The Billionaire Who Stole My Heart

Ronald was never keen on people invading his personal space.

With Kari in his life, this sentiment only intensified.

Kari, understanding him deeply, beamed, "I'm so thrilled."

She had initially feared opposition from Willa.

Fortunately, it never came.

Ronald felt a softness in his heart, "If you're happy, I'm happy."

Kari leaned in for a kiss, "Ronald, we're going to be together for a long time."

Ronald lifted her in his arms, responding warmly.

"Let me show you around our home."

Kari clung to his neck, her eyes sparkling with joy, "Yes, please."

The villa was Ronald's first major purchase with his own earnings, a testament to his independence from the Malone family legacy.

He bought it and, through some connections, put it under Kari's name.

Back then, he wasn't sure where their relationship was headed, but he wanted to give her everything precious to him.

Ever since his mother passed away, Ronald felt incomplete, like a circle missing a piece, unable to become whole again... until Kari came into his life.

Suddenly, that missing piece was found, making him whole once more.

Kari was delighted to find that every corner of the villa was to her liking.

Especially a massive floor-to-ceiling window that offered a panoramic view of Imperial City's landscape.

"Do you remember what I promised you?" Ronald whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist, his voice husky, "That one day, we'd have a huge window like this, where we could gaze at the night sky anytime..." Kari's heart fluttered, her gaze instinctively meeting Ronald's.

They traveled back in time to when they were fifteen.

That year, Ronald had just lost his mother and was forced to stay at their place.

Willa's rental had only two tiny rooms, barely fitting a queen-sized bed, leaving no room for anything else.

Situated on a lower floor, the

apartment was plagued with dampness, especially during the

rainy season, leaving everything

inside, including the bed, perpetually

moist.

One rainy night, with Willa working overtime at the factory, Kari couldn't stand the damp sheets and got up, finding Ronald still up, studying.

"Bro, why aren't you resting?" she asked.

Ronald, prepping for his exams,

couldn't afford to slack off. Concerned about Kari in her thin pajamas, he got up, fetched a facket, and draped it over her, "Did I wake you?"

"No, it's just the bed's damp, can't sleep."Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Kari leaned against the wall, "Bro, will we ever live in a big house?"

Ronald gave up studying for the moment, sat down with her, "What's your idea of a good house?"

Kari, her interest piqued, elaborated, "It should have a huge

floor-to-ceiling window, to see the sun every day, rooms that are always dry, with clean and neat sheets."

Ronald chuckled, "Is that all?"

Her wishes were modest, yet he felt powerless to fulfill them.

Kari, hands propped under her chin, eyes full of hope, "For now, that's all I can think of."

"But, bro, whether or not I get that huge window, I hope we'll always be together."

Ronald knew she meant it innocently.

But for a moment, he felt a burning ember fall into his heart, slowly sinking deeper, until it took root.

As Kari shared her dreams for the future, she eventually fell asleep on the table.

Watching her peaceful face, Ronald sighed.

He went back to his room, changed the damp sheets, and carried Kari back to bed.

The next day, he brought home a small bag of lime, placing it in the corners of the room to absorb the moisture.

From then on, the dampness in the room significantly decreased.

Kari thought they had simply weathered the rainy season.

It wasn't until they were moving out that she discovered the lime in the corner, the secret to their dryer days.