CHAPTER 1

Matteo has never dreamed of anything significant in his life. He had only fantasised about sharing his life with his beloved Sylvie in a tiny house under the same roof. He was drowning in a deep river, and the water had become red from Matteo’s blood.

 But it also took away his sleep because of the dreams he had seen. Sylvie and Matteo have been through a terrible ordeal. Matteo was also dying in the river when Sylvie was admitted to the hospital. 

They didn’t accept their fate, but they did everything they could to save their lives and fight back against it. Matteo’s face lit up with a smile as he remembered the day of their proposal and memories of past. Sylvie’s heart rate slows down at the hospital. His face turned pale, and blood flowed more freely from the cut.

 He stopped struggling since his legs were bound and he couldn’t get any more support under his feet. He accepted his fate of death. Flashback Sylvie has been staying with Matteo in his penthouse for a week. Because the college was temporarily closed because of construction work, it was easier for them to stay at home and be safe. 

Mia, too, stayed in pairs or in groups with Reed and the other gang members. Because everyone wanted to have a good time, the group decided to go to a nightclub to spend some time together before starting college. Sylvie was reading a book in their room in the afternoon, while Matteo was downstairs doing who knows what. 

He has told her she must remain in the room till he says so. Sylvie complained at first, but eventually accepted, and it’s been an hour and no sign of him. 

She was tired of waiting, so she read a book for the time being. She set the book mark aside after reading to her heart’s content, and he entered the room with a wide smile on his face at the same time. 

“At long last! What were you doing?” He took her hand and made her stand before blindfolding her eyes. She questioned, sighing, but instead of responding to her, he took her hand and made her stand. 

“What exactly are you up to?” “

I’m tying a blindfold, obviously!” he said carelessly. 

"Matteo, I mean, I understand, but why?" she grumbled angrily.

 "Because there's a surprise for you," he shrugged, "and you won't be able to see anything until you get there." She moved her hands forward, attempting to reach out to him, and finally barely touched his chest, causing him to take a big intake. "How am I going to get to my surprise while blindfolded?" 

"Hmm!" He gave her a tiny hum before stepping forward and grabbing her in his arms in a bridal style, and she squealed as she felt herself floating in the air. 

"Put me down, Matteo," I begged.

 "Shh! I'm here, and like a good chauffeur, I'll take you wherever you want to go." She shook her head at him as he began walking with her in his arms, and her excitement grew as she wondered what he had planned next.

 One thing that has happened this week is that he has lavished her with endless surprises, to where she has said that she now despises them. But who was she kidding? She loved his little surprises, but the anticipation always irritated her. 

She recalls how he once prepared her favourite pizza and junk food, as well as a marathon of her favourite movies, which they watched till late at night. Another day, he prepared a special breakfast for her in bed, and another was a modest picnic in his garden with snacks and games. 

She was having a great time living with him, as if they had been together for years. She did not know it would be so relaxing. He did nothing that made her feel uneasy, even for a split second. 

Though they cuddled, hugged, and shared closeness, he kept his distance from her after that night in the forest because he wasn’t sure she wanted it again, which she appreciated because she wasn’t sure where her life was going. She has long since ceased thinking about it and has entrusted everything to fate. Because she is unsure of what she wants, she simply trusts in fate, knowing that whatever happens will be for the best. 

She’s just going with the flow, unsure if whatever is going on between them is permanent or not. Whether it will end abruptly, as it did the last time, or not.

 What she was certain of was that she would not spoil her present; instead, she would savour every moment that life offered her. 

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not know they had arrived at their destination. It shattered her ideas when he sat her down and said, “Finally, we’ve arrived. Are you all set?” He removed the blindfold from her eyes as she nodded eagerly, and the view in front of her was breathtaking. They were on the terrace, and there was a small triangular shed with nice fluffy couches, the ideal setting for a day of fun. 

“It’s incredible!” “

At least it’s not over yet.” She looked at him, puzzled by what else he had planned. He led her to the edge of the terrace near the railings and stood behind her before pointing to the sky with his fingers. 

She looked where he was pointing and saw many kites flying high in the sky from somewhere. When the sky was suddenly filled with different coloured kites flying right before they were in a line, Sylvie noticed that each of the kites had a letter imprinted on it.

 She was bewildered when Matteo begged her to watch, but she returned her eyes to them, and they were soon placed in a sequence, making it easier for her to grasp what was written, and she gazed in wonder at the words written in the sky. 

SYLVIE, I love you. Her eyes welled up as she took in the scen

She never imagined he would go out of his way for her. Her throat was blocked with emotions as she tried to make words. He said nothing, just lightly kissed her forehead, and she closed her eyes, feeling when he patted her shoulder again. When she looked at him, he pointed in a different direction, where three more kites had sunk this time. 

She was still reeling from the last one’s impact, but she was perplexed by what else he could say, so she read what was written on the two kites. 

WILLYOU... She was perplexed when she discovered that the third one was blank. It was devoid of any writing. When he handed her the third kite line and asked her to pull it through his eyes, she became even more perplexed. 

She was both nervous and thrilled to find out what was ahead of her. She took the line from his grip and began pulling it, and the third blank kite descended towards them. She was yanking it down when something slid down the thread, stopping her in her tracks

 The source took aback Sylvie, while Matteo smiled at her expressions. If it was possible, her eyes teared up even more than she saw what it was. It was a magnificent diamond ring with a crown on top. Something took aback her when she realised what he was asking, and she stared at him, puzzled. The kite’s rope, as well as the ring, were still in her hands. Before taking the ring from her hand, he examined her condition.

 He took her left hand in his, still hugging her from behind, and said, "There are several ways to conclude that statement. Will you accept to be my companion? Are you willing to marry me? Will you stay with me for the rest of your life? Will you tell me my last name? Are you interested in becoming my wife? Will you tell me about your life? ... and so on. But there’s one thing I’d want to ask...” She remained speechless as she observed how he had already proposed to her, saying everything he hadn’t planned to say. 

Her madness made her smile at the concept. She gazed at him expectantly, waiting for him to finish. 

“Will you devote the rest of your life to me?” He did not stop them this time because he, too, was crying tears of joy and love. Sylvie was still perplexed; she did not know what he meant when he said he wanted to say anything.

 This was a one-of-a-kind circumstance. When a guy proposes to a female, he always asks her to be his; a guy would never propose to a girl by asking her to make him hers. It entails a great deal more. It demonstrates that he not only wants her to devote herself to him, but that he would also do so.

He aspires to be her exclusive possession. How could she deny such a thing when he himself was pleading with her to return him as hers? HERS ONLY. 

She nodded in agreement, unsure of how to respond. He grinned broadly when he saw her consent, and he took her hand in his and made her wear the ring, kissing her finger where the band gleamed proudly. She turned around and hugged him fiercely, her arms encircling his neck. 

He, too, held her fiercely and, while still clutching her, swirled her about in the air, happy and excited. Multiple blasts of colourful confetti and flowers rained down on both of them, seemingly out of nowhere. He placed her on the floor, still embracing her closely. He took a step back, still holding her in his arms and caressing her face. 

“In this lifetime and all the ones to come, I shall always be yours, Sylvie.” She replied with a radiant smile and a nod. 

"I'll be yours forever, Matteo. You have my undivided attention at all times!" When Sylvie spoke, they were both smiling broadly and keeping their heads together.

 “Matteo, I love you!” 

He stared at her with joy in his eyes, as if he was dying to hear her say this every day, which she did. “I love you as well, Sylvie!”

 That was the last thing they said to each other before locking lips in a deep kiss that sealed their union. I smiled as I pecked on our intertwined fingers.

 Her eyes were riveted on the ring because she was overcome with joy. "I'm incredibly thrilled," she paused for a moment, "but Mom could be irritated by us." 

My parents must be informed of our engagement as soon as possible," she made a frowning expression. With one hand on the steering wheel, I chuckled at her cute pout and caressed her cheek with the other.

 "We'll chat about your family tonight," I added, giving her reason to beam. I turned my sight away from her and toward the road. I was astonished when I saw a female in a white gown with smudged lipstick and ruffled hair.

 "Matteo, stop the car!" Sylvie said. But the situation was out of control; I tried to apply the brakes but they didn't work, and my car collided with a traffic pole in a fraction of a second, and that girl vanished. My vision gradually blurs and shifts into blackness.