The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) novel Chapter 451

Chapter 198: A Promise Worth the War-2

She leaned forward, her gaze catching his, refusing to let him retreat into his thoughts.

“So, how about something different this time? Forget the guest lists and the press. Go somewhere nice and quiet, just you and Maya. Somewhere the world can’t find you.”

Damien stayed silent for a long moment, the idea of quiet seemingly more radical to him than any business merger he’d ever overseen. The thought of a birthday without a suit, a handshake, or a hidden agenda was a foreign concept.

But then, he thought of Maya-and the way her laughter sounded when they were truly alone, stripped of the city’s prying eyes.

His mind drifted back to Isla Aurelia, to those few days in the secluded cabin tucked away on the

far side of the resort. No noise, no staff, no legacy. Just the two of them.

He could almost feel the humid salt air against his skin and the heavy, sacred stillness of that sanctuary. It was there they had officially become a couple; it was in that private, intimate space where they had truly merged as one. It had been raw-raw emotion, raw vulnerability. He had let the world fall away, and he found that he liked the stripped-back version of himself he found in her arms.

During those days, he hadn’t been a Blackwood. He had just been him. He felt a peace he hadn’t known since childhood, a relaxation that went deeper than sleep. And above all, he felt love.

He knew right then, in the quiet of that cabin, that Maya was the only woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. With her, he was finally at peace. She wasn’t just his partner; she was his happiness. She was his home.

It wasn’t just a vacation-it was the only time he felt like a man, rather than a monument.

A ghost of a smile touched his lips, genuine and private. “Quiet,” he repeated softly, as if testing the weight of the word. “I think I could get used to that.”

Damien took another sip and set the cup down, the clink of porcelain echoing in the morning air.

He leaned back, his eyes distant as he looked toward the horizon.

“When we were at Isla Aurelia, I asked her to marry me,” he admitted, his voice dropping to a low, rough edge. “But she refused. It scared her-my world, my life, the shadows that come with being a Blackwood. She couldn’t see a lifewith me that didn’t end in the dark.”

He paused, the memory of that rejection still sharp. “She left that night. It was Harper who finally got through to her, who made her see things differently. But later, she prepared something for us.

We talked-truly talked-and that’s when she gave me a sketch.”

A genuine smile touched his lips, one filled with more reverence than he usually allowed.

“She had drawn it when she was still very young, visualizing exactly how she wanted her ring to look. She didn’t give it to me as a demand for a diamond. She gave it to me as an act of trust- sharing a part of herself she’d never shown anyone else. She told me that when the timing was better, I could ask her again.”

“Jamie!” Dahlia said, her surprise quickly melting into a warm smile. “Why are you up so early?” NN Jamie stepped forward, shyly scratching the back of his head, a boyish awkwardness clinging to him despite the gravity of the morning. “I, uh… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I woke up to use the bathroom and couldn’t get back to sleep, so… I figured I’d come down for a walk. Get some fresh air.”

Damien’s expression shifted, the intensity of his talk about the ring softening into a quiet concern. Is Maya awake?”

“Oh no, not yet,” Jamie said, shaking his head. “She’s sleeping like a baby. Honestly, she looked so peaceful… I can’t remember the last time I saw her like that. I made sure to stay quiet so I didn’t wake her.”

A look of profound relief crossed Damien’s face.

Dahlia reached out, gesturing to an empty chair. “Oh, you silly boy. Don’t just stand there. Come, join us and have some hot cocoa.”

Jamie bowed once in acknowledgment, a small, respectful gesture that felt heavy with the weight of what he’d just overheard.

He walked closer to the table, but instead of taking a seat, he stopped directly in front of Damien.

Jamie’s chest tightened with nerves, but beneath the shy hesitation, a quiet resolve bloomed- admiration and awe settling over him as he realized just how deeply Damien truly loved Maya, and how fiercely he would protect her, no matter what the future held.

He met Damien’s eyes, heart pounding, and finally whispered, “Damien…”