Ivy had no idea where Xander had brought her, but the moment they stepped inside, he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"I bought this penthouse years ago," he whispered against her ear. "Now that we’re married, how about we spend our wedding night here?"
His words instantly brought a blush to her cheeks.
Their marriage had happened so unexpectedly, but hearing him say those words sent a pleasant shiver through her.
Ivy and Xander had been intimate before, but the thought of finally consummating their marriage as husband and wife filled her heart with excitement.
She lowered her gaze to the hands resting around her waist before taking a slow breath. Turning to face him, she slipped her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes.
"Then show me how much you love me, Xander," she whispered softly. "I want to spend this night with you."
Ivy had fallen hopelessly in love with this man, and giving herself to him felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Xander’s eyes darkened with emotion. Without another word, he captured her lips in a deep, passionate kiss, as though he had been waiting for this moment forever.
His hands slid to her waist before effortlessly lifting her into his arms. Ivy instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her upstairs without breaking the kiss.
She responded just as eagerly, matching every kiss he gave her. Reaching the bedroom, Xander nudged the door open with his foot before walking inside and gently setting her down on the bed.
Ivy’s breathing had become uneven as she watched him pull away for a brief moment. Their eyes remained locked while he shrugged off his jacket.
She sat up and reached for the zipper of her dress, but before she could move any further, Xander closed the distance between them again, capturing her lips in another lingering kiss.
Ivy cupped his face, returning the kiss with the same intensity. Keeping their lips together, Xander shifted their positions until she was sitting comfortably on his lap.
His hands traced gentle circles across her bare back while he savored every kiss, making her heart race.
"You have no idea what you do to me, Ivy," he murmured, resting his forehead against hers as he looked into her eyes.
A shy smile touched her lips.
"I think it’s the other way around," she admitted softly. "You’re the one driving me crazy."
Xander chuckled quietly before kissing her once more.
Ivy closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the warmth in his embrace. Every moment with him made her fall even deeper in love.
"I love you, Xander," she whispered.
The words were barely above a whisper, yet they stopped him completely.
Xander stared at her as if he wasn’t sure he had heard her correctly.
"What did you say?" he asked softly.
A faint smile curved Ivy’s lips. This time, she didn’t look away.
"I said I love you."
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Xander gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his thumb lingering against her cheek.
"I’ve waited so long to hear those words," he admitted, his voice rough with emotion. "You have no idea how much they mean to me."
A lump formed in Ivy’s throat.
"I’m sorry it took me this long," she whispered. "I was afraid... of trusting someone again, of giving my heart away. But you never stopped being patient with me."
"You never have to apologize for that." He rested his forehead against hers. "Love isn’t something that should be rushed."
A tear escaped the corner of Ivy’s eye.
Xander caught it with his thumb before it could fall.
"No more tears tonight," he said with a gentle smile. "Only happy memories."
She let out a soft laugh and nodded.
"I promise."
He leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead before looking into her eyes once more.
"I love you too, Ivy," he said. "More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone."
Her heart skipped a beat.
For years, she had believed love came with conditions and sacrifices. Yet standing before Xander, wrapped safely in his embrace, she realized that real love simply made her feel at home.
She slipped her hand into his, intertwining their fingers.
"So..." she said, a playful smile appearing on her lips, "does this mean we’re officially starting our life together?"
Xander smiled back.
"No," he replied, squeezing her hand gently. "It means we’ve finally found our way to each other."
He leaned in and kissed her once more, slow and unhurried, pouring every unspoken promise into that single moment.
Outside, the city lights shimmered against the night sky, while inside the penthouse, the world seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of them as they embraced the beginning of their new life together.
***
Meanwhile, back at the old Emerson residence, Edward, Aaron, and Leo were in the middle of an intense video game match.
After leaving the company, Xander had asked Edward to take Leo home with him. The old man already had a pretty good idea of what his grandson was up to.
After the scandal broke, on his way to Globe International, Edward had called Xander, who filled him in on everything that had happened. Not only had Gavin crossed the line by dragging the family’s private matters into the public eye, but Xander had also casually announced that he and Ivy had gotten married and would make the news public soon.
The revelation had caught Edward by surprise, but deep down, he couldn’t have been happier. His grandson had finally found someone worthy of standing beside him. Now all Edward had to do was sit back and watch everything unfold.
"Grampy, you’re not paying attention!" Leo complained, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Edward blinked at the television screen.
He had no idea what possessed him to agree to a video game match with two youngsters. Still, keeping Leo distracted from what had happened outside the school was exactly what the child needed.
"Grandpa, watch out!" Aaron shouted.
Edward hurriedly pressed a few buttons while Aaron covered him, taking down the last opponent.
"Yes!" Leo cheered as the victory screen appeared.
The three of them had won.
As expected, Aaron immediately puffed out his chest.
"I carried both of you," he declared proudly. "Especially Grandpa."
Edward rolled his eyes. "You’ve been saying that after every match."
"Because it’s true."
Aaron turned toward him with a smug grin.
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