Royally Bounded

Chapter 147

Warning: This chapter contains 18+ scenes.

Clara

As soon as I stepped into the living room, the lights were out. I stopped at my steps, looking at the ceiling until the room was dimly lit. My eyes fell to the candles that were situated on some areas. When I saw the decorations around the palace, my heart swelled in my chest.

Hayden stepped out, a bouquet of flowers in his hands. My hand covered over my mouth, and he stood in front of me, murmuring in a low voice.

"Happy Anniversary, Clara," he kissed my lips.

I instantly wrapped my arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly. Tears brimmed in my eyes. I thought about how much I lost with him, but he did his hardest to make the best memories with me.

"Happy Anniversary, Hayden," I whispered. "I love you so much."

I pulled away from him, and he handed me the roses. I thanked him with a kiss on his cheek. I took the chance to admire the living room, loosely interlacing my hands with him as he followed behind me.

"This is so beautiful," I smiled widely. "Did you decorated the room?"

He had his arms around my waist from behind. "Who else do you think did it?"

We had celebrated several anniversaries with each other already. Each year, he would give me a different surprise, and I thought about how creative he got for me. We were already eight years into our marriage. I was anticipating for our tenth year that represented a milestone.

Hayden and I went out for dinner. He already had Rosie and Ivor taking care of our kids since his parents were busy. We arrived at the restaurant, and I peered my head up when I saw the towering skyscraper in front of us. It stretched up, almost matching the surrounding buildings.

My eyes widened once we stepped out of the elevator to the top floor.

"Oh my God," I gasped, running straight to the glass window. I scanned down at the city to see the cars moving like ants. The sounds of car honking filled my ears, and it blended into the slight swish of the wind.

I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath. The fresh air relaxed my lungs, and it calmed me in a way that I sometimes found it hard to get around home. Hayden wrapped his arms around me, kissing my cheek as he rested his head against mine. I opened my eyes and noticed our reflection against the window. He was stared at me, and I caught his gaze, smiling directly at him.

"Such a romantic," I teased him, turning around to face him.

He pulled me away to the little table. I saw no one around, but everything was already laid out on the surface. Hayden poured the wine for us, and I thanked him, swirling the glass before taking a sip of the grape wine.

I hummed in satisfaction, letting the alcohol down my throat. When I was pregnant, Hayden didn't let me drink any alcohol. I could finally catch a break, and it was refreshing to have a drink occasionally for celebratory events.

"We've come so far in our marriage," I told Hayden as I watched him cut me the steak. I rested my elbow on my table, my chin in my palm. "Did you think you would end up here? You said you never wanted kids, but we have four now. Do you ever regret?"

He paused then shook his head. "I would never have them with you if I regretted." He raised his head to look at me, matching my gaze as he sent me his half cold smile.

"We used to argue about the silliest things," I whispered, shaking my head at our past nonsense. "But I'm proud at how far we've become. We communicate with each other. We don't even argue that much. Even when we do argue, one of us give in easily."