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I sigh, pulling Talia to her feet, and show her the rest of the house. The bedroom just next door to the master that could easily be converted into a nursery. The huge kitchen, the French doors that lead outside onto a huge patio with an Olympic-sized pool and an outdoor entertaining space.
"It's ten thousand square feet with eight bedrooms, a home theater, wine cellar, tennis courts—everything a family could want. If you like it, I'll buy it for us. Then you and the baby can be comfortable."
"We can be comfortable almost anywhere," she quips. "Honestly."
I grab her hand and graze her knuckles with my lips. "You are thinking too small. Dream big."
Talia hesitates, glancing from the imposing facade of the house to my eager smile. Her fingers twitch in my grip. I plow ahead, picturing cozy nights by the fireplace, family dinners around an oak table fit for royalty, our child's first steps on parquet floors.
"You'll never want for anything again. No more cramped apartments or counting pennies or struggling to get by. I'll give you the world, Talia. You and our daughter will have everything you've ever dreamed of."
My heart swells at the thought, but Talia's hand slips from mine. She takes a step back, pale and withdrawn. She seems shaky.
"I don't need any of this." Her voice cracks. "Not the mansion or the money or the life you're trying to buy me. You have said that all women want this... and I just need you to know that this house is not the reason I choose to stay with you."
The ground shifts beneath my feet. How could she not want this? I struggle for breath, chest tight.
"This is what I'm offering," I say, my eyes narrowing.
"And I appreciate it, but..." Talia shakes her head. "I wantyou, Dare. Not this lavish fantasy world you're trying to create. I want the man I fell in love with, not the billionaire with a castle."
Her words strike deep.
A chill runs through me as Talia's words echo in my mind. Have I lost the man she fell in love with? I can't help but think of the countless hours I spend at the office, buried in endless work, pushing off all other human contact. As I look around this opulent home, I'm filled with a sadness that has nothing to do with money.
Talia steps closer to me and takes my hand again. "Dare," she says softly, her dark eyes full of understanding. "You are so much more than this—than your money and power." She squeezes my fingers gently. "You're strong and brave and kind, too. That's why I fell for you."
Her words soothe something inside me, like a balm on an aching wound. It's been so long since someone saw beyond the billionaire playboy image to the real Dare—the one who spends his days volunteering at soup kitchens and rebuilding houses after natural disasters, the one who believes in second chances. Tears come to my eyes unbidden, and it feels like ages since I've felt this way—since anyone has seen beyond my surface-level persona.
"Talia..." I grit out.
Talia reaches up and cradles my face between her hands, kissing away the tears that have spilled down my cheeks. "You don't have to buy happiness," she whispers against my lips. "It's already here. Make sure you never forget that."
I reach for Talia's hand again, clinging to her like she's the most precious jewel in the world. She doesn't pull away this time.
"I'm sorry," I whisper. "You're right. It's just hard for me to think in terms of you wanting me, not... all the things that I come along with."
A smile flickers on her lips and in her eyes. She squeezes my hand, and for the first time I feel the solid ground beneath my feet. "I've told you already. Stop doing what you think is expected of you. Talk to me instead." She presses my hand to her chest, just over her heart. "Ask me why I love you and I will gladly list off ten reasons. Not a single one of them will be the size of the diamond rings or the number of mansions you have."
Something tightens in my chest. I draw her hand to my lips again, my stomach flipping.
Can I trust that Talia means what she says?
Talia's words echo in my mind as we walk back to the car, hand in hand. Maybe I've been blind, chasing the wrong things.
The mansion looms behind us, cold and empty. I picture Solana running through its halls, Magda baking cookies in the kitchen, Clive tending the gardens. A family to fill these rooms with warmth and laughter.
"What are you thinking?" Talia asks.
I shrug, taking a long time to answer.
"That I was a fool to think a house could give us a home." I pull her close, breathing in the scent of her hair. "You and our daughter are all I need. We'll find a place of our own, something less decadent. All that matters is that we're together."
She smiles up at me, eyes shining. "I like the sound of that."
We reach the car and I open the door for her, heart light. The mansion was a mistake, but I'll try again. Next time, I'll really try to take Talia's personality into the equation. Maybe that will be the ticket.
I slide into the driver's seat and Talia takes my hand, threading our fingers together.She kisses my hand as I back out of the driveway.
