The Proposal and the Private Weekend
The weekend was quiet, a sharp contrast to the whirlwind of CampusNet scandals, pool party gossip, and Cassandra's scheming.
Lucien had whisked Serena away to a secluded villa on the outskirts of the city. White sands stretched before them, and the waves whispered against the shore as the sun dipped low, painting the sky in shades of gold and rose.
Serena walked barefoot along the edge of the water, letting her hair catch the breeze. "This… this is perfect," she said softly.
Lucien watched her from a few steps behind, heart hammering. "Not nearly as perfect as you," he murmured.
The Surprise
That evening, after a quiet dinner on the terrace, Lucien led Serena inside. Candles glowed softly around the room. Soft music played—a playlist he'd curated for months, songs he knew she loved.
She froze at the sight of a small wooden box on the table.
"Lucien… what is this?" she asked, curiosity and apprehension mixing.
He took her hands in his. "Serena Blake… we've been through a lot. Rumors, jealous people, all the chaos… But through it all, there's one thing I've known for a very long time."
Her heart skipped. She didn't need him to finish the sentence, yet she waited, breath held.
He knelt.
Time seemed to slow.
"Since we were seven, I promised you this," he said, eyes locked on hers. "I promised I'd come back for you. And now… I want to make it official, forever."
Lucien opened the box to reveal a delicate platinum ring, a single diamond catching the candlelight.
"Serena Blake," he said, voice low and steady, "will you marry me?"
Tears pricked her eyes. She blinked, overwhelmed. "Lucien… yes," she whispered, her voice catching.
He slid the ring onto her finger, capturing her hand in both of his. Then, gently, he lifted her face and kissed her—soft, reverent, yet full of the passion that had simmered between them for years.
The Weekend
The next two days were theirs alone.
They walked along the shore hand in hand, collecting seashells and laughing when Lucien tried to balance Serena on his back, only to almost tumble into the water.
They cooked together in the villa kitchen, Serena playfully smearing sauce on his cheek as he kissed her gently in retaliation.
Lucien never left her side. He poured her wine, brushed a stray hair behind her ear, and made sure she never had to lift a finger for anything she didn't want to.
Serena noticed it all—the attentiveness, the patience, the small ways he showed he'd been waiting for this moment just as long as she had.
One afternoon, while they lounged in the sun on the veranda, Lucien brushed a thumb across the back of her hand. "You're mine," he said softly, voice filled with quiet possession.
She smiled, heart swelling. "And you're mine," she replied, leaning her head on his shoulder.
A Night of Stars and Promises
On their final night, they lay on a blanket beneath the stars, waves lapping at the shore. Serena traced patterns across Lucien's chest with her finger.
"Do you ever regret leaving?" she asked quietly.
Lucien shook his head. "No. Every mistake brought me back to you. And now… I won't ever let you go."
She smiled, tears of happiness in her eyes. "I don't think I've ever been this happy."
"Good," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "Because this is just the beginning."
And as the stars glimmered above them, the ocean whispering their secret, Serena realized something: despite all the chaos, all the jealous rivals, all the gossip and speculation, this moment—this private, perfect, just-the-two-of-us moment—was theirs forever.