Chapter 835

Ryan’s passion was as intense as ever, but with my family scheduled for dinner and guests to entertain, he finally, albeit unwillingly, released me–planting slow, lingering kisses from my shoulders all the way down…

He murmured, “Vic, after the holidays, I’ll be moving back to Braylin. Can your company relocate there with me?”

I’d given this serious thought. Since I’d chosen to be with Ryan, I couldn’t ignore the real challenges we’d have to face as a couple.

“Yeah, I can,” I said. I didn’t trust long-distance relationships to hold strong, so moving to Braylin with him was the obvious choice.

There was no need to second-guess moving to Braylin anymore.

When Ryan saw how easily I agreed, he couldn’t resist getting a little playful with me again.

As soon as I turned to face him, he stole a kiss before I could react—and that bold move had my face burning red.

By a little after five, Ryan and I made it back to my parents’ villa. You could tell they were bursting with pride—after all, nothing makes folks happier than showing off how successful their kids have become.

I snuck Ryan upstairs into my bedroom to hide out for a bit, while my brother and his wife retreated to their own room. Looks like we weren’t the only ones dodging the family crowd.

Ryan checked out my room for a moment before turning to me, a sly look in his eye. “So, is this where you used to sleep with Mr. Holcomb?”

I blinked, caught off guard, and nodded honestly. “Yeah… What’s up with that?”

“Oh, nothing,” Ryan replied, plopping down at the edge of the bed with a casual grin. “Just curious.”

With my chin propped on my hand, I gazed at Ryan and let out what was truly on my mind. “Ryan, we’re together because we care about each other, right? But how adults deal with things can change as time passes. So, if someday—just hypothetically—you ever feel unhappy with me, can we go our separate ways peacefully?”

Ryan shot me a weird look, then pinched my cheek. “Vic, talking about breaking up before we’re even married? That’s just bad luck. Promise me you won’t bring it up again.”

I brushed his hand aside, my tone serious. “I’m really just trying to be honest here. Seeing my sister-in-law in her wedding dress made me think of my younger self. So many people get married without having a clue what marriage even means. They just dive in, but dreams and reality aren’t the same–sometimes you end up disappointed, helpless, even heartbroken. Between you and me… I just hope our dreams and reality can get as close as possible.”

Ryan watched me ramble, then his lips curled into a gentle smile. “I’ll do my best to make our dreams and reality overlap, alright? No need to worry so much.”

Hearing him say that made my heart flutter. Ryan’s the kind of guy who never seems fazed by anything–he may not say much, but he always follows through with his actions.

As I lunged at him, Ryan playfully leaned back, pulling me down so I was sprawled right across his chest.

Just then, the door swung open–and there was Mariah.

Mariah took in the scene for half a second, then immediately slammed the door shut.

I scrambled off Ryan, cheeks blazing, but he just pressed my waist and easily pulled me right back into his arms.

He softly ran his fingers through my hair and whispered, “Vic, I’m seriously so happy today. Getting to join you in all these ordinary moments–this simple slice of real life feels so warm and grounding.”

I stared at Ryan, a little stunned. Who would’ve thought this business prince actually craved the cozy feeling of ordinary life?

“Oh yeah? Then when the chance comes, I’ll drag you here more often so you can really get a taste of regular folks’ living,” I chuckled.