Chapter 194: CLAIM ME! (2)
Georgia’s POV
I froze the moment I saw Nick striding toward me, that damned confident gleam in his eyes. My stomach plummeted. No, no, no. I pursed my lips and widened my eyes at him, frantically signaling him to stop—to turn around, to do anything but this.
But instead of listening, his smile stretched wider, turning into a cocky, teasing grin that made my chest tighten in pure panic.
My God... what the hell is he thinking?!
The crowd’s gaze shifted like a wave, following his every step until it landed squarely on me.
I could feel it—the weight of every pair of eyes burning holes into my back, waiting, watching, judging. My heart raced so fast I thought it might give out. I felt like I was about to faint.
And then... Nick reached into the inside of his suit jacket.
My breath hitched. Time slowed, every possible scenario flashing through my head. And when he stopped right in front of me, standing so close I could smell the faint trace of his perfume.
He inhaled deeply... and dropped to one knee.
The entire ballroom gasped.
!!!
MY. GOD...
My hands flew to my mouth on instinct, as if trying to hold back the scream threatening to tear out of my throat. My knees wobbled, and for a split second, I thought I might actually lose my consciousness.
Everything around me blurred into nothing but noise and shadows. All I could see was Nick. All I could hear was the deafening pound of my heartbeat against my eardrums.
"What are you doing?!" I whispered, making sure others won’t hear, trembling with panic. "Oh my God—please, get up! Move!"
But he only chuckled softly, that infuriatingly calm sound slicing through my panic. Slowly, with a certainty that made my blood run cold, he opened the small velvet box in his hand.
And there it was.
"Georgia Jennifer Lewis," Nick said, his voice carrying through the silence of the ballroom, steady and sure, "Will you marry me—and claim my body, my heart, my mind, and my soul?"
The world tilted. Gasps erupted around us. I couldn’t breathe.
"Nicholas!" Benjamin’s commanding voice sliced through the air near me, stern and disapproving.
But before I could even process that, another voice erupted across the ballroom—high-pitched, loud, and shamelessly excited. "Say YES, sissy! SAY YES!!!" Definitely Vicky.
The noise swelled instantly. Cheers. Shouts. Urging voices blending into chaos. Everyone was waiting, screaming, demanding an answer.
My vision blurred as tears stung my eyes, the edges of the room swimming until I couldn’t make sense of anything anymore.
I heard Violet’s sharp voice from the crowd, tight with accusation. "Nicholas, you didn’t inform us about this..."
That broke me...
My tears fell freely, hot and uncontrollable, spilling down my cheeks in front of everyone. I didn’t even register if there was a ring in that box, or what it looked like.
All I could feel was the crushing pressure of a thousand eyes drilling into me.
I couldn’t think. I didn’t know what to do.
My heart screamed for him. Every beat wanted to say yes, to claim this man, to never let him go.
But my mind... my mind dragged me back to Benjamin’s cold warning, Violet’s disdain, the weight of the Knight legacy. If I say yes, will I heal him or destroy him?
And then Nick leaned closer, his voice low, desperate, only for me.
"Baby... please. Marry me. Or I am as good as dead. Please, love—trust me," he whispered, making sure I was the only one who could hear it.
My breath caught. My chest squeezed painfully. He was begging, pleading, just like what my heart is doing right now. Begging my mind to please agree with it.
I glanced up and locked eyes with Benjamin. He was standing beside Violet, his jaw tight, his glare like fire. Fury radiated off him, aimed straight at me.
And that was it. That was all I needed.
I wiped my tears with trembling hands and turned back to Nick. His eyes—bright, burning with hope, fear, love—pulled me in.
My lips curved into a shaky smile. My voice wavered, but my answer was clear.
"And I will not let that happen... Yes. Yes, I will marry you, Nick!"
The ballroom exploded with cheers, but before I could even take it in, I was off the ground.
Nick swept me up into his arms, holding me so tightly I could hardly breathe, twirling me around like I was his entire world. His eyes locked on mine, overflowing with unfiltered happiness.
And in that moment, nothing else mattered.
Whatever storm was coming, whatever war awaited us, we’d face it together. No longer alone. No longer hiding. From now on, it was Nick and me, standing tall against the world, hand in hand, heart to heart.
When Nick finally set me back on the floor, his hands were trembling so badly I thought he might drop me next. Instead, he fumbled with the velvet box, pulled out the ring... and—
*Clink*
*Clink*
*Clink*
The damn thing slipped from his shaking fingers, spun midair like it was doing Olympic gymnastics on uneven bars, and clattered onto the floor.
Gasps erupted. My heart stopped.
Oh my God, did he just—?!
I swear I almost screamed, but Evelyn, bless her reflexes, swooped down like a freaking ninja and caught it before it could roll under the table.
She handed it back to Nick with the grace of a savior while the entire ballroom chuckled.
Nick, pale as hell and sweating like a sinner in church, let out a loud exhale. "FUCK!" His voice carried across the room. "I’m so nervous—I thought you were going to say no..."
The crowd burst into laughter. Even I couldn’t help it. He was just too adorably pathetic in that moment. His boyish smile followed, and I could see the tension in his shoulders ease.
I extended my hand, still shaking myself, and he slowly slid the ring onto my finger, careful this time as if it were made of glass. My breath caught when it finally settled there—perfect, shining, ours.
And then the room erupted in unison.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"
Nick and I burst into laughter, our eyes locking, as if no one else in the world existed but us.
And then... I saw it.
The tears.
His eyes brimmed with pure joy, one tear slipping down his cheek after the other, before he quickly wiped it away.
With both hands, he cupped my face like I was the most precious thing in the world, which probably I am, in his...
His voice shook with raw emotion.
"I love you. So damn much. Thank you for trusting me."
And before I could even whisper back, his lips crashed onto mine.
Tears streamed down both our faces as the ballroom cheered around us.
The kiss was brief, almost fragile, but the hug that followed—tight, desperate, all-consuming—felt like home. Warm. Fulfilling. Like the weight of our pasts, all the scars and battles melted away in that single embrace.
For the first time, I didn’t feel like I was fighting alone. I felt... at peace and stronger than before.
********
Author’s Note:
I uploaded a short video of Georgia and Nick on YT, but I dunno what happened. The quality was low, but the ones on FB & IG were clear. Here’s the link if you want to see it.