[BL] A Marriage Ruled by Family, Saved by Desire-Chapter 60: My Husband’s Dangerous Surprise

~Alistair’s POV~

Finally, the mask broke, and Alex let out a small, genuine smile. We started throwing my things back into the bags.

Once my clothes were packed, Alex rolled the luggage out to the living room, where our driver was already waiting to load it into the car.

But just as we were about to leave, my mother raised a hand, signaling for us to sit.

It was clear she wasn’t going to let us go without sharing one final piece of motherly wisdom.

We sat across from her. Her gaze settled on me, steady and focused. She drew in a slow breath before speaking.

"Alistair," she began, looking directly at me, "I was the one who called Alexander."

She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in before continuing.

"We discuss a lot," she said gently. "I told him I understood his mother’s situation, and I shared my thoughts with him about it. I just hope the two of you can find a way to work through this together."

She reached forward and gently took both of our hands in hers.

"Marriage isn’t about proving who is right," she said softly. "It’s about patience. Both of you stumbled, but you have to be the ones who help each other back up."

Her gaze moved between us before she went on.

"Go home, sit down together, and truly talk things through. No more running away."

A wave of gratitude washed over me.

"Thank you, Mom," I murmured.

Alex bowed his head respectfully, thanking her for stepping in. Then we rose from our seats and walked out to the waiting car.

As we settled into the plush back seat and the driver pulled away from the curb, I leaned into Alex’s side. "Baby," I murmured, "where are we going?"

"We’re going home, honey," he said, his voice calm.

"What about tomorrow?" I pressed, thinking of the grand anniversary plans we usually had. "What’s the plan?"

"The plan is to stay home," Alex said, looking out the window as the city lights blurred past. "I just want to spend the day with you. No distractions."

"So... no reservations? No big arrangements?" I asked, a small part of me feeling a twinge of disappointment despite everything.

Alex turned to me, his gaze steady and thoughtful.

"Honestly," he said, "neither of us deserves a celebration right now. We haven’t earned it. What we need is to go home and focus on us."

He paused for a moment, studying my face.

"We need to repair the foundation first before we start worrying about decorations."

His eyes searched mine.

"What do you think?"

I knew he was right, but I couldn’t resist pressing him a little more.

"Seven years, baby," I murmured, looking up at him. "Did you really not plan any gift for me?"

Alex let out a quiet sigh, his expression softening though his resolve remained firm.

"No, baby," he said gently. "There’s been too much going on, and there simply wasn’t enough time to prepare anything worthy of the day."

"Not even a little thing?" I pushed, my voice trailing off.

"Nothing," he said simply.

"But it’s seven years," I reminded him, the weight of the milestone hanging in the air.

"We still have many years ahead of us to celebrate," he said, reaching out to gently tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"I really did plan to celebrate it the way we always do," he said softly. "But with everything falling apart around us, time slipped away before I could prepare anything the way I wanted."

I looked deep into his eyes, searching for the one thing that actually mattered. "Do you still love me?"

"Yes, baby," he answered without a second of hesitation. "Always."

"And you’re still not getting me anything?" I murmured, though my heart was pounding.

The car continued moving as we talked, the driver keeping his eyes fixed on the road.

Alex turned his full attention to me, his expression growing serious.

"Babe, think about it for a moment," he said. "Do you want a fancy dinner and a big, empty celebration... or do you want us to work on our marriage? Which one do we really need right now?"

I went quiet.

He was right. A fancy dinner wouldn’t fix the fact that we had almost lost each other. It would only be a beautiful mask over a wound that was still bleeding. Even though a small part of me had wanted that fairy-tale moment, something that would prove everything between us was magically okay again.

But deep down, I knew that wasn’t what we truly needed.

I nodded slowly and squeezed his hand.

"It’s okay, baby," I said softly, resting my head against his shoulder. "As long as you’re with me, that’s all I need."

Alex pressed a gentle kiss to the top of my head.

"That’s my baby," he murmured. "And you’re all I need too."

He pulled out his phone, his thumb sliding across the screen.

"Since we’re not having a big celebration," he added, "let’s at least stay at a five-star hotel tonight. Just the two of us."

"It’s okay, baby. Let’s go home," I suggested, craving the comfort of our own bed.

But Alex insisted, his voice carrying a quiet apology for not planning anything for our anniversary. I didn’t want to argue. The peace between us was still fragile, too precious to risk over something as small as where we spent the night.

So I simply nodded.

Alex made a reservation at one of the city’s most exclusive five-star hotels.

After confirming the booking, he leaned forward and spoke to the driver. Moments later, the car smoothly changed direction, heading toward the hotel.

When we arrived, the towering glass building glowed against the night sky. Alex dismissed the driver, telling him he’d call him tomorrow.

"Babe, what about my bags?" I asked, looking at the trunk.

"Leave them," Alex said simply. "We won’t need them."

I followed him into the lobby, where the staff greeted us with polished smiles and quiet professionalism that felt almost rehearsed. I was too exhausted to think much about it.

We stepped into the elevator together. The silence between us carried a strange, nervous energy that neither of us tried to break.

When we reached the suite floor, an attendant handed Alex the key card.

Alex swiped it, and the door clicked open.

We stepped into the dark room. He slid the card into the power slot by the wall, and the suite slowly came to life as the lights flickered on.

As the lights slowly came to life, my breath caught in my throat.

I barely had time to take in the room before I turned and threw my arms around his neck, hugging him with all the strength I had.

I hadn’t been expecting this.

The entire suite had been transformed into a breathtaking sanctuary.

Thousands of rose petals were scattered across the floor, while the warm glow of dozens of candles bathed the room in soft golden light.

At the center stood a massive arrangement of fresh flowers, elegant and overflowing with color.

Near the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, large shimmering balloons spelled out HAPPY 7TH ANNIVERSARY, swaying gently in the soft air of the room.

Alex pulled back just enough to pick up a stunning bouquet of mixed lilies and roses from the nearby table.

"Happy anniversary, baby," he whispered in my ear before pressing a soft kiss there.

"Happy Anniversary, love." I took the bouquet, the sweet fragrance rising around me, and pulled him into a deep, desperate kiss.

"I thought you said you didn’t plan anything!" I said, half laughing and half on the verge of tears.

"Do you like it?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with playful triumph.

I nodded quickly. "I love it, baby... thank you."

Then I finally took a proper look around the room. It wasn’t just the flowers. Spread across the bed and the lounge area were several elegant gift boxes.

Inside them were things I had casually mentioned months ago, a new watch I had admired, designer silk robes, and a velvet-lined box that was a little more daring.

Curious, I walked over and opened it. My cheeks flushed immediately when I saw what was inside: a collection of luxurious oils and intimate toys, a quiet promise that the night ahead would be long and completely devoted to us.

A slow, playful smile spread across my face. I felt a pang of guilt knowing I hadn’t prepared a single gift for him, yet here he was, having planned a masterpiece of a surprise.

I wasn’t going to let his efforts go to waste.

I kicked off my shoes, letting them thud softly onto the carpet, and began to move.

With deliberate grace, I climbed onto the edge of the wide mattress.

My gaze never left his as I slowly began to undress, each movement unhurried and deliberately tempting.

One piece of clothing after another slipped from my body, landing in a quiet pile on the floor, until I stood completely bare beneath the warm glow of the candlelight.

Alex stood at the foot of the bed, his breath catching as he watched me.

He walked toward me with a predatory grace, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Baby, that was quick," he murmured, his voice dropping an octave. "You didn’t even check the rest of your gift and—"

I didn’t let him finish.

I reached into the velvet box and pulled out the bottle of massage oil, followed by the sleek, weighted glass plug and the soft leather restraints.

I set them meaningfully on the silk sheets, the metallic clink of the buckles sounding loud in the quiet room.

"I love this gift more than the others," I murmured, my voice thick with heat. "Come on, Daddy... come serve your husband."