The Inheritance Clause by Flora Ferrari

Chapter Fourteen

Amelia

There’s something in the air this morning, I can feel it. When I wake up and find that Leo is already gone, I smile to myself. I’m not the insecure person I was a few days ago, scared that he’s gone because he’s leaving me behind. I know better now. I know that he’s up to something, though I’m not entirely sure what.

I decide to keep out of his way, setting up my easel in our bedroom and paint all morning. It feels weird calling it ours. Our bedroom, our space, our happy place. But over the last few days, it’s sunk in that this is going to be our life now. My life now. Of course, Leo will return to work when his grieving period is over, and I’ll have to find some way to fill my time now that I don’t work for him.

But there are constants that we’ll take into the future. The endless love making. The late night talks. The long cuddles in bed each morning before we force ourselves to get up and get on with the day. We’ll always make time for each other because we’re the most important part of each other’s lives. No matter what our future holds, I know we’ll hold each other throughout it all.

I never expected this. I fell in love not long ago, but I never truly expected that it would be reciprocated. Even when I heard about the inheritance clause and I saw a glimmer of hope, I never thought he’d fall for me. I thought I might become a means to an end. But what’s blossomed between us is the kind of love that isn’t seen often. It’s rare, beautiful, and fierce. It’s not fragile, though it’s delicate. Our love could survive a thousand storms.

Speaking of storms, it seems like there’s one coming. I can smell rain in the air coming in through the open window picking toward the side of the house, letting the paint fumes escape. I bet it’ll rain tonight. I smile to myself, wondering if that will affect any of Leo’s plans. I hope it all works out for him.

I get the feeling that today is the day. Today, he’ll propose. He hasn’t got long to make the wedding happen, after all, and I know he doesn’t want to lose the inheritance if he can help it, there are so many jobs on the line not just his fortune. But I know he also insists on making everything special for me. So his disappearance this morning seems important. He already knows I’ll say yes, anyway, but I guess he just wants me to say yes in a special way. I think it’s really sweet. My sexy, commanding, dominating man is spending his day on delicate matters, and it feels nice. It shows me there’s another side to him. And I love every single side of him I’ve seen so far.

It’s midday when there’s a knock at the bedroom door. A smile quirks on my face. Another delivery? The last dress he sent for me was so beautiful and so perfect for me that it feels like he’s going to hit the spot yet again. As I open the door to accept the gift, my breath is taken away.

Several people wait outside for me. One is holding a tray of pink champagne out for me, and another holds a note. But the thing that catches my eye most is the dress the person in the middle is holding.

It’s insane. It’s so incredible that I can’t even comprehend someone coming up with the design. The gown, made of different colored sequin blends seamlessly into one another, there is orange and red, the color of a sunset. It gently blends into darker colors at the bottom, shades of deep red and black. There are so many shades in the dress, and as it swings ever so slightly in the man’s hands, I watch the colors ripple, like a burning flame.

It takes my breath away. I’d never think to wear a dress like that, but I trust Leo. He knows exactly what suits me if the pink dress from a few days ago is anything to go by.

“This dress was custom made for you,” the man tells me as he hands it over to me. “Mr. Harris had it made specially. He said that one day you might need it.”

If I ever had doubts about his feeling this gesture blows them all away. It proves that he did think about me way before the inheritance clause was ever an issue. It proves to the that he always cared. The dress is so incredible that I can’t stop staring at it. I hang it on the closet door to view it in all its glory. As I stare, a glass of champagne and the note are pressed into my hands.

“Enjoy your afternoon,” the staff tell me as they leave the room. I take a sip of champagne, hoping the bubbles might snap me out of my daze, but I’ve never been so shocked. I knew he’d pull something amazing out of the bag, but I didn’t think it would be anything like this.

I spend the afternoon working up the courage to wear the dress, drinking my non-alcoholic champagne, and rereading the note that came with it over and over again. I am supposed to be in the garden at nightfall, according to the note, signed by Leo. I feel nervous, but excited, knowing something incredible is going to happen when I step outside.

I eventually put on the dress and look in the mirror. I’m stunned at the woman staring back at me. I’m used to creating works of art, but right now, I feel like one myself. With smokey eyes and a bold lip, I feel like I’ve walked straight out of a fashion catalog. He’s made me feel like a million bucks, showing me once again how well he knows me. He’s made this night all about me, and I feel so special. Gone is the girl scared of her future, the girl who believed she would never get what she wanted.

This is me now.

And nightfall is nearly here. I put on the black heels that came with the dress and give myself one last look in the mirror. I feel so good that I can’t stop smiling. And then I begin the walk down to the garden, my head held high and my heart soaring. This is it. The moment I’ve been waiting for.

As I’m heading to the garden, I bump straight into Rachel. She looks at me with disgust on her face.

“What the hell are you doing?” she snarls at me. “Who do you think you are, swanning around looking like that? You look ridiculous.”

I smile to myself. I know now that Rachel is nothing but a jealous witch who can’t stand to see me happy. I look her up and down.

“I’m going to meet Leo in the garden. He’s going to ask me to marry him,” I tell her sweetly. “I’m about to have every single one of my dreams come true. And half of yours too.”

I push past her, completely done with her. She might have terrorized me ever since I got here, but she’s on the opposite end of the spectrum from my new life with Leo. She can’t hurt me anymore. Not when I have everything I could ever need.

And as I step into the garden, I can’t help gasping. Because across the garden, a thousand candles are burning for me, lighting the path to where Leo stands, waiting for me. I let out a happy gasp. I can’t believe he’s done something so extravagant for me. There are storm clouds overhead and I know we don’t have long before the heavens open, but I don’t care. All I care about is me and him.

I walk toward him, my heart pounding in my chest. Ahead of me, I see my entire future, because it’s him. It’s always been him. He’s the only one who can give me what I want from life. And now, I know exactly what he’s going to do. He’s going to give me the love I deserve. He’s going to promise himself to me for life.

He’s going to ask me to be his wife.

I stop in front of him, trying to steady my breathing. He smiles at me and I feel a rush of love inside me. This is it. This is the moment.

“You look beautiful,” he says. I stare around me at the thousands of candles surrounding us. They light up the dark and make every sequin on my dress shimmer.

I take his hand in mine.

“You really did all this for me?”

“Of course,” he tells me. “I wanted to do something you’ll never forget. Just like this.”

He drops down on one knee in front of me and I cover my mouth to hide the beaming smile on my face. I gasp even though this is no shock to me. It just escapes from me because I’m on cloud nine, so excited for this moment.

When he shows me the ring, it’s everything I dreamed it would be. A perfect pink diamond, my favorite color in the world. He really does know me inside out. He bought the perfect dress for this day, the perfect ring, and did it all in the perfect location. I love that it’s just me and him here, alone in the garden that will soon be a part of my home. Just us and a thousand candles to light our way to happiness.

“Amelia, from the moment I met you, I knew you were something truly special,” Leo says, voice firm. “I knew that everything had changed. I became a new man. I became the man you need me to be because I’ve been molded specially for you. And now, I’m down on one knee, asking you to take me as I am. To love me and cherish me forever, the way I will you. I’m asking you to be merciful, to save a man from a life of misery by saying yes. I can’t live without you, baby. Ever since I made you mine, you’ve become my kryptonite. Nothing has ever been able to floor me before, but you could do it in an instant if you ever leave me.”

“I never will,” I whisper. “I’ll never leave you behind.”

“I know,” he pauses. “But I want to pledge myself to you. I want to join our lives together forever. I want to share everything with you, everything I’ve ever built here in this place. I want this to be the place where we raise our children, where we share so many happy memories in our future. I know that you can have anyone in the world, but I’m asking you to choose me for the rest of our lives. Amelia, will you marry me?”

“Yes. Of course, I will,” I whisper, a single tear streaming down my cheek. “Of course I will, Leo. I love you so much. I love you so, so much…”

“I love you too,” he says, as he slides the ring onto my finger. And just like that, I feel like my life has become complete. As he stands to kiss me hard, the storm clouds above begin to pour down with rain, soaking us to the bone, but his strong arms protect me from it all. Even as my hair soaks through and my dress clings to me heavily, I feel the strength of his love for me holding me up.

The world around us turns dark as the rain becomes heavier, extinguishing every candle around us, but there’s one flame that the rain can’t put out. As I kiss my fiancé desperately, passionately, my dress still sparkles, keeping our flame alive. I’ve always known that our love can never be dampened, and this moment just proves it further. We kiss for a long time in the rain before he sweeps me off my feet, carrying me back to the house. We’re both a soggy mess, but with his ring on my finger and so much love in my heart, I’ve never been happier. This is the best night of my life, and it’s going to take a lot to top this.

But I know that he’ll manage it somehow. Every day is just going to get better and better with Leo at my side. As we head upstairs to our bed to make love, my heart soars, filled with so much happiness that I could burst.

My dreams have finally all come true.