Chapter 12
Apr 30, 2025
Miranda’s POV
I was sitting at the edge of Grandfather’s bed, watching him slowly sip from the cup of warm chamomile tea I had made him.
The air smelled faintly of mint and lavender, the scent he always liked to have around to help him relax. The hospital room was quiet except for the occasional beeping of the monitor next to his bed and the faint chatter of nurses outside.
He looked at me over the rim of his cup, and I could see the question forming in his eyes before he even said it. “So, Miranda… what do you think of Damon?”
I blinked, caught off guard by the abruptness. He had asked me this before, but this time, I sensed a different tone, one that felt final, almost pressing.
I shrugged, offering a soft smile. “He’s okay, Grandfather. I mean, we’ve had a few conversations. He seems… intense, but thoughtful. And he did come all the way to meet me even after telling me he had no interest in the arrangement.”
Grandfather hummed. “And? Would you marry him?”
I hesitated. The question echoed louder this time, because now it wasn’t just an abstract idea or a family legacy, it was real. The date was set. Preparations had begun. There was no going back.
“Yes,” I said quietly. “If it’s what you want, Grandfather, I will marry him.”
His smile grew, gentle but filled with so many emotions I couldn’t place. Pride. Relief. Maybe even a bit of sadness. “Thank you, my dear. You have no idea what this means to me.”
I placed my hand over his, squeezing it gently. “Can I ask you something though?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Of course.”
“Why him? Why Jeremiah? Why is this arrangement so important to you?”
He furrowed his brows. “Jeremiah? Who is Jeremiah?”
I slap myself mentally. “I meant Damon.”
His eyes twinkle as he asked. “Are you in love with a certain Jeremiah?”
“What?” I snorted. “Of course not. That was a slip of tongue.”
He leaned back against the pillows, his eyes growing distant with memory. “Back to your question then, years ago, I made a promise to Damon’s father. We were business partners and, more importantly, close friends. We had this idea of merging our families, not just through business, but through blood. A marriage between our children seemed like the perfect way.”
He paused to take another sip, then continued. “When he died, I felt like it was my duty to carry on what we planned. His son, Damon, as you now know is all that remains of his family. And you, Miranda, are my legacy.”
I frowned. “But what if he’s not the right one for me? What if we’re too different, or…” I trailed off, unsure of what I was really trying to say.
Grandfather turned to me, his eyes sharper now. “Do you believe in fate?”
“I don’t know. I believe in choices.”
He nodded. “Good. Then choose to believe in this one.”
I wanted to say something more, to question it further, but he shifted in the bed and changed the subject.
“There’s more to Damon than what you see.”
I tilted my head. “What do you mean?”
He exhaled deeply. “He has a long history of failed relationships. He doesn’t believe in love anymore.”
My stomach tightened, and immediately my mind replayed that memory, his first day at the company, the way he held that woman in his office like he owned her lips, like she’d always belonged to him.
I had turned away quickly back then, telling myself it was none of my business. But now, it felt like it was everything.
“Why doesn’t he believe in love?” I asked.
“A woman broke him. Years ago. He doesn’t talk about it, but I know. I watched the change in him. He became colder, more focused, more driven. But also, more detached.”
“And you want me to… what? Heal him?”
“Change him.”
I laughed, a soft, breathy sound. “That’s not how it works, Grandfather. You can’t just assign someone the task of changing another person’s heart.”
“I know. But I believe you can. You’re not like other women, Miranda. You see through people. You’re patient. Smart. You’re strong. You can reach him in ways others have failed.”
I didn’t respond right away. The responsibility was suffocating, and yet… something in me stirred. A curiosity. Maybe even a challenge.
“I’ll try my best,” I said finally.
“That’s all I ask.”
The conversation lingered in my head as I left the hospital. I walked the long hallway back to the parking lot with my thoughts running wild.
Marrying Damon wasn’t just about fulfilling a promise now, it was about fixing a man who had stopped believing in love. And for reasons I couldn’t fully explain, I wanted to.
I wasn’t sure what lay ahead. But for now, I have made my choice
