Chapter 5 - THE PROPOSALJulian turned back to Lily. His expression softened instantly, a transformation so radical it would have shocked anyone who knew the ruthless business tycoon. He crouched down, bringing his face level with hers, ignoring the damp grass staining his expensive trousers.
“What is your full name?” he asked gently.
“Lily Anna Harper.”
“Lily,” Julian said, his voice rich with an emotion he kept hidden from the world. “My name is Julian. I don't usually like children. They're loud, messy, and they track mud into my cars.”
Lily tilted her head. “Then why did you come here?”
“Because,” Julian said, reaching out to gently touch the edge of Mr. Bear’s worn ear, “someone told me there was a queen sitting under an oak tree without a throne. And I realized my castle has been entirely empty.”
He stood up, extended his hand toward her, and offered a proposition that would shake high society to its core.
“Lily Anna Harper, how would you like to come home with me? Not as a foster child. Not as a charity case. But as my legal daughter, the sole heir to the Vance empire.”
The entire playground went dead silent. Mrs. Clara dropped her clipboard. Henderson looked like he was about to faint.
Lily looked at his outstretched hand. Then she looked at her scuffed shoes, her taped wheelchair, and back up into his fierce, protective eyes.
“Do you have dogs?” Lily asked.
May you like
Julian laughed—a deep, resonant sound that startled the birds in the oak tree. “I have three German Shepherds who are going to treat you like royalty. And a mansion with an elevator in every wing.”
“Okay,” Lily said, placing her small, pale hand into his large, warm palm. “I’ll go with you.”
