Faux Vows, True Desires novel Chapter 545

"Oh, come on! I make one mistake, and Owen's going to remember it forever," Cecilia sighed, rolling her eyes dramatically. "It's like that one time we went to that male revue, and we didn't even get close to the stage, let alone the dancers."

"Grandpa, you're right. I'll just stick to driving the car Owen gifted me to work," she conceded, smiling over at Mr. Martinez, who looked thoroughly pleased with himself. With his son and grandson's help, he settled into the car, giving Owen a reassuring pat on the hand.

The shared look between Owen and his grandfather said it all, a silent understanding only they could know.

Once the Martinez family had left, Owen turned to Cecilia's parents. "Mom, Dad, I'd like to go over to one of my properties with Cecilia. It's where I usually stay, and I think it'll become our main residence after the wedding. I want her to see if she likes it or if she'd prefer to redecorate."

The villa was opulent, decorated to Owen's taste, but he wanted to ensure his future wife felt at home. "If Cecilia doesn't like it, we'll renovate it. It's going to be our home, after all."

The family’s old homestead would be renovated for the wedding, but Owen didn’t have to worry about that—his family had it covered. All he needed to do was show up and be the most dashing groom for Cecilia.

"Go on, then," her parents encouraged, understanding the couple's need for privacy.

Hudson Yates, Cecilia’s brother, just shrugged. There wasn’t much he could say. They were married again, and this time by choice. All he could do was wish them well and strive to elevate his own status, so Cecilia could stand tall in her new family.

He recalled how their friend Ike had worked tirelessly just so Lucinda wouldn’t be looked down upon by her in-laws. Though now with the support of the Blue family, Lucinda had nothing to fear. But even if she had nothing, the Anderson family would always cherish her as long as Stefan loved her.

The villa was part of the Goldcrest Estates, not far from Diamond Ridge Estates, where Stefan had set up a home. Owen had chosen this location partly because the Goldcrest Estates were developed by the Ikella Group and were a step above in luxury. Also, being close to his old rival Stefan had its perks—keeping tabs on each other and showing off a bit.

Though there were many luxurious homes in Diamond Ridge, Owen’s place in Goldcrest was the crème de la crème. His villa was the largest, with the best views, gardens, pools, and even a private gym. It rivaled the Martinez family estate in grandeur.

Owen always did enjoy the finer things in life.

As they pulled up to the villa's gate, Cecilia looked around, something tugging at her memory. "Owen, have I been here before?"

"You're still calling me Owen? Come on, 'husband' has a nice ring to it," he teased, grinning.

"Mr. Malicious," she shot back with a playful smirk.

Owen feigned offense. "I remember now! You were the guy passed out on my doorstep one night, I thought you were dead! I had to douse you with ice water, and then you caught a cold and practically kidnapped me to nurse you back to health."

"Ah yes, that was right here," she recalled, pointing at the villa. "You played dead to scare me, and it worked! I forgot the emergency number, you devil."

"Mr. Malicious suits you perfectly," she declared, laughing.

"Okay, okay, I was a bit of a scoundrel," Owen admitted, "but I never went too far with you."

Cecilia smiled, acknowledging, "You were the redeemable kind of bad."

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