When I woke up the next morning, the side of the bed beside me was already empty and warm. Seraphina had already risen to take care of household matters.
I took a refreshing shower, styled my hair to perfection, and dressed in a tailored suit paired with my diamond-studded watch and handcrafted leather shoes. Adding a few Mists of the most exclusive cologne from my collection, I headed downstairs to the dining room.
Seraphina and her father, Mr. Lin, were sitting together, enjoying a quiet breakfast.
Walking over, I leaned down and pressed a loving kiss to her cheek. "I’m heading out a bit early today, love. Take good care of yourself and your father. I have a busy schedule tonight, so I might not make it back until tomorrow."
Seraphina looked up with a warm, knowing smile. "Don’t worry about us, Julian. Go take care of your business."
Leaving the main villa, I walked into the private garage. Looking over the collection, I couldn’t help but admire Seraphina’s taste. She had realized that owning only three vehicles wasn’t fitting for a multi-billionaire of my status, so she had recently expanded our luxury garage with four exceptional custom vehicles:
The Pegasus Wing 3: A custom-built hypercar equipped with a twin-turbo engine engineered to race like the wind.The L-Cross Classic: A custom two-seater sports vehicle featuring modern performance mechanics inside a timeless vintage body.The Aurelius Executive Custom: An ultra-exclusive executive sedan, one of only 100 produced globally.The Pegasus N4: A sleek, matte-black aerodynamic supercar fitted with high-end leather interior and custom performance tuning.
Adding these to my Aurelius Z3, Seraphina’s sports car, and my Valence & Co. executive SUV, my private fleet now stood at seven world-class vehicles.
Selecting the key for the Pegasus Wing 3, I backed the hypercar out of the estate and drove straight toward the Carter family estate.
As I pulled up to the main gate, I saw Clara stepping toward her corporate sedan. I gave the horn a light tap, catching her attention. She paused, looking at the hypercar in surprise, before walking over to the driver’s side window.
"Julian?" she asked, adjusting her coat. "What are you doing outside my house this early in the morning?"
"Get in," I smiled, leaning across the passenger seat to push the gull-wing door open. "I have a surprise for you."
"A surprise?" she raised an eyebrow. "Julian, I can’t just get in. I’m going to be late for the board meeting at Cosmos Group."
"Don’t worry," I chuckled. "I’ve already approved your two-day executive leave."
Clara stared at me in shock. "Two days?! Are we going somewhere far?"
"Not too far, but far enough that we’ll be staying overnight," I explained. "Get in."
"Julian, I really shouldn’t—"
"I’ve already personally notified the executive team at Cosmos Group, and I spoke directly with your father, Mr. Carter, as well," I reassured her smoothly. "Everything is taken care of."
Reluctantly, a small smile broke across her lips as she slid into the leather passenger seat.
As I pulled onto the main highway fifteen minutes later, Clara looked over at me curiosity-filled eyes. "Is Seraphina meeting us there later?"
"No, she isn’t," I answered calmly, keeping my eyes on the road. "Like I said, this surprise is entirely for you. And don’t worry—Seraphina knows everything, including the fact that we might be spending the night out."
Meanwhile, back at Grandview Villa No. 1, Seraphina and Mr. Lin were sitting together in the main tea parlor.
Mr. Lin set his teacup down, looking at his daughter with a worried expression. "Sera... is everything really okay between you and Julian?"
Seraphina was caught off guard by the sudden question. "Of course, Dad! Things between Julian and me have never been better. He treats me like I’m the most important person in the world."
Mr. Lin sighed softly, scratching his chin. "It’s just... I saw him leave alone this morning. He didn’t ask you to go with him, and he even mentioned staying out overnight. I just don’t want you getting hurt."
Seraphina smiled gently, taking her father’s hand. "Dad, please don’t worry about a thing. Julian’s love for me isn’t something that gets shaken by things like this."
Standing up, she added, "I’m going to head up to our room for a second to grab my tablet."
Walking up to the master suite, Seraphina pushed the door open and froze. Resting right on the center of the plush duvet was a neatly folded handwritten note.
Curious, she walked over and picked it up. Opening the parchment, she recognized Julian’s elegant handwriting instantly:
"My dearest Seraphina,
You might be thinking what a terrible jerk I am—planning a grand surprise and confession for Clara, while I never arranged a massive public event like this for you.
The truth is, love, no grand gesture in the world could ever capture how deeply I cherish you or how vital you are to my life. Even if I pulled down the moon and named every star after you, it wouldn’t even begin to match what I feel for you in my heart.
I know very well that such jealous thoughts would never cross your mind, but if there is ever anything your heart desires, simply say the word, and I will move heaven and earth to make it happen.
Forever yours,
Julian"
Reading the final line, a radiant, tearful smile broke across Seraphina’s face. A soft tear of absolute happiness slipped down her cheek. Bringing the note to her lips, she pressed a soft kiss against his signature before carefully placing it inside her private jewelry vault.
Meanwhile, on the scenic highway leading out of Metro City, Clara sat in the passenger seat of the Pegasus Wing 3, looking out the window with growing anticipation.
After another fifteen minutes of driving, I pulled off the main highway onto a secluded, cobblestone driveway that wound through a lush canopy of ancient pine trees, bringing us to a halt in front of a majestic woodland resort.
Surrounded by emerald green forests, natural hot springs, and serene mountain views, the atmosphere felt entirely disconnected from the noisy city.
I stepped out and walked around to open Clara’s door, extending my hand to her.
She took my hand, stepping out onto the cobblestones and looking around in awe. "I’ve heard about this place... it’s the Eco-Forest Sanctuary Resort, the most exclusive retreat in the province. But... why is it completely empty today?"
"Because I bought out the entire resort for the next two days," I replied casually. "I paid them fifteen times their average peak summer revenue to clear the property."
Clara gasped, looking at me as if I had lost my mind. "Are you crazy?! Booking out this entire estate must have cost at least 100 million Stardollars!"
"To be precise, it was 250 million Stardollars," I corrected with a light smirk. "And every single penny was worth it. Come on, let me show you to the executive suite so we can check in."
"Julian, I didn’t even bring a change of clothes or overnight bag!" she protested softly as we walked into the grand lobby.
"Don’t worry about a thing," I smiled. "Everything you could possibly need has already been prepared in your suite. Go freshen up, put on whatever you like from the wardrobe, and meet me outside your door in half an hour."
We went to our respective luxury suites. While I took a quick shower and changed into a fresh, tailored dinner suit, Clara freshened up in her suite, her mind racing as she wondered what kind of elaborate surprise I had planned.
Exactly thirty minutes later, I walked down the carpeted hallway and stood outside her suite.
The heavy wooden door swung open, and Clara stepped out.
My breath caught in my throat. She wore an exquisite, off-the-shoulder black silk gown that draped over her figure flawlessly, accented by delicate diamond jewelry. Her long hair flowed over her shoulders, making her look absolutely mesmerizing.
I stepped forward, looking into her clear, sparkling eyes. "Are you ready, Miss CEO?"
"I’m starting to get genuinely nervous," she admitted softly, a beautiful blush dusting her cheeks. "What are you hiding, Julian?"
"Close your eyes," I murmured gently, stepping behind her and placing my hands softly over her eyes.
Guiding her down the private garden walkway, I felt her heart beating fast.
"On three," I whispered near her ear. "One... two... three."
I slowly lifted my hands from her eyes.