The Billionaire Who Stole My Heart

Years and moisture had intertwined, turning the once pristine whiteness of the plaster to a dull black.

What was initially in blocks, now lay in powder.

Kari thought back to the past, a mix of surprise and an indescribable discomfort surfaced, "You bought this house before we even reconnected."

Not to mention, before we got together.

Ronald looked down, his forehead resting against hers, "Yes."

"You said you wanted a house where the sunlight always shone through, where the sheets were always clean and crisp, where there were huge floor-to-ceiling windows..." Ronald's voice was hoarse, "I made sure you had all of that." Kari's eyes suddenly brimmed with tears, "I also said we'd always be together."

She remembered her own words.

Ronald's voice was slightly husky, "Kari."

"Ronald."This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Kari met his gaze, full of seriousness.

"When you came back home and found out I was getting married, were you upset?"

For so long, she never mentioned the past.

Neither did Ronald.

His lips pressed together, clearly hit by her words.

"I'm sorry."

"I didn't know you had feelings for me... I can't change what happened in the past." Kari's eyes reddened.

"I know."

Ronald had never expected Kari to wait for him during the ten years he was gone.

Especially since they were considered siblings back then.

Just the fact he disappeared for a whole decade, people thought he was dead, Kari shouldn't have to give up her pursuit of happiness for a "dead man."

Ronald stopped her from continuing, "I left for ten years, wasn't there during your toughest times, I'm content knowing you're well."

He never dared to hope for anything more.

Kari suddenly choked up.

Ronald pulled her into his arms, whispering softly, "I've wanted to give you this house for a long time."

"If you had married someone else, this would have been your dowry; if you married me, this would be our home."

Tears flowed freely from Kari as she sobbed into his embrace.

Ronald wrapped his arms around her waist, comforting her gently.

Kari cried for over an hour, finally looking up at Ronald with red eyes and a quivering voice, "Ronald, this is our home, I'll never leave you again."

Ronald's eyes moistened, he leaned down to kiss her forehead, "Okay."

Everything in the villa felt both foreign and familiar to Kari.

She roamed the floors barefoot in the middle of the night, not liking to wear shoes.

Back when times were tough, she always mentioned, if she ever had money she'd carpet the floors thickly so she could walk around barefoot whenever she wanted!

Ronald remembered this, carpeting the second and third floors with finest carpets and installing

the

over

underfloor heating. Contents

Stepping on it felt neither cold nor hard.

Soft as clouds.

It made one feel light and airy.

Kari checked every room, finally returning to the bedroom where Ronald was already lying down.

"Done looking?"

Kari rushed to his side, snuggling into his embrace, "I love it here so much."

Seeing her unguarded joy, Ronald's eyes softened with a smile, "Me too."

After moving in together, they found themselves spending less time with each other.

The Malone family objected time and again.

Ronald leveraged his connections to start his own company.

In the beginning, he was incredibly busy.

He dared not delegate his responsibilities, nor could he let the Malone family catch wind of his plans.

Before things stabilized, he didn't tell Kari.

He didn't want to pressure her.

As he got busy, Kari was no exception.

For over a month, the couple barely spent seventy-two hours together.