Arctic Heart [#Wattys2018 Winner]

Epilogue

Thank you for letting me breathe through this story. I missed writing stories with light plot that's why I wrote this. Hope you enjoy being with Jace and Zarina because I really enjoyed writing them. See you in my next stories!

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Epilogue

"Let us all welcome Architect Jace Lael Sy, the new President of Talavera Corporation." The emcee announced.

With hands on my pocket, I walked straight to the center of the stage. The emcee gave me the microphone that I immediately received in order for me to speak with the guests.

I turned to the guests, scanning the hall before I found the eyes I wanted to look at.

There she was... my fianceé.

She smiled at me while clapping her hands gracefully. She was looking so proudly at me that I wanted to do my best with the speech that I was going to voice out.

I didn't exactly know how it all started.

Among all my admirers before, she was the most annoying one. It annoyed me how she threw herself to me, endlessy confessing that she liked me, following me around the campus whenever she can, embarrassing herself just to try and get my attention, and even though I was rejecting her frankly, she still wouldn't stop pursuing me.

My heart suddenly gave a one big pound when she fell onto the floor because I recklessly turned to her that result our collision. She lost her balanced and fell. I suddenly felt guilty. I didn't mean it!

I heard some of our schoolmates started to whisper about her. Her eyes remained looking at the floor while she bit her lower lip.

I felt responsible for what happened. I swore, I didn't mean to hurt her. It was an accident!

"Zarina!"

Her friend kneeled beside her.

"I told you not to try, Zarina. I told you to stop," she emphatically said.

But knowing Zarina, she was hard-headed and very persistent. She didn't listen to her friend and raised her head to look at me before standing up. She smiled sweetly at me like I haven't done anything wrong to her.

"If you will attend my debut and be my escort, I promise to stop bothering you after that. I promise to do my best and stop liking you," she bravely stated all her promises. "I promise, Jace. I don't usually make promises, but I promise."

Those who heard her vocal invitation started to laugh, but she didn't even care about them. She was still smiling at me like she wasn't being laughed at.

"Okay," I simply said before turning my back.

I accepted her invitation to eradicate the guilt that I was feeling. If I'd reject her again, it will just be more embarrassing on her side.

"You need a what?" My mom asked with her eyes wide open.

"I need a tux," I repeated.

"Why would you need a tux?" she asked me. "Well, actually, you already have a tux or suit in your closet. Do you mean, you need a new one?"

I heaved and nodded. "I need a new one," I said. "I'm gonna be an escort in a debut."

Mom over reacted when her jaw literally dropped, while my Dad coughed and almost spilled his coffee.

"You're going to attend a debut?" It was now Dad's turn to interrogate.

"Yes, I am and please, spare me from the interrogation," I timidly said and spreaded butter on the toasted bread.