BLOODHOUNDS #1: THE ABDICATED PRINCE

Chapter 41 - MOVE

Luna Morris

I walked to the next aisle and turned to Clyde, who followed me while looking at the paintings beside him. I stopped walking, and he bumped into me.

"Sorry." He said, and I smiled, looking at him.

He hates the art gallery but still went to be with me.

Ever since he told me about his definition of love, our relationship has gotten more intense than before. We both are so bad with words that it's hard to say, but I felt it.

And I'm indeed in love with Clyde Nielsen.

"Which painting do you like the most?" I asked him as I continued to walk. My feet stopped in front of an abstract painting.

"Yours." His answer made me chuckle. I linked my arm to his and leaned my head on his shoulder, "Did you put my painting in your office?"

"Yes, you should give me more. It would be best if you stopped selling it to people. Sell it to me." He kissed me on the top of my head.

"My art is expensive, Clyde. Selling it to you only will prevent me from people admiring my art." I pulled him to see another painting.

"I'm rich, I can give you a blank check, and you can write any amount you want." He said arrogantly, and I rolled my eyes.

"Are you nervous?" I gripped his arm tightly and nodded.

I agreed to proceed with the case, so I must go to London tomorrow. Clyde will go there with me since his ban got lifted. I'm scared, nervous, and stressed out.

"What did you do to them?" I kept asking him the same question, but he refused. I guess he didn't want to trigger my trauma, which I'm so glad he didn't.

Clyde also gave me the understanding that he doesn't want to share with me what he does with the Bloodhounds. He was protecting me from anything that could trigger my PTSD. He even told me that he would avoid me from meeting his friends because they can be so intimidating.

I fell in love with the right person.

The reason why I asked him to go out today when he begged me to stay in was because I have people at my apartment now. I asked Mila to help me find someone who can install motion sensor LED lights.

Clyde has been having difficulties sleeping because I kept my lights on. He never complained, but this is the least that I can do. I want the lights to turn off when there's no motion but turned on when there's a slight movement.

I hope it can help Clyde sleep better.

"I've told you, Butterfly. You don't need to know."

"Was it that bad?" My attention fell on the sculpture in front of me.

"Yes." We continued to spend our time going through every painting and sculpture in the art gallery. Clyde wasn't paying any attention to it. He only looked at it briefly.

"What will happen after London?" I turned my body around, facing him right at the exit door. Clyde put his hands into his pockets, raising his eyebrows at me.

"What do you want to happen after London, Butterfly?"

I took a card from my bag and gave it to him. After our conversation the other day, I kept thinking about being married to Clyde, and it's been haunting me. Last night when he was fast asleep, I decided to paint a blank card where I put a hidden message in it since he's so good at finding it.

The card itself was painted with white, red, and black strokes.

I hoped he could find it easily.

"Did you paint this?" He asked, and I nodded nervously, waiting for him to say something about the message.

"It's beautiful." A smile plastered his face, "I told you, your painting is better than any other paintings here." He added as he looked up at me.

"I know, right." I smiled awkwardly.

"Should we go? I'm taking you somewhere." He put the card in his inner pocket and grabbed my hand, leading me out. Blanc was already waiting for us.

I was so disappointed he didn't get the hidden message when he's so good at finding it. Did I make it too small?

"Where are we going?" I asked as Blanc started driving.

"You'll see." Clyde kept me close, but I felt so sad he didn't see it. I wanted to cry so bad for it. I kept looking out the window, wondering where we were going.

We entered an elite neighborhood which got me confused before I could ask him. The gate opened, and two guards were guarding the property. Blanc stopped the car right in front of a beautiful big house. Clyde got out first and put out his hand for me to hold.

"Clyde, why are we here?" I asked as I looked at the beautiful two-floor house. There's a big and long driveway from the gate to the house and a fountain in the middle.

"Introducing you to our home." I turned to Clyde, confused because there was no way, "Our house?"

"Yeah." He nodded and started to lead me toward it.

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, I had this build three months before you came. Let's go!" He opened the door to beautiful wood and white marble interior based. It's modern, homey, and not to mention very well placed.

"You had this three months before my arrival?" I turned to him and nodded. He pulled me to the garden at the back, and I was speechless seeing it. It's a big garden filled with lots of flowers, and the garden is facing the lake.

I walked through the garden and turned around to face the house. My eyes filled with tears. I don't deserve any of this. My eyes landed on Clyde, who was smiling at me.

"I have a big painting room for you upstairs. Do you want to check it out?" He asked as he pointed at the second floor. I burst out crying, and Clyde ran towards me, worried.

"What? What's wrong? You don't like it?" He put his hands on my shoulder, and I shook my head.

"I love it, but... I don't deserve it. You gave me too much." I said, and he chuckled before pulling me into a hug.

"Nothing is too much for you, Butterfly."

"Thank you, Clyde. I don't know what to say about this. I don't think I can give you like the way you give me." I pulled away from him, and he shook his head.

"Spend your whole life with me. That will be enough." He wiped my tears and kissed me.

"You killed my demons, made me happy, and even put me first." I cried again.

"This is my answer to your proposal earlier." I stopped crying and looked at him, "You saw the hidden message?" I asked, looking at him in disbelief, and he nodded.

I can't believe he saw it and acted like he didn't.

"Why are you so mean?" I started crying again, and he laughed.

"This is my answer, Butterfly. I was going to surprise you with this after London and proposed to you, but you were a step ahead of me."

"I hate you." I buried my face in his chest.

"Let's get married after London, what do you say?" He suggested, "Then we can move in here."

"I would love to."