The Red String Between Us: Part III Eternal Thread

第47章 The Price of Forever

The sun dipped lower, casting golden light through the massive windows. Eden curled onto one of the velvet sofas, still absorbing every detail, every corner of the estate. Kenji poured them both glasses of wine from the kitchen's built-in cooler and settled beside her, his arm draped warmly around her shoulders.

"Kenji," she said softly, almost afraid to ask, "how much did this place cost?"

He didn't flinch, only met her gaze. " Thirty two million."

Her eyes widened, breath catching in her throat.

He silenced her protest with a gentle smile, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "It was worth every cent. Not for the land, not for the marble, not for the lake. For you. For us. A place no one can take away."

Eden's throat tightened. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the calm rhythm of his heartbeat. "It's beautiful. It's overwhelming. But you know we're both still in Hokkaido. When would you even... want to move in?"

He kissed the top of her head, answering simply, "When the time is right. For now, it can wait. Think of it as a promise for the future."

Her shoulders eased. A promise-yes, that she could accept.

The night stretched around them, the vast house oddly intimate despite its size. They wandered upstairs, their laughter echoing faintly as they peeked into bedrooms, tested the softness of chairs, and finally slipped into the master suite.

The room was breathtaking-glass walls opening onto a private balcony, the city lights glittering far in the distance. Eden sank onto the king-sized bed, the silk sheets cool beneath her, while Kenji loosened his shirt and set his watch on the nightstand.

He leaned over her, his lips brushing against hers slowly, deliberately. "Do you know what I want most?"

"What?" she whispered.

"Not the house. Not the money. Just this. You. Every night. Every morning."

Her chest fluttered as he kissed her again, deeper this time. She tangled her fingers into his hair, losing herself in the warmth of his body, the steadiness of his touch. The tension of the past weeks-the wedding stress, the townhouse issues, the headlines-all dissolved as he spoke softly against her ear, guiding her through the intimacy like only he could.

After, they lay entwined, the silence broken only by the sound of their breaths and the faint hum of the Jacuzzi bubbling outside. Eden traced her finger over his arm and whispered, "So tomorrow... back to Hokkaido?"

He nodded, pressing a kiss against her temple. "Tomorrow. But tonight, this is ours."

And with that, they drifted into sleep, the promise of their shared future settling around them like the walls of the home he had given her.