She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 999

Swain was so choked up by her words that he couldn't speak. His chest heaved as if a breath was caught in his throat. Finally, he blurted out, "Think about it for a second. Do you have any idea what a mess your family is? They're a bottomless pit! Since we've been together, I haven't asked you for a single dime, and I've constantly defended you to my parents. After everything I've done, you still think I'm not stepping up?"

He froze the second the words left his mouth. It was as if he only just realized how deeply cutting they were. His lips parted, desperate to backtrack, but the sheer ice in Helena's expression forced him to swallow his excuses.

She stared at him, the last lingering warmth in her eyes fading into absolute zero.

"You finally said it."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"If I wanted to marry you right now, would you do it?" she demanded. "Even if your parents objected, would you look them in the eye and tell them it's your life and your choice? Would you?"

Swain stood paralyzed. He looked away, then back again. "Why are we talking about this now? Weren't we talking about yesterday?"

"Just answer the question." Helena took a step closer. "Would you? Could you stand in front of them and tell them I'm the only one for you?"

Swain's grip tightened around the takeout bag in his hand, his face twisting in an agonizing internal struggle.

Finally, he lowered his head, his voice muffled. "You know how it is. My parents helped me get the house and the car so I could settle down in Metropia. I have to consider their feelings. Just give me some time. Let me get a little more stable, get more leverage at work. Don't force me right now, okay?"

Before his parents had found out about her family's baggage, they had been incredibly supportive of the relationship, and Swain had seemed so fiercely committed.

But now?

His hesitation proved he had taken their warnings to heart. He was already weighing the pros and cons, running the cold, hard math of their future.

Helena looked down at his bowed head, at his miserable, conflicted posture, and suddenly found the whole thing almost comical.

The man she had loved couldn't even say 'I would' without stuttering. All his promises of taking responsibility were just cheap talk. When it came to actual action, there was absolutely nothing.

"Fine." She took a step back. "I won't push you."

Swain's head snapped up, a spark of hope flaring in his eyes.

"Who is it?" she asked casually.

"Oh, just a project partner." Swain placed the phone face-down on the table. But before the screen locked, it lit up one last time, and Helena caught sight of the profile picture at the top of the chat.

She had seen it before. It was the girl from his blind date. She was very pretty.

Helena didn't say a word. She looked back down at her plate. Swain reached out with his fork to grab a piece of shrimp, but his phone buzzed again. He dropped his silverware to reply, completely failing to hide his smile.

"Working on a project this late?" she asked.

Swain paused for a split second before offering a natural, easy smile. "The deadlines are tight, and they're really invested in it. Plus, since we've already met, it makes communicating a lot easier."

"Oh." Helena picked at her greens. "How long have you two been working together?"

"We just finalized things last week. Honestly, I was pretty surprised myself. Time is short, so there's a lot of back-and-forth." His answer was perfectly smooth. He even tacked on, "But don't worry, it's strictly business."