Chapter 129 – Two Proposals, Two Different Answers
Watson-Mariano Mansion
New York
Ash Alvarez had been in the mansion for exactly—
---
Four hours.
---
And somehow—
---
She already fit in perfectly.
---
Which was alarming.
---
Very alarming.
---
Because normal people needed time to adapt.
---
Ash?
---
Ash looked at the chaos.
---
And became part of it.
---
Immediately.
---
Living Room
2:00 PM
---
Everyone was gathered.
---
Talking.
---
Laughing.
---
Arguing.
---
The usual.
---
Ash
Watching.
---
Ash
...
---
Ash
How do you all survive?
---
Percy
We don't.
---
Aera
We're merely existing.
---
JJ
Incorrect.
---
JJ
We're thriving.
---
Percy
You chased me with a slipper yesterday.
---
JJ
And?
---
Percy
...
---
Fair.
---
One Hour Later
Ash had already:
---
Stolen Freya's chips.
---
Teased Rhys.
---
Bullied Alex.
---
Joined JJ's nonsense.
---
And somehow convinced Yuri to smile twice.
---
A new world record.
---
Mica
I like her.
---
Freya
Me too.
---
JJ
She's ours now.
---
Yuri
That's not concerning at all.
---
Then
Dinner
---
The entire mansion gathered.
---
A terrible situation.
---
Because Ash had been observing.
---
Very carefully.
---
And she noticed something.
---
Actually—
---
Everyone had noticed something.
---
But Ash was brave enough to say it.
---
Ash
Looking around.
---
Ash
Can I ask a question?
---
Entire Table
No.
---
Ash
Too late.
---
Percy
We're doomed.
---
Ash
Thank you.
---
She pointed.
---
Toward Care.
---
Then toward Cole.
---
Ash
Why aren't you two married?
---
BOOM.
---
Silence.
---
Absolute silence.
---
Care
CHOKED.
---
Cole
Nearly dropped his coffee.
---
JJ
FELL OFF HER CHAIR.
---
Aera
SCREAMING.
---
Percy
DYING.
---
Rhys
Trying not to laugh.
---
Failed.
---
Keifer
Immediately interested.
---
Ash
What?
---
Freya
YOU CAN'T JUST ASK THAT.
---
Ash
Why not?
---
Freya
...
---
Actually fair.
---
Ash
Care is twenty-six.
---
Care
ASH.
---
Ash
Cole is thirty.
---
Cole
Ash.
---
Ash
You two have been dancing around each other for years.
---
JJ
FACTS.
---
Percy
ABSOLUTE FACTS.
---
Aera
SCIENTIFIC FACTS.
---
Rhys
Peer reviewed.
---
Care
TRAITORS.
---
Meanwhile
---
Cole was suddenly very interested in his coffee.
---
The coffee was not helping.
---
Ash
Seriously though.
---
Ash
Have either of you thought about it?
---
The laughter slowly faded.
---
Because surprisingly—
---
Neither answered immediately.
---
Care
...
---
Cole
...
---
For the first time—
---
It wasn't a joke.
---
It wasn't teasing.
---
It wasn't JJ creating problems.
---
It was a real question.
---
Then
JJ
Immediately leaned forward.
---
JJ
WAIT.
---
Percy
Oh no.
---
JJ
THEY'RE THINKING.
---
SILENCE.
---
Entire Table
...
---
Aera
OH MY GOD THEY'RE THINKING.
---
Keifer
THEY ARE.
---
Rhys
That's new.
---
Care
Can everyone stop yelling?
---
JJ
NO.
---
Ash
Smiling.
---
Because she knew that look.
---
The look people had when an impossible future suddenly didn't seem impossible anymore.
---
Later
Balcony
---
The dinner had ended.
---
The chaos had moved elsewhere.
---
For once—
---
It was quiet.
---
Just Care and Cole.
---
Looking out over New York.
---
The city lights stretching endlessly.
---
Care
...
---
Cole
...
---
Care
Ash is impossible.
---
Cole
Agreed.
---
Care
She's never changing.
---
Cole
Definitely not.
---
A small silence.
---
Comfortable.
---
Easy.
---
Then—
---
Care
Do you ever think about it?
---
Cole looked at her.
---
Cole
Marriage?
---
Care
Yeah.
---
Another pause.
---
The city glowed beneath them.
---
Cole
I used to think I didn't have time.
---
Care
Hmm.
---
Cole
Then I thought I had too many enemies.
---
Care
Also fair.
---
Cole
Then I met someone.
---
Care smiled.
---
Small.
---
Soft.
---
Care
Someone?
---
Cole
Very annoying someone.
---
Care
Rude.
---
Cole
Beautiful though.
---
Care
Better.
---
They laughed.
---
Then—
---
Cole
If it's with the right person...
---
His voice softened.
---
Cole
Yeah.
---
Care
...
---
For some reason—
---
Her heart skipped.
---
Because it wasn't a joke anymore.
---
Not really.
---
For years—
---
The future had always been uncertain.
---
Hospitals.
---
Companies.
---
Enemies.
---
Loss.
---
Everything.
---
But for the first time—
---
There was something else.
---
A possibility.
---
A future they could actually see.
---
Together.
---
Care
You know.
---
Cole
Hmm?
---
Care
You'd make a good husband.
---
Silence.
---
Cole
...
---
Care
...
---
Cole
That might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me.
---
Care
Don't get used to it.
---
Cole
Too late.
---
And somewhere inside the mansion—
---
JJ was probably already planning a wedding.
---
Without permission.
---
From anyone.
---
Especially the bride and groom.
---
Two Weeks Later
New York
The mansion had a problem.
---
A very serious problem.
---
For once—
---
The problem wasn't JJ.
---
Or Percy.
---
Or Aera.
---
The problem was—
---
Cole Watson was nervous.
---
Which was horrifying.
---
Because Cole Watson didn't get nervous.
---
Not during negotiations.
---
Not during corporate wars.
---
Not while facing dangerous people.
---
Not even when JJ accidentally set off the fire alarms.
---
But this?
---
This was different.
---
Because this mattered.
---
Secret Meeting
Midnight
---
The mansion kitchen.
---
Cole
Looking serious.
---
Keifer
Looking suspicious.
---
JJ
Looking excited.
---
A terrible combination.
---
Cole
"I need help."
---
Silence.
---
Keifer
...
---
JJ
...
---
Keifer
Did he just—
---
JJ
ASK FOR HELP?
---
Cole
I regret this already.
---
JJ
NO TAKE-BACKS.
---
Keifer
Too late.
---
JJ
What do you need?
---
Cole hesitated.
---
Which immediately told them everything.
---
JJ
...
---
Keifer
...
---
JJ
OH MY GOD.
---
Keifer
OH MY GOD.
---
Cole
Keep your voices down.
---
JJ
YOU'RE GOING TO PROPOSE?!
---
Cole
Jasper.
---
JJ
YOU'RE GOING TO PROPOSE.
---
Keifer
Brother.
---
Cole
...
---
Keifer
Finally.
---
The Planning
For the next two weeks—
---
A secret operation began.
---
And somehow—
---
The two least trustworthy people became responsible for it.
---
JJ and Keifer.
---
God help everyone.
---
Cliffside Estate
Upstate New York
---
A private property owned by C2W.
---
Hidden from the city.
---
Overlooking the ocean.
---
Massive cliffs.
---
Open skies.
---
Endless horizon.
---
And the most beautiful sunsets imaginable.
---
Cole
The first time he saw it—
---
He knew.
---
This was the place.
---
Meanwhile
JJ and Keifer
Were creating chaos.
---
Secret chaos.
---
Helpful chaos.
---
JJ
Carrying flowers.
---
Keifer
Carrying decorations.
---
JJ
"We're literally helping someone get engaged."
---
Keifer
"We're getting old."
---
JJ
"Shut up."
---
Keifer
"We're becoming responsible."
---
JJ
"That's disgusting."
---
Keifer
"Agreed."
---
Sunset Day
5:32 PM
---
The sky was turning gold.
---
Orange.
---
Pink.
---
Purple.
---
The ocean below reflected every color.
---
The wind was gentle.
---
Everything was perfect.
---
Almost too perfect.
---
Hidden Behind Trees
---
JJ
Peeking.
---
Keifer
Holding her hoodie.
---
JJ
"I want to see."
---
Keifer
"No."
---
JJ
"I helped."
---
Keifer
"You'll ruin it."
---
JJ
"Rude."
---
Keifer
"Accurate."
---
The Cliff Edge
---
Care arrived.
---
Confused.
---
Very confused.
---
Care
"Cole?"
---
No answer.
---
Then she saw him.
---
Standing near the edge.
---
The sunset behind him.
---
The ocean stretching endlessly below.
---
For a moment—
---
She forgot to breathe.
---
Because somehow—
---
After everything—
---
After years of knowing him—
---
He still managed to surprise her.
---
Care
"What is all this?"
---
Cole
Smiling.
---
The kind of smile only she got to see.
---
Cole
"Come here."
---
She walked toward him.
---
Slowly.
---
Heart racing.
---
Because suddenly—
---
She knew.
---
Hidden Behind The Trees
---
JJ
GASPED.
---
Keifer
Covered her mouth.
---
Immediately.
---
JJ
MMMMMM.
---
Keifer
Behave.
---
JJ
MMMMMMM.
---
Keifer
Impossible.
---
Back At The Cliff
---
The sun slowly descended.
---
Painting everything gold.
---
Cole took Care's hand.
---
The same hand he'd held countless times.
---
In hospitals.
---
In cars.
---
Through heartbreak.
---
Through victories.
---
Through years.
---
Cole
"You know..."
---
He laughed softly.
---
Cole
"I had speeches prepared."
---
Care
Smiling.
---
Care
"You?"
---
Cole
"I know."
---
Care
"That's terrifying."
---
Cole
"Very."
---
They laughed.
---
Then the laughter faded.
---
And only the ocean remained.
---
Cole
"I spent years thinking I had to protect everyone."
---
Cole
"My family."
---
Cole
"My company."
---
Cole
"The people I cared about."
---
His thumb brushed over her hand.
---
Cole
"But somewhere along the way..."
---
His voice softened.
---
Cole
"You became home."
---
Care froze.
---
Cole
"No matter where I was."
---
Cole
"No matter what happened."
---
Cole
"You were the person I wanted to come back to."
---
Tears appeared immediately.
---
Because this was Cole.
---
The man who rarely said what he felt.
---
The man who carried everything alone.
---
The man who loved fiercely.
---
And now—
---
He wasn't hiding.
---
Not anymore.
---
Cole
"I love you."
---
Cole
"I'll keep loving you when we're thirty."
---
Cole
"When we're forty."
---
Cole
"When we're old and arguing over ridiculous things."
---
Care
Already crying.
---
Cole
"You make every day better."
---
Cole
"And every future I imagine has you in it."
---
Then—
---
He knelt.
---
And the world stopped.
---
Hidden Behind Trees
---
JJ
TEARS.
---
Keifer
TEARS.
---
JJ
I'M CRYING.
---
Keifer
SO AM I.
---
The Cliff Edge
---
The sunset burned across the horizon.
---
Golden light surrounding them.
---
The ocean roaring below.
---
And Cole Watson looked up at the woman he loved.
---
Cole
"Dr. Care Patel."
---
His voice shook slightly.
---
For the first time.
---
Cole
"Will you marry me?"
---
Silence.
---
One heartbeat.
---
Two.
---
Three.
---
Then—
---
Care laughed through tears.
---
The kind of laugh that comes when you're too happy to speak.
---
Care
"You idiot."
---
Cole
...
---
Care
"Of course I will."
---
And somewhere behind the trees—
---
A scream erupted.
---
JJ
"SHE SAID YES!"
---
Silence.
---
Care
...
---
Cole
...
---
Keifer
...
---
JJ
...
---
JJ
Oops.
---
The perfect romantic moment lasted exactly six seconds before JJ Mariano accidentally revealed their hiding spot.
---
As expected.
---
Same Sunset
Sometimes life was funny.
---
Strange.
---
Unpredictable.
---
Beautiful.
---
Because while one proposal was ending with a "yes"—
---
Somewhere else—
---
Another proposal was ending with a different answer.
---
Not because there wasn't love.
---
But because love wasn't always enough for the moment.
---
Manhattan
Riverside Rooftop
---
The sunset here was beautiful too.
---
Orange skies.
---
Golden light.
---
The city glowing below.
---
And standing there—
---
Rhys Kapoor
---
Was absolutely miserable.
---
Alex
"You look nervous."
---
Rhys
"I'm not."
---
Alex
"Liar."
---
Rhys
"Shut up."
---
Lyra
Laughing.
---
Lyra
"He's terrified."
---
Rhys
"I perform trauma surgeries."
---
Alex
"And?"
---
Rhys
"I've held people's hearts in my hands."
---
Lyra
"And?"
---
Rhys
"This is worse."
---
Silence.
---
Alex
Fair.
---
Meanwhile
Aera
Had absolutely no idea.
---
Which was impressive.
---
Because Lyra had almost ruined the surprise seventeen times.
---
And Alex had nearly ruined it six.
---
Later
Sunset
---
Aera arrived.
---
Coffee in hand.
---
Still arguing.
---
As usual.
---
Aera
"Why am I here?"
---
Rhys
"You complain a lot."
---
Aera
"And yet you keep inviting me places."
---
Rhys
Unfortunately.
---
Aera
Rude.
---
Rhys
Truthful.
---
They smiled.
---
The kind of smile people only gave each other after years.
---
Years of friendship.
---
Years of arguments.
---
Years of understanding each other.
---
Then
Aera noticed.
---
The flowers.
---
The lights.
---
The setup.
---
The expression on Rhys's face.
---
And suddenly—
---
She knew.
---
Aera
...
---
Rhys
...
---
Aera
"Oh."
---
For once—
---
No jokes.
---
No teasing.
---
No arguments.
---
Just silence.
---
Rhys
Took a deep breath.
---
Rhys
"I had a speech."
---
Aera
Immediately laughing.
---
Aera
"No you didn't."
---
Rhys
"I did."
---
Aera
"That's horrifying."
---
Rhys
"Agreed."
---
They both laughed.
---
Then the laughter faded.
---
And only honesty remained.
---
Rhys
"I love you."
---
Simple.
---
Direct.
---
Very Rhys.
---
Rhys
"You drive me insane."
---
Aera
"Good."
---
Rhys
"You never listen."
---
Aera
"Also good."
---
Rhys
"You argue with me every day."
---
Aera
"Excellent."
---
Rhys
"And somehow..."
---
A small smile.
---
Rhys
"I don't want a future without you in it."
---
Aera's eyes filled immediately.
---
Because this was Rhys.
---
The man who rarely talked about emotions.
---
The man who showed love through actions.
---
The man who stayed.
---
Always stayed.
---
Rhys
"I love you."
---
Rhys
"And if you'll let me..."
---
Then—
---
He knelt.
---
Silence.
---
The world stopped.
---
Rhys
"Aera Vael."
---
Rhys
"Will you marry me?"
---
Aera
Stopped breathing.
---
Completely.
---
Because this was everything she'd secretly dreamed about.
---
Everything.
---
The man she loved.
---
The future she wanted.
---
The life she could imagine.
---
And yet—
---
Something inside her wasn't ready.
---
Not yet.
---
Not because of him.
---
Never because of him.
---
Because of herself.
---
The years she'd spent running.
---
The fears she still carried.
---
The parts of her that still needed time.
Something needed to be finished before she settled down.
Something big work was still pending.
---
Tears
Immediately.
---
Aera
Crying.
---
Laughing.
---
Crying again.
---
Rhys
Watching quietly.
---
Giving her space.
---
The way he always did.
---
Aera
"I love you."
---
The answer came instantly.
---
Without hesitation.
---
Aera
"I love you so much."
---
Rhys smiled.
---
Small.
---
Soft.
---
Because that part he already knew.
---
Aera
"You are my person."
---
More tears.
---
Aera
"My home."
---
Aera
"My favorite human."
---
Aera
"The man I want beside me."
---
Rhys listened.
---
Carefully.
---
Because he already knew what was coming.
---
Aera
"But..."
---
There it was.
---
The word.
---
The difficult word.
---
Aera
"I'm not ready."
---
Silence.
---
Not painful.
---
Not angry.
---
Just honest.
---
Aera
"I wish I was."
---
Aera
"I really wish I was."
---
Aera
"But I'm not there yet."
---
More tears.
---
Aera
"I don't want to say yes because I'm scared you'll leave."
---
Aera
"And I don't want to say yes because everyone expects me to."
---
Aera
"I want to say yes when I'm ready."
---
Aera
"When I can give you the answer you deserve."
---
A pause.
---
Aera
"So..."
---
Her voice broke.
---
Aera
"Not yet."
---
Silence.
---
The city glowed around them.
---
The sun slowly disappeared.
---
And Rhys simply looked at her.
---
Then—
---
He stood.
---
Closed the distance.
---
And wrapped his arms around her.
---
Immediately.
---
Without hesitation.
---
Aera
Started crying harder.
---
Rhys
"You know."
---
Aera
"What?"
---
Rhys
"I wasn't asking anyone else."
---
Aera laughed through tears.
---
Rhys
"So unfortunately..."
---
Rhys
"I'm still stuck with you."
---
Aera
Idiot.
---
Rhys
Agreed.
---
Then he kissed her forehead.
---
Gentle.
---
Certain.
---
Rhys
"I can wait."
---
And somehow—
---
That made her cry even more.
---
Because she knew he meant it.
---
Later That Night
---
Far away—
---
Care was staring at an engagement ring.
---
Unable to stop smiling.
---
And elsewhere—
---
Aera was holding Rhys's hand.
---
Not engaged.
---
Not yet.
---
But loved.
---
Completely.
---
And sometimes—
---
Love wasn't about the timing being perfect.
---
It was about knowing the person would still be there when the timing finally was.
---
Unknown Location
2:43 AM
New York slept.
---
The city lights shimmered below.
---
Traffic had faded.
---
The night was quiet.
---
But not everywhere.
---
On the roof of a forgotten building—
---
A lone figure sat at the edge.
---
Watching.
---
Waiting.
---
The wind pulled at her dark silhouette.
---
Far below—
---
The city continued living.
---
Unaware.
---
Completely unaware.
---
Of what was coming.
---
The Shadow
Held a phone in her hand.
---
The screen glowed.
---
One missed call.
---
Two.
---
Three.
---
Then—
---
The phone rang again.
---
She closed her eyes.
---
And answered.
---
Immediately—
---
A furious voice exploded through the speaker.
---
Unknown Voice
"Why?"
---
Silence.
---
Unknown Voice
"Why did you request release from active duty?"
---
Still silence.
---
Unknown Voice
"Answer me."
---
The shadow lowered her head.
---
Shadow
"I completed everything."
---
Unknown Voice
"You don't decide when you're finished."
---
Shadow
"I've given years."
---
Unknown Voice
"And you'll give more."
---
The words echoed.
---
Cold.
---
Merciless.
---
Like they always were.
---
A Long Silence
Passed.
---
Then—
---
For the first time—
---
The shadow's voice cracked slightly.
---
Shadow
"I'm tired."
---
The answer came instantly.
---
Unknown Voice
"Tired people don't survive."
---
Silence.
---
Shadow
"..."
---
Unknown Voice
"You belong to us."
---
The city lights blurred in her vision.
---
Not from tears.
---
Just exhaustion.
---
Years of exhaustion.
---
Then
The voice finally spoke again.
---
Calm now.
---
Dangerously calm.
---
Unknown Voice
"There is one final assignment."
---
The shadow froze.
---
One final assignment.
---
The words she'd been waiting years to hear.
---
Shadow
"If I complete it..."
---
Unknown Voice
"You walk away."
---
Shadow
"No more work?"
---
Unknown Voice
"No more work."
---
Shadow
"No more missions?"
---
Unknown Voice
"No more missions."
---
The shadow closed her eyes.
---
A chance.
---
Freedom.
---
Finally.
---
After all these years.
---
Then
The voice spoke the target.
---
And everything changed.
---
Unknown Voice
"Eliminate the target."
---
A file appeared on her screen.
---
Encrypted.
---
Secure.
---
She opened it.
---
The photograph loaded.
---
Slowly.
---
One line.
---
Then another.
---
Then the image.
---
And suddenly—
---
The world stopped.
---
Cole Watson.
---
Silence.
---
Absolute silence.
---
The city disappeared.
---
The wind disappeared.
---
Everything disappeared.
---
Except the face staring back at her from the screen.
---
Unknown Voice
"Kill him."
---
Her hand tightened around the phone.
---
Unknown Voice
"Kill Cole Watson."
---
The voice continued.
---
Unaware.
---
Or perhaps aware.
---
Unknown Voice
"He has become a problem."
---
Unknown Voice
"A threat."
---
Unknown Voice
"A symbol."
---
Unknown Voice
"He dies."
---
Unknown Voice
"And everything falls."
---
The Shadow
Didn't answer.
---
Couldn't.
---
Because for the first time in years—
---
The mission felt impossible.
---
Not difficult.
---
Impossible.
---
Unknown Voice
"You have one week."
---
One week.
---
The same week.
---
The wedding week.
---
Unknown Voice
"Do not fail."
---
The line disconnected.
---
Silence returned.
---
The screen slowly dimmed.
---
Cole Watson's photograph remained.
---
Staring back.
---
Across The City
At that exact moment—
---
In a mansion full of laughter—
---
Care slept peacefully.
---
A wedding ring catalog beside her bed.
---
Cole slept too.
---
Unaware.
---
Completely unaware.
---
That somewhere in the darkness—
---
A final mission had been assigned.
---
And for the first time—
---
The shadow wasn't afraid of failure.
---
She was afraid of success.
---
Because if she obeyed—
---
Someone would die.
---
And if she didn't—
---
Something far worse might come for all of them.
---
Including her.
---
Including everyone she had spent four years watching from the shadows.
---
The game had entered its final stage.
---
And somewhere beyond Kaizer—
---
Beyond every enemy they knew—
---
Someone much larger had finally made their move.
_________🧿🩷
Alert !!! 🚨
Next 2 chapters tomorrow...
The greatest chapters tomorrow
And also the real person who is Ash, in real Life...Her b'day is tmr too...my soul sister...