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Morgan ignored everyone around her, focusing only on Leigh. She dropped to one knee and opened the box, revealing a sparkling diamond ring.
She looked directly into Leigh’s eyes.
“Leigh Rayson, you are the love of my life. I want to fall asleep with you every night and wake up with you every morning for the rest of my life. I want to stand beside you through thick and through thin. I swear, I will never desert you, and I will always fight for you. I love you, Leigh. Would you do me the great honor of being my wife?”
Morgan couldn’t read Leigh’s expression. The guests around them were shocked into silence, but Morgan didn’t care about anyone except Leigh. The silence stretched on and on for what felt like hours, though Morgan knew it couldn’t have been more than a few seconds.
When Leigh spoke, her voice was loud and clear enough for all the surrounding guests to hear.
“Yes.” She beamed at Morgan, incandescent with joy. “I love you too, Morgan. Of course, I’ll marry you.”
She held out her hand and Morgan slipped the ring onto her finger. Leigh reached down to help Morgan to her feet, and the two of them kissed.
The kiss was both a greeting and a promise, a start of their future together. Elation and joy pounded through Morgan’s veins as the guests around them broke into applause.
“What the hell is this! Leigh, this behavior is disgusting! What does your fiancé have to say about this?”
Amanda grabbed Jake’s arm and pulled him forward. Morgan’s insides twisted. She had always known how Amanda would react, but she wasn’t sure about Jake. She knew that this would seriously compromise his own cover. He could be furious with both her and Leigh.
That worry was short-lived.
Jake stepped forward and pulled Leigh into a hug. “Good for you, Leigh. I wish you and Morgan all the happiness in the world.”
Morgan had to fight back a laugh at the look of utter horror on Amanda’s face.
“Don’t think you’ll get away with this abominable behavior! Consider your trust fund officially revoked.”
Leigh stiffened, but Morgan squeezed her hand. “We’re a team, remember. I’m not going to let you starve. I can support both of us until you get a job. We’ll figure it out.”
Then, something happened that Morgan hadn’t accounted for. A woman about Amanda’s age she didn’t recognize stepped forward. She squeezed Leigh’s shoulder and gave her a fond smile.
“Consider my trust fund at your disposal until you get on your feet, Leigh.”
Leigh’s eyes widened. “Truly, Ruth?”
“Truly, my dear. Your bravery tonight has been inspiring. The least I can do is offer you a little assistance in setting up your new life.”
“Count me in on that,” another guest spoke up. “I’ve got a couple of apartments that I don’t use. You’re welcome to stay in any of them, rent free, for as long as you need.”
A younger man stepped forward. “I work in a job placement agency. I’d be happy to give you a free assessment, Leigh. We can see where your talents lie, and what path would be the best for you to take.”
“I know someone in wedding planning who can probably get you crazy discounts on a wedding venue, if you’d like.”
Morgan’s throat was tight, and Leigh’s eyes were brimming with tears. “Thank you,” Leigh choked out. “Thank you, all of you. You don’t know what this means to me. I swear, I won’t waste the opportunities you’re giving me. I’ll create a new life for myself with Morgan, a life where we don’t have to hide.”
Amanda was practically apoplectic with rage. Morgan worried for a moment that she might be about to have a stroke. Her face was bright red and she looked ready to explode. She seemed to be teetering on the edge of screaming at Leigh, but half the room was already glaring at her, and she decided to make a strategic retreat. She turned on her heel and stormed out.
Leigh stared after her, her expression unreadable.
“Are you alright?” Morgan asked her quietly.
“Yes. Yes,” Leigh repeated with more certainty. “I knew she wouldn’t accept me. What I have is exactly what I need, and more than I could ever have hoped for.” She leaned in and captured Morgan’s lips in a sweet kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Leigh.”
Morgan couldn’t believe it was over. She had known coming in that there was a high chance Leigh would turn her down. Instead, she had everything she could ever have wanted.
“What do you say we get out of here?”
