Chapter 208

~ Franklin ~

I’d been planning this for some days now. I was nervous , but grandpa had been reassuring me. He told me she loves me and everything is going to go well. Yet I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I could not wait for my leg to heal completely. It was making me useless.

The thing about having a bum leg is that it limits your mobility, makes you think twice before doing grand gestures. But you know what? That worked in my favor.

Because I realized the best moments don’t need fancy locations or elaborate setups. They need authenticity. They need home.

And that’s why I was doing this here. In our home, where she truly belongs.

I’d kept it simple. Candles on the side tables, their soft glow filling the room with warm light. Her favorite flowers, orchid and sunflowers. Just enough to feel special, she is more than special anyways. Octavia hated when things felt like a show. She wanted real. And this was as real as it got.

My leg was throbbing, but I’d learned to work through it with the support stick. Olga and co had helped me arrange. They had left us to our little moment tonight. Tonight was about her. Tonight was about asking her to be mine, properly, the way I should have from the beginning.

I could hear her car. She was back. My heart started pounding more.

She started calling out. Everywhere was dark. walked into the living room. I was standing there, nervous as hell, with my hand in my pocket where the ring was hidden.

When I saw that her voice was already getting uneasy, I flicked the light on. I wanted to surprise her, not scare her.

"Franklin," she said slowly, her eyes moving from the flowers to my face. "What’s going on?"

"Come with me," I said, and I was proud that my voice sounded steady even though my heart was hammering in my chest like it was trying to escape.

I could not stop looking at her. She is my entire world. Even with the tiredness, she still looks flawless.

I took her hand, and even that simple gesture felt monumental.

"Octavia," I started, then stopped. Tried again. "I’m not good at speeches. You know that. I mess things up more often than I get them right. But this... this I need to get right."

She was watching me with those eyes that could see right through me, and I felt exposed in the best way possible.

I sat on the couch, that was the best I could do as I could not kneel, but I wanted to create a concept that it made me look like I was kneeling.

She deserves the whole world.

"We got married because of a contract," I continued. "Because of Dorian and because of circumstances that forced us together. But somewhere along the way, it stopped being about the contract. It became about you. About us. And I don’t want to spend another day pretending this is anything less than the most real thing in my life."

I pulled out the ring, simple, elegant, exactly like her, and watched her eyes go wide.

"I’m asking you properly now. Not because of a deal or a business arrangement. But because I love you. I want to do it in the right way. Because I can’t imagine my life without you. Octavia, will you marry me? Will you walk through this new phase of life with me?"

For a moment, she didn’t say anything. And my heart nearly stopped.

The next thing I know, she was pulling me up. She was kissing me, and her tears were mixing with mine, and she was saying yes over and over again between kisses.

"Yes," she was saying. "Yes, Franklin. Yes. I love you."

"I love you Octavia, I will spend my last breath loving you."

I slipped the ring onto her finger, and she held her hand up to the candlelight, watching the diamond sparkle. When she looked back at me, her smile was radiant.

Can we be in this joyful moment forever? I did not want to let go of her.

"I have something for you too," she said suddenly, that nervous excitement creeping into her voice.

"You do?" I asked, still holding her close, not wanting to let go.

"You would not have imagined."

Now I was curious, what was it?

"What is it?" I asked, still holding her close, not wanting to let go.

"Miranda offered me the position," Octavia said, and I could hear the barely contained excitement in her voice. "The Lead Developer position."

I pulled back to look at her properly. "What? Octavia, that’s incredible!"

"I have to complete a project and present it to the board," she continued, her words tumbling out faster now. "But Franklin, it’s everything I’ve been working toward. It’s the opportunity I’ve always wanted."

Without thinking, I grabbed her hand and twirled her around, careful to keep my balance with my support stick. She laughed, the sound filling our home with pure joy.

"You’ve always deserved this," I said, pulling her back against me. "You know that, right? You deserve everything good that comes your way."

"Thank you," she said, her forehead resting against mine. "For believing in me."

"Always," I promised.

And then an idea hit me. A very good idea.

"You know what would be a good way to celebrate?" I said, my voice taking on that teasing tone that always made her blush.

"Franklin," she said, a warning in her voice, but she was already smiling. She knew what I meant and the boner was not doing anything to hide it.

I crave her, all of her. I want to feel every inch of her.

"A bedroom celebration," I continued, watching the color rise in her cheeks. "Just you and me. To properly commemorate this incredible achievement. I am sure you think so too. Don’t you baby?" I teased her more.

I could already see her clenching her thighs together.

Then I attacked her with kisses.