Chapter 56: The Beginning of Our Romance

Chapter 56: Chapter 56: The Beginning of Our Romance

"Alright," he whispered. "I’ll go downstairs so you can rest. I also need to make some calls about the wedding and clear my schedule."

Henry gave a small nod. "Alright."

Elisha leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to his forehead before quietly getting out of bed and leaving the room.

He pulled the door closed behind him and walked down the hallway toward the grand staircase. Once downstairs, he headed into the living room and took out his phone to call Sarah about the wedding arrangements and clear his schedule.

Before he could tap the screen, his phone buzzed in his hand, and Victoria’s name appeared on the display.

Elisha immediately answered and brought the phone to his ear. "Victoria."

"Congratulations, bro!" Victoria’s voice came through the speaker, bright with excitement. "Mom just called me and told me about you and Henry. I heard they’ve agreed to the marriage. Honestly, I still can’t believe you two are getting married in two weeks."

Elisha let out a short chuckle. "Thanks, sis. I still can’t quite believe it myself."

"So, my little bro is actually getting married," Victoria teased.

"Yes," Elisha said with a smile, shaking his head.

"I’m really happy for you," Victoria said, her voice turning more sincere. "I’ve always known you had deep feelings for Henry."

Elisha smiled. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Of course," Victoria replied. "You’re always getting jealous whenever Henry is with someone else. You’ve been like that for years."

Elisha chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I never realized it was that obvious. Thank you, sis. That means a lot."

Elisha leaned back with a smile, but it slowly faded as he thought about Henry’s exhaustion and the uncertainty he had seen in his eyes.

Victoria noticed the change in his voice. "Wait. Why do you sound so quiet? Aren’t you happy? Is something wrong?"

Elisha sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I am happy, Vic. More than happy. But Henry doesn’t seem to be. He’s completely drained, and I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried talking to him, but I can tell he’s still overwhelmed."

There was a brief pause on the line before Victoria let out a sympathetic sigh.

"Well, how do you expect him to be completely fine, Elisha? Everything has happened so quickly. The wedding date was decided without giving him much time to process it, you two haven’t even had a proper dating phase, and on top of that... you never even proposed to him."

Elisha froze, his hand going still at his side.

"You went from having your relationship exposed, to being called into a family meeting, and then suddenly finding out that you were getting married in two weeks," Victoria continued. "Of course Henry feels overwhelmed. Everything happened so quickly, and you two haven’t even had the chance to properly date and enjoy being together before everyone started planning your marriage."

"I know," Elisha murmured. "But what was I supposed to do? I love him, Vic. I wanted to make sure nothing could come between us or tear us apart. But I want him to be happy too. I don’t want him to feel trapped or regret marrying me. I want him to truly want this marriage as much as I do."

Victoria listened quietly for a moment before speaking again.

"Then you need to fix that," she said firmly. "You have two weeks. Use that time to give him what you should have given him from the beginning. Ask him to be your boyfriend properly. Take him out. Woo him. And yes, propose to him."

Elisha listened carefully.

"Do everything you know he loves. Pay attention to him and show him how much he means to you. The wedding may be happening quickly, but that doesn’t mean you have to rush the romance. Give him the courtship he never got. And even after the wedding, keep doing those things until he feels comfortable and has had enough time to relax and truly enjoy being married to you. Don’t ever use the fact that you’re married as a reason to pressure him into anything."

Elisha remained silent for a moment, letting her words sink in. "You’re right," he said. "I’ll do it. I’ll do everything you just said, starting today."

"Good," Victoria said. "Now go spoil your man. You have a lot of work to do."

"Thank you, sis. Really."

"Anytime, Eli. And call me if you need help with the ring or anything else."

"Of course."

They said their goodbyes, and the call ended.

Elisha lowered his phone, his mind already racing with ideas. Without wasting another second, he called his driver and asked him to bring his car over to Henry’s house.

Once the call ended, Elisha quietly went back upstairs. He pushed the bedroom door open and peeked inside to check on Henry. Afternoon light filtered through the blinds, and Henry was curled up under the duvet, fast asleep.

Elisha smiled softly and quietly turned away, careful not to disturb him.

He slipped into his shoes and left the room. He headed downstairs, and by the time he reached the front entrance, his driver had already arrived with his car.

He slipped on his shoes, then quietly left the room and headed downstairs. He went into the living room and waited for his driver to arrive.

A short while later, his driver pulled up outside the house. Elisha stepped outside and got into the back seat.

"Let’s go to Vanessa’s place," he said.

The driver pulled away from the house and headed down the street.

Not long after, they arrived at Vanessa’s place. Vanessa came out and joined Elisha in the back seat. As soon as she got in, Elisha told her about the wedding, his conversation with Victoria, and his realization that Henry needed more time. He explained that he needed her help and told her exactly what he wanted to do for Henry.

Vanessa’s eyes lit up. "Congratulations, friend! I understand everything you’re saying, and I love it. Say no more. I’m on your team. Let’s make this unforgettable."

From there, the two of them got to work. They contacted the planners, made arrangements, and chose details that matched Henry’s tastes. Elisha wanted everything to be perfect, but more importantly, he wanted every detail to feel personal.

Back at the estate, Henry eventually stirred awake. Still half-asleep, he rolled over and reached for Elisha, only to find the other side of the bed empty.

Frowning, he picked up his phone and called Elisha.

Elisha’s phone rang while he was discussing the arrangements with Vanessa. He glanced at the screen and immediately answered.

"Hey, pretty."

"Have you gone back to your place?" Henry asked, his voice still heavy with sleep.

"Not yet, baby. I’m coming back soon. I just had to quickly run out to meet a client."

Henry was quiet for a moment. "A client? On a weekend?"

"Yes, pretty. I’ll be back soon. I promise."

As Elisha spoke, Vanessa suddenly called out. "Elisha, look at these! What do you think about using these exact colors for—"

Elisha froze. "Vanessa!" he hissed, quickly raising a hand for her to stop.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the call. "Who was that?" Henry asked.

Elisha said quickly. "Ah... just a friend, Henry. I’m wrapping things up. I’ll be back soon."

Henry was quiet for a moment before answering, his voice slightly suspicious. "Alright. I’m waiting."

Then, the call ended.

Elisha let out a quiet laugh and shook his head. "That was close."

Vanessa chuckled. "Sorry."

"It’s fine," Elisha said before diving right back into the arrangements with her.

Hours later, everything was finally ready. Vanessa and the support team worked alongside Elisha and his driver, loading everything into the cars.

Elisha turned to Vanessa and pulled her into a brief hug. "Thank you, V. I genuinely couldn’t have pulled this off without you."

"Go get your man," Vanessa said with a grin, waving him off as she headed home.

Elisha got into the car beside his driver. Once everything was loaded, they drove straight back to Henry’s house, ready to set up the surprise...