His Perfect Trap, My Perfect Revenge

Chapter 19

Inside the elegant City Light Hotel in Canada, Chelsea and Alaric sat across from each other at a quiet corner table.

Alaric reached behind him and produced a small, exquisitely wrapped gift box, a soft smile playing on his lips as he handed it to her.

"Chelsea, this is for you. Just a little something to help you recover from today's scare."

She accepted it with a gentle smile, but the moment she lifted the lid, her expression froze.

Nestled inside was a breathtaking necklace—its centerpiece a deep sapphire known as The Mermaid's Heart, a legendary heirloom passed down through generations of his family.

Chelsea knew exactly what this meant.

Slowly, she pushed the box back toward him.

"Alaric, this is too much. I can't accept it."

As she started to pull her hand away, Alaric caught it, his grip warm and steady.

"Chelsea… after all this time, do you still not see how I feel about you?"

His voice was quiet, but there was an unmistakable urgency beneath it.

Chelsea met his gaze—those starlit eyes leaving her at a loss for words.

A month ago, Alaric had brought her back to her family. To spare her parents from worry, she had kept everything that happened a secret—until those photos of her and Alaric surfaced online.

Once her parents saw them, there was no hiding the truth. So, she told them everything.

And that's when she learned the real story.

Magnus had never truly wanted to marry her. Her father had forced his hand, threatening to cut off all support to his family unless he agreed.

But how could her father not see it? Forced love never ends well. It only leaves everyone shattered.

The scandal had brought Alaric to her doorstep, where he reassured her family again and again that the rumors weren't true. Then, with their blessing, he took her away.

And now, here he was, laying everything bare—offering his family's most treasured heirloom like an open confession.

"Chelsea," Alaric murmured, tightening his hold on her hand. "You might not know this, but I've loved you for a very, very long time."

His voice was calm, but the faint tremor gave him away.

"It started back at that party when we were kids."

Chelsea's eyes widened in surprise.

She never imagined his feelings went that far back. Back then, they'd barely exchanged more than a few words.

"There were a lot of kids in my family," he continued, his voice low and earnest. "I was always the one who got the least attention. Never meant to be the heir. My mom had just passed from cancer, and my grandfather was ready to ship me off to the countryside. I really thought that was it for me. But then you showed up."

"You stood in front of me with a slice of cake and told me not to be sad. That everything was going to be okay. Maybe it didn't mean much to you then, but to me… that moment changed everything. No one had ever cared how I felt. Not once."

"After that, I just wanted to be near you. Closer. So, I worked harder than ever. I fought against everything my family had planned for me. And in the end, I beat them all. I became the heir."

He paused, his gaze locking onto hers. "But just when I was ready to come find you… you'd already fallen for Magnus."