122 Chapter 125
Chapter 125 – A Celestial Confession, A New Year’s Affirmation
“The main event is only just beginning.”
Damien’s words hung in the air between us. Before I could ask what he meant, the room plunged into darkness. Gasps erupted around us as the restaurant’s lights extinguished, leaving only the faint city glow filtering through the windows.
“Damien?” I whispered, feeling his steady hand on my waist.
“Watch,” he said softly against my ear, turning me toward the windows.
Outside, the sky that had momentarily gone dark after the initial drone show suddenly illuminated again. But this time, the drones formed something different–something deliberate and unmistakable.
They shaped into two figures: a man and a woman. The male figure was kneeling, offering something to the female figure who stood with her hand over her mouth in surprise.
My heart stuttered. The woman’s silhouette had my hairstyle.
“Damien, is that-”
“Our story,” he answered simply.
The drone figures shifted, morphing into a new scene. Now they showed a woman in a hospital bed, connected to tubes, with a man beside her. I recognized it immediately- me donating blood to Julian. The scene changed again, this time showing the same woman being left alone, abandoned, while the man walked away with another figure.
Tears welled in my eyes as I watched my life story unfold in the sky. The next scene showed me standing strong despite my heartbreak. Then another figure appeared, watching from a distance–Damien.
The drone story continued, revealing scene after scene: me rebuilding my life, Damien slowly entering it, offering his hand but not forcing himself into my space. There was the moment we met at Victoria’s restaurant, our time at the gallery, him catching me when I nearly collapsed at my studio.
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Each memory was captured in glowing points of light, visible to the entire city,
“You did all of this?” I whispered, voice trembling. The scale of it was overwhelming- thousands of drones choreographed to tell our personal history.
“I wanted everyone to see what I see,” Damien said quietly. “Your strength. Your resilience. How you gave everything and asked for nothing”
The sky shifted again, this time showing a sequence I recognized from carlier tonight- me standing up to the women in the bathroom, then facing their accusations with dignity.
A murmur rippled through the crowd as people recognized the scene from mere minutes ago. Someone nearby whispered, “How did they program that so quickly?”
I turned to Damien with wide eyes.
“I prepared multiple endings,” he admitted with a small smile. “My team worked with what happened in real–time.”
The final scene materialized in the night sky–the man and woman from the beginning, now standing together as equals, hands joined. Words appeared above them, spelled -out in glittering light:
HAZEL ASHWORTH: A WOMAN OF EXTRAORDINARY WORTH
I covered my mouth with my hand, unable to stop the tears streaming down my face. No one had ever seen me this way–truly seen me, acknowledged my pain and my
journey.
“Oh my god,” I heard Chloe whisper from nearby. “My brother is such a romantic.”
As the message faded, the drones repositioned themselves, forming a massive
countdown: 10…9…8…
Everyone around us began counting down with excitement.
“7…6…5…4…”
Damien turned me to face him, his eyes intense in the dim light.
“3…2…1…”
“HAPPY NEW YEAR!” the crowd erupted.
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The night sky exploded with fireworks, brilliant bursts of color illuminating the cityscape. But I barely noticed them. Damien was leaning down, his lips brushing my cheek tenderly.
“Happy New Year, Hazel,” he whispered against my skin.
Something inside me broke–not painfully, but like ice cracking to release
long–trapped waters. All the barriers I’d built, the fears I’d harbored, the doubts about my worthiness–they crumbled under the weight of his unwavering devotion.
“Why?” I asked, my voice barely audible over the celebration. “Why go to such lengths for me?”
Damien cupped my face, his thumbs gently brushing away my tears. “Because you deserve to be seen, Hazel. Not as someone’s sacrifice, not as someone’s second choice, but as the extraordinary woman you are.”
The restaurant lights gradually returned, revealing the other guests wiping tears or raising champagne glasses. Several people were looking our way, some recording on their phones.
“I hope you don’t mind the public nature of it,” Damien said, a rare hint of uncertainty in his voice. “I wanted to make sure there could be no mistaking my intentions.”
I laughed through my tears. “I think projecting our relationship story across the entire city skyline makes your intentions pretty clear.”
My phone began vibrating in my clutch. Pulling it out, I saw Victoria’s name flashing on
the screen.
“You should probably answer that,” Damien said with a knowing smile.
I pressed accept, holding the phone slightly away from my ear in preparation.
“HAZEL ASHWORTH!” Victoria’s voice exploded through the speaker. “Is that YOUR FACE displayed across half the city right now? Are those DRONES telling your love story? Everyone is posting videos! The internet is BREAKING!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her frantic excitement.
“Yes, it’s me,” I confirmed, my eyes never leaving Damien’s face.
“Is this Sterling’s doing? Are you two finally official? Please tell me you are, because
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this is literally the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen and if you don’t lock this man down after THIS, I swear I’ll-”
“Victoria,” I interrupted gently, my heart suddenly feeling lighter than it had in years. I looked at Damien, at the warmth and certainty in his eyes, and made my decision. “Yes, we’ve confirmed our relationship.”
Victoria’s squeal was so loud that several nearby guests turned to stare.
“I need DETAILS! When are you coming back? I need to see you IMMEDIATELY!”
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I promised, feeling Damien’s arm slide around my waist. “I think I need to enjoy the rest of my evening.”
I ended the call and slipped the phone back into my clutch, then turned fully to face
Damien.
“Confirmed our relationship,” he repeated, his eyes sparkling. “I like the sound of that.”
“Well,” I said, resting my hands against his chest, “you just proclaimed your feelings via the most elaborate light show in history. I think ‘boyfriend‘ is the least of the titles you’ve earned tonight.”
Damien chuckled, pulling me closer. “And what would be the most of those titles?”
I gazed up at him, finally allowing myself to embrace the truth I’d been fighting for too long–that I deserved this happiness, this love, this man who had orchestrated the stars themselves to tell my story.
“That,” I said, standing on tiptoe to brush my lips against his, “is something we’ll have to discover together.”
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