They Told Her He Would Fail as a Husband—But That Night He Became Her Everything
Choosing Us and the Real Vows
Inside the penthouse, Natalie kicked off her heels.
“I need to get out of this dress.”
“Wait,” Dominic said.
He moved closer.
“I saw you tonight. I saw the way you looked when Cassandra touched me. You were jealous.”
“So what if I was?” Natalie challenged. “This is still just an arrangement.”
Dominic closed the distance.
“Is it? Because it stopped feeling like just an arrangement to me weeks ago.”
Natalie’s breath caught.
“Dominic…”
“I think about you constantly. I find excuses to come home early. Tell me I am not alone. Tell me you feel it too.”
“I do,” Natalie whispered. “But I do not know if this is real.”
“Let me show you it is real,” Dominic said.
His lips met hers with heat and hunger. Natalie’s hands found his shoulders. Restraint shattered.
When they broke apart, Dominic rested his forehead against hers.
“I want you—not because of a contract, but because you are brilliant and brave. Only if you want me.”
“I want you,” Natalie said firmly. “I want us.”
Dominic smiled.
“Then we start over as two people choosing each other. Is that acceptable, Natalie Brooks Sterling?”
“Yes,” she said, pulling him down for another kiss.
The following weeks brought changes. They no longer kept their distance in bed. They talked for hours about their pasts.
Dominic spoke of his lonely childhood. Natalie spoke of her modest, loving home. Dominic explained he let the rumors spread so people would stop asking for an heir.
“But you can have children?”
“Yes, with the right person. I want them to be truly loved, not just produced for expectations.”
“That is beautiful,” Natalie said.
One morning, Thomas called. The company had stabilized and was thriving. Natalie thanked Dominic for saving her family.
“Your family is my family now,” Dominic said, pulling her into his lap.
He had invested in the company’s integrity. Natalie kissed him with gratitude. Dominic looked at her with determination.
“There is something I need to tell you. I am in love with you, Natalie. Completely, irrevocably.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
“You love me?”
“Desperately. I love your strength, your compassion, even your terrible singing. This is real for me.”
“I love you too,” Natalie said. “I have been falling in love since the first night.”
Dominic crushed her against him. He had thought he would spend his life alone.
“You see the real me and love me anyway.”
“I love you because of who you are,” Natalie corrected.
Life was blissful until a Tuesday afternoon. Natalie found an envelope under the door containing recent photos of Dominic and Cassandra in intimate-looking gestures.
Her mind raced with doubt. When Dominic arrived, she showed him the photos. He paled.
“Natalie, I can explain.”
“Can you? These look self-explanatory.”
He explained Cassandra had been stalking his office and lunches. He tried to handle it discreetly to avoid gossip.
“These photos are deliberately misleading. I was pushing her hand away.”
“Why did you not tell me?”
“I did not want you to worry.”
There was a knock at the door. Cassandra stood there.
“I thought it was time we had an honest conversation.”
“You need to leave,” Dominic said.
Cassandra claimed the marriage was temporary and that Dominic visited an apartment in their old building every week.
“I do have an apartment there,” Dominic admitted. “It is where my grandmother lives. She has dementia.”
Relief flooded Natalie. She looked at Cassandra’s malice and then at Dominic’s hope.
“I believe you,” Natalie said. “And I think you should leave, Cassandra.”
“You are making a mistake,” Cassandra hissed.
“No, you are. Dominic chose me.”
Dominic closed the door.
“Take me to meet your grandmother,” Natalie said.
Two days later, they met Evelyn. She was 92 and having a good day.
“Finally,” Evelyn said. “My boy found someone real. You love him for who he is.”
They spent the afternoon laughing. Natalie saw the man beneath the armor.
“You gave me a gift today,” Dominic said on the drive home.
Six months later, they renewed their vows in a church filled with people who cared. Thomas and Evelyn were in the front row. Helena and Cassandra were gone.
“I vow to be your partner,” Dominic said. “To always see the real you.”
“I vow to be your safe harbor,” Natalie replied.
The church erupted in applause. At the reception, Dominic whispered in her ear.
“They told you I would fail as a husband.”
Natalie smiled.
“And instead, you became my everything.”
A desperate arrangement had transformed into the greatest love story. They knew this was only the beginning.
