She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 969

Swain's grand gesture was scheduled for Friday evening.

He picked the open plaza in the art district and started setting up at three in the afternoon. A small army of friends from the studio helped him—stringing up fairy lights, arranging flowers, and testing the sound system.

Swain stood on the top step of the plaza, clutching a massive bouquet of white roses. He wore a crisp navy button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. The wind tousled his hair, but he didn't care. A huge, irrepressible grin was plastered across his face, radiating straight from his chest.

Someone clapped him on the shoulder, asking if he was nervous. Swain laughed and said no, but his hands were shaking so badly the paper wrapping around the roses rustled continuously.

Swain had actually invited Morris. Morris hadn't given him a straight answer, but as the sun began to set, he found himself walking toward the plaza like a man possessed.

Helena arrived at six. She had no idea what was going on. Swain had casually mentioned, "A few of us are grabbing drinks later, you should come," so she assumed it was just a casual after-work thing.

She showed up in a simple, oversized white sweater, her hair falling loose over her shoulders, her face entirely devoid of makeup. She looked exactly like someone who had just crawled out of a grueling studio session.

But when she stepped into the plaza and saw the sea of lights, she froze. Standing at the top of the steps was Swain, holding the white roses, the wind tugging at his collar. His eyes were impossibly bright.

The sight made Helena's heart violently skip a beat.

"What is all this...?"

The crowd hushed. Then the cheering started. People whistled, clapped, and yelled, "Come on, Swain! Spit it out!"

Standing in the center of the lights and the crowd, Swain took a deep, shaky breath.

"Helena," he said, his voice earnest and loud enough for everyone to hear. "I know we haven't known each other that long. And I know I'm just a lighting tech. I know I'm not on your level. You're a genius. The music you write is incredible, and when you play the piano, you look like royalty I have no business talking to."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. "But I want to try. I want to be the guy who stands beside you. If I don't do this, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. I want to offer you everything I have."

Helena stood at the bottom of the steps, staring up at him. Her hands gripped the strap of her tote bag so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Swain walked down the steps, stopping right in front of her. He held out the white roses, his voice dropping into a hoarse whisper. "You don't have to answer me right now. You can take all the time you need, and if you say no, I'll understand. But I just needed you to know that you are the most amazing, hardworking woman I have ever met. In my eyes, you outshine everyone else."

Helena stared at the roses. She reached out, then hesitated. It felt like standing on the edge of a cliff, about to make the heaviest decision of her life.

From the crowd, a voice yelled, "Say yes!"

Another chimed in, "Look at the poor guy, he's shaking!"

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