#Lila's POV#
The jet wheels touched down with a hum, and Los Angeles welcomed them back with its glowing skyline. Everything was as it had been—except Lila. The woman who returned from Geneva wasn't the same one who boarded the plane.
She was still processing the last few days—nights stitched together with heat, tension, silence, and one whispered "I love you" that haunted every thought since. Rowan had given her space, yet filled every breath.
The next day, Piper bounced into Lila's room with barely contained excitement.
"We're going out tonight," she declared, handing over a sleek box with a grin too wide to be casual.
"What's this?"
"Something just right for the vibe. We're celebrating, babe—deals closed, success unlocked. It's time."
Inside was a mauve silk dress, soft as breath, sensual as sin. Lila lifted it to the light—backless, with delicate lace tracing down her spine like whispered promises. Paired with nude heels, simple earrings, and a soft updo, she looked like poetry.
She didn't know where they were headed. She didn't know everyone was already waiting.
Rowan stood beneath strings of gold fairy lights at a private rooftop venue he'd reserved. The skyline shimmered. Piper and Nico mingled with friends and colleagues, champagne glasses in hand. A low melody played in the background, and anticipation vibrated like electricity.
Then she walked in.
Gasps were heard. Conversations paused. Time slowed.
Rowan saw her. Every nerve in his body recognized the moment.
He waited until laughter had softened and everyone was settled, then stepped forward, his heart pacing louder than the music. Taking her hand, he spoke to her and only her:
"I searched through crowded rooms… expensive colognes, tailored suits, and cities. But nothing haunted me the way you did. Every moment since you entered my world has been like the first breath of something real."
Then he went down on one knee.
The crowd stilled. Piper held her breath. Nico muttered a soft "About damn time."
Rowan pulled out a small velvet box and opened it—an emerald ring crowned with a halo of diamonds, glinting like forever under the lights.
His voice trembled, but not from doubt.
"Lila Penrose, will you be the girl to just my cologne—and spend forever with me?"
Lila gasped, eyes wide and glassy. The moment swirled around her like dream mist.
A beat. A tear. A laugh.
Then:
"To just your cologne?" she whispered, overcome with awe.
"Yes," he said, standing slowly, his gaze locked on hers.
She smiled, full and certain.
"Then absolutely, yes."
Applause exploded. Piper screamed. Nico whistled. But all Lila heard was the rhythm of his heartbeat—and that lingering scent she'd never stop chasing.
Forever had just begun.
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Epilogue: A Trace of Forever
One Year Later
The waves of Malibu whispered softly against the shore. The golden sun slipped low behind the horizon, casting warm honey light over the deck of the private beach house. Wine glasses clinked gently. Laughter rose and fell in the breeze.
Inside, a soft record played old soul. The air smelled of roasted herbs, salt, and something still familiar—his cologne.
Lila Vale, once Lila Penrose, stood barefoot in a soft silk robe, hair loose and damp from a twilight swim, her fingers curled around a teacup. The delicate emerald and diamond ring still caught the light just so. Her belly, barely rounding with the smallest bloom of new life, rose and fell in peaceful rhythm.
Rowan stepped behind her silently, wrapping strong arms around her waist. His lips brushed her neck.
"You're wearing that perfume again," he murmured.
She smiled. "It's payback for the cologne that changed everything."
Their home was quiet tonight—no meetings, no games, no boardrooms or rooftop cocktails. Just them. A marriage of fire and patience, seduction and sanctuary.
Outside, Piper laughed loudly at something Nico said—yes, Nico, who swore he'd never fall, was now tangled in his own mess of a love story.
Rowan turned Lila in his arms, eyes still lost in her like day one. "Do you ever think," he asked, "how a scent became a destiny?"
Lila leaned in, kissing the corner of his lips. "It wasn't just your cologne," she whispered. "It was you."
And in that quiet lull, before music and moonlight swallowed the evening whole, Lila rested her head on his chest and smiled. The feeling she once couldn't touch… had touched her back.
Forever wasn't loud.
It was this.
#Lila's Note#:
To everyone who has ever thought that love might be just a fleeting moment or a mere whisper in the wind, I'll say this—sometimes, it's the small things that make the loudest impact. A fragrance, a glance, a shared silence. It's never the grand gestures that make you fall; it's the moments that catch you by surprise, the ones you never saw coming.
I found my forever in a trace of cologne. I found it in Rowan's quiet strength, his patience, and the way he made every day feel like a new beginning.
I didn't just fall for a man. I fell for a feeling. And when I surrendered to it, I realized that life was never meant to be lived in hesitation. Sometimes, you must play the game—but never forget that you're in charge of your own moves.
To the ones still searching for something that feels like home—trust that it will come. Keep your heart open. Keep dancing, even when you think you've lost your rhythm. And when it finds you, don't be afraid to hold on tightly.
I did. And now, here we are—forever.
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'Rowan's Note#:
People like to think love is about finding the perfect timing or waiting for some moment of destiny. But what they don't tell you is that sometimes love is less about finding someone, and more about recognizing them when they walk right past you. It's about a scent. A look. A feeling you can't ignore.
For me, it was Lila. I didn't plan for this. I didn't want to fall, not the way I did. But when she entered my world, I felt it. The way she made everything real. The way her laughter cracked open parts of me I didn't know were closed.
I had my life all mapped out. Or at least I thought I did. She showed me that the best moments are the ones you can't predict. The moments that stop you in your tracks. The moments that make you believe in something bigger than yourself.
I never imagined that something as simple as cologne could change the course of my life. But Lila? She's everything I never knew I needed—and everything I'll never let go of.
If you're reading this, I want you to know that sometimes the hardest part of love isn't letting go. It's learning to hold on.
And for Lila, I'll hold on forever.
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The End