ll take it.”
They stayed there until Knox called them back. Until the cold became impossible to ignore. Until duty demanded they rejoin their own engagement party.