CHAPTER 49: CHAPTER 49: HAPPY NEWLYWEDS, MR. SINCLAIR

Upon realizing what she had said, Holly Crowe wished she could bite off her tongue.

Blake Sinclair raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile on his lips, "I’ve prepared a room for you, but if you want to sleep here..."

He paused, his gaze ambiguously sweeping over the bed beneath them, "...you’re welcome."

Holly: ....

What did she just say!

Why does it sound like she can’t wait?

"No, what I mean is..."

The more she explained, the more confused it became.

Blake Sinclair couldn’t help but tease her, patting her hand with a soothing voice, "The room is next door, but if you really can’t sleep at night, Mrs. Sinclair is always welcome to come find me anytime."

Holly was almost aflame, getting up in a panic, hurriedly grabbing her phone and rushing to the door, her steps hasty and flustered.

"First room on the left." His voice sounded behind her, carrying a hint of laughter.

"Alright, okay. Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

As the door closed, Blake Sinclair chuckled softly.

His fingers gently stroked the spot she had just touched, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.

The moonlight outside was just right, casting a veil of haze over the balcony.

He looked down at the date marked in red on his phone screen.

Auspicious for weddings.

Tomorrow, indeed, is a good day.....

...

On the way to the civil affairs bureau, in the back seat of the car.

Holly stared at the ever-changing street scenes outside the car window, unconsciously twisting her dress.

She didn’t sleep well last night, her mind full of today’s registration, now her head felt sluggish.

"Nervous?" Blake Sinclair suddenly asked.

Caught off guard, Holly’s cheeks flushed, she honestly nodded, "A little."

"Me too."

Blake Sinclair’s hand gently covered the back of hers, like a silent comfort.

"First time doing this sort of thing, no experience."

He chuckled lightly, his words carrying a hint of openness.

Holly was amused by his words, and more than half of the anxiety that wrapped around her all night dissipated.

She didn’t know what day it was today, but there were quite a lot of people at the civil affairs bureau.

Wasn’t everyone online saying not to get married? Why are there so many people?

She didn’t know what method Blake Sinclair used, but they didn’t have to wait for a number, and were led directly to the office upon arrival.

After filling out the form, Blake Sinclair naturally held her hand and walked inside.

During the photo shoot, Holly was completely dazed, so tense her shoulders were rigid.

Beside her, Blake Sinclair silently nudged her finger, "Mrs. Sinclair, give us a smile."

He didn’t lower his voice intentionally, the words "Mrs. Sinclair" came out especially clear from his mouth.

Holly’s heart twitched, she glanced up slightly, just catching the smile in his eyes.

She also unconsciously curved her lips.

"Alright, look here, three, two, one!"

As the photographer caught the moment and pressed the shutter, Blake Sinclair suddenly tilted slightly, touching her temple lightly with his.

It was very light, but it made Holly’s cheeks warm, her heart beat like a drum.

Until she got the red certificate, Holly still felt like it was a dream.

It turns out getting a marriage certificate is so simple.

She had imagined countless times about registering for marriage with Zion Pence, but in the end, she was receiving the certificate with Blake Sinclair. The man who was the most unattainable in Beldon and the one countless debutantes wanted to marry.

Holly gently touched the marriage certificate, the bright red striking and breathtaking.

Opening the marriage certificate, the photo was of Blake Sinclair leaning slightly towards her.

She was wearing an ivory new-style qipao, with a teardrop-shaped hollow at the clasp on the collar, and the pale gold patterns on the qipao shimmered in the sunlight.

Blake Sinclair wasn’t in his usual standard suit today, he wore a new Chinese-style black suit with a dark gold pin at the lapel, the same pattern as hers embroidered slantingly on the front placket.

She hadn’t noticed before, but seeing the photo now, Holly realized it was obviously a matching couple’s outfit.

Thinking back to the expression on Laurel Sinclair’s face when she delivered the outfit this morning...

Could it be that this was all prepared by Blake Sinclair.

The civil affairs bureau was bustling, several young couples in white chiffon took sweet photos on the lawn.

The sound of the shutter was filled with joy.

Holly Crowe glanced toward the lively scene and suddenly felt her fingers lightly hooked.

Blake Sinclair had somehow stepped down a stair and stood in front of her, their eyes meeting at almost the same level.

She noticed a small red velvet box that appeared in his hand seemingly out of nowhere.

"This is..." Holly already had an inkling of what was inside, but she couldn’t help but widen her eyes.

Blake Sinclair opened the box with one hand, revealing a ring inside.

The ring had a crown-like setting, with a circle of thirteen diamonds arranged below, matched by fourteen diamonds above, and at the center lay a ruby.

Holly’s pupils contracted slightly.

She recognized this ring; it was the treasure of the Mosephin brand, the legendary, one-of-a-kind "Red Crown."

The ruby at the center of the ring was said to be handed down from The Brelondian Royal Family, having endured for centuries, unique in the world.

She knew of it because it had been bought at an astronomical price by a mysterious buyer five years ago and had never surfaced again, becoming a legend in the world of collectors.

Back then, Zion Pence had just proposed to her, and she’d accidentally seen the news; gazing at that stunning shade of red, she had remarked, ’Anyone who wears that must be extremely cherished.’

Yet now, this ring appeared before her.

It turned out that the person who had purchased the ring five years ago was Blake Sinclair.

"This... this..." Holly’s voice trembled slightly.

"Originally, I wanted to wait until the wedding to give it to you."

Blake Sinclair slowly took her left hand, his thumb gently caressing her ring finger.

"But I feel that starting today, you should wear it."

The cold metal touched her skin, and as her ring finger was encircled, Holly’s heart skipped a beat.

Unexpectedly, the ring fit perfectly, as if it had been custom-sized just for her.

Holly was about to say something when she saw the driver coming over with a large bouquet of pink lychee roses, "President Sinclair, the flowers have arrived."

The soft petals were still covered with dewdrops, sparkling under the sunlight.

Blake Sinclair took the flowers and handed them to her, his voice tinged with laughter, "Happy marriage, Mrs. Sinclair."

Holly held the weighty bouquet, the scent of roses lingering at her nose, and found herself momentarily choked up.

She hadn’t expected that in the span of just one night, he had prepared so much.

What was meant to be a hasty registration, she had not held any expectations for it, even preparing to go their separate ways afterward. Yet, he had given her the greatest sense of ceremony.

The carefully chosen matching outfits, the treasured ring that fit perfectly, the favored pink lychees—all the unspoken expectations appeared before her one by one.

She looked up at him, "Happy marriage, Mr. Sinclair."

Blake Sinclair smiled with his eyes, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "Now, it’s time to take a photo."

As he spoke, he took out his phone, raising it high.

In the lens, she held the pink lychee roses, the ring on her ring finger sparkling.

Blake Sinclair suddenly lowered his head, his thin lips brushing her earlobe with a teasing itch, "Smile, Mrs. Sinclair."

Time seemed to overlap with that previous moment.

Holly instinctively curved her mouth, and the shutter clicked resoundingly.

The phone vibrated with a message from Blake Sinclair, a photo.

Holly opened the image, and in the photo, she was holding roses, her lips curved in a smile she barely recognized.

It had been years since she had smiled like that.

After experiencing Zion Pence’s betrayal, she even thought life would just go on like that, but Blake Sinclair had entered her life, breathing new life into her stagnant existence.

"Do you like it?" Blake Sinclair leaned closer, his voice low, "I think it turned out well."

He said, pulling her wrist upwards, palm against back of hand.

The scent of flowers wafted in the wind, weaving between them.

Holly felt the warmth of his palm and looked down at the ring.

"Blake Sinclair."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Blake Sinclair raised an eyebrow, "Thank me for what?"

Holly looked at the curve of her lips in the photo, "I once thought life would just be like that. Thank you for making me feel like the future doesn’t seem so bad after all."

Blake Sinclair’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, and he reversed his grip on her hand, his voice gentle, "It’s only the beginning; it will get better."

He grasped her hand a bit tighter, confidently saying, "As long as I’m around, everything will be fine."

Holly’s heart skipped a beat, and because of his words, she suddenly found herself faintly hopeful for that ’future.’

"Do you trust me, Mrs. Sinclair?"

Holly looked into his earnest, deep eyes that were so close.

Being firmly placed in someone’s future felt like this.

The wind passed through the treetops, carrying the warmth of midsummer, and Holly gently nodded.