Chapter Forty #3
The corner of Stefan’s mouth pulls gently upward. “Maybe. But that doesn’t mean I won’t keep an eye on you.”
Five minutes later, I sit on Mariah’s couch, a steaming mug of coffee in my hands, watching Stefan pace the living room. Airborne tension still fills the room, even as it fades with each passing moment.
Mariah remains in the armchair while her eyes travel between her brother and me. She takes a deep breath, clearly steeling herself for what’s to come. “Okay, let’s talk this out. Like adults.”
Stefan halts his pacing just to lock a fierce look onto me. “Fine. Let’s start with why you thought it was okay to drag my sister into your corporate espionage games.”
I wince internally, but I meet his gaze head-on. “It wasn’t my finest moment,” I admit, my voice steady. “I was desperate and short-sighted. But Mariah . . . she changed everything.”
Mariah extends her hand, which settles on my arm. The straightforward movement delivers inner strength to me. I continue, “She showed me what real integrity looks like. Mariah inspired me to improve myself.”
The edges of Stefan’s face relax in a barely noticeable manner. He begins to sink deeper into the chair facing us, his coffee remaining untouched. “And the danger she was in? The attempt on her life?”
A wave of protectiveness mixes with guilt inside me. “That was the worst moment of my life,” I say quietly. “Realizing I’d put her in harm’s way . . . I’ll never forgive myself for that.”
“But Reuben saved me,” Mariah interjects, her voice firm. “He risked everything to protect me.”
Stefan’s gaze fills with thought, and he nods slowly. “I heard about that. It was impressive.”
Since his arrival, I have never experienced a small ray of hope within me.
“Stefan,” I say, leaning forward, “I know I’ve made mistakes, but I love your sister.
I love your sister more than anyone else I’ve ever loved.
I want to dedicate my entire future to ensuring her safety and making her happy. ”
Everyone stops talking, and my words echo through the room. Stefan examines me carefully, and I make myself remain exposed and defenseless. No more masks, no more pretenses.
Stefan releases a breath while a tongue-in-cheek grin pulls at the edges of his mouth. “When we were kids, I always told Mariah she deserved a prince.”
Mariah laughs softly. “I remember. Every boy who takes a second look flees from me.”
With laughter in his voice, Stefan shakes his head in disbelief. “Yeah, well . . . I never thought she’d end up with a billionaire CEO with a double life.”
A smile begins to bloom across my face. “If it helps, I’m retiring the double life. Just plain old Reuben from now on.”
“Plain old Reuben, huh?” Stefan raises an eyebrow. “Somehow, I doubt there’s anything plain about you, Crowley.”
At that moment, the three of us laugh together, breaking the tension.
I feel more relaxed as the conversation begins to flow naturally.
We each share cherished memories from our youth, laughing as we reminisce.
Stefan keeps recounting embarrassing teenage stories about Mariah, and I listen intently to every word.
I start to realize that this relaxed feeling I have right now is what normal life feels like when hours slip by. I spend time with family in our living room, sharing laughs while drinking coffee. The scene lacks business conspiracies and extreme danger—it’s just . . . life.
Stefan rises to his feet as the sunset spills warm light through the windows.
“I should get going,” he says, stretching and turning to face me, his expression serious yet free of hostility.
“Reuben, I can’t say I’m entirely comfortable with this.
But . . . I understand now how joyful my sister feels because of you. Just don’t mess it up, okay?”
I rise to my feet, nodding as I extend my hand. “I won’t. You have my word.”
As Mariah walks Stefan to the door, I hear him murmur, “He’s not so bad, I guess. For a billionaire.”
Her laughter reaches me from a distance, warming me inside. When she returns, she wraps her arms around my waist, looking up at me with a smile. “That went better than expected, don’t you think?”
I draw her closer while placing a kiss on her forehead. “Much better. He seemed to want to kill me, but only a minor part of his intention.”
She laughs, filling my heart with complete happiness. “Give it time. He’ll come around completely eventually.”
As we stand there, wrapped in each other’s arms in the fading light of day, I feel a sense of peace I’ve never known.
The last time I was living my dual roles as Reuben Crowley, the CEO, and Reuben Hope, the firefighter, feels like a distant memory.
Now, I am simply Reuben—a man who loves deeply with an open future ahead.
It’s unfamiliar territory, this normalcy. But as I look down at Mariah, seeing the love shining in her eyes, I know it’s exactly where I want to be. For the first time in my entire life, this is the version of myself I have always wanted to become, and I’m never letting it go.