Hell Hath no fury like a billionaire's Ex

Chapter 144: Couldn’t be any Better

Diane’s POV

"Come on, Mrs. Soon-to-be-Hemsworth," Noah said, taking my hand as we walked toward the elevator. "Let’s go celebrate the beginning of our forever."

The elevator ride down felt different from the one I’d taken up just hours earlier. Where I’d been panicked and terrified about losing everything, now I felt like I was floating on air. The engagement ring caught the light with every small movement of my hand, sending tiny rainbows dancing across the elevator walls.

"I still can’t believe you pulled that off," I said, shaking my head in amazement. "I genuinely thought the company was falling apart."

Noah grinned, that boyish expression that made my heart skip. "Joan’s idea, actually. She said we needed to get your adrenaline pumping to make the surprise even better."

"Well, it worked," I laughed. "My heart is still racing."

As we reached the parking garage, Noah suddenly stopped and pulled me into his arms. "I have something to confess," he said, his voice taking on a more serious tone.

My stomach fluttered with nerves. "What is it?"

"I’ve been planning this for months," he admitted, his hands coming up to cup my face. "Every detail, every moment of tonight. But there’s one thing I didn’t plan for."

"What’s that?"

His thumb traced along my cheekbone. "How absolutely incredible you’d look when you said yes. How beautiful you are right now, in this moment. I thought I knew how much I loved you, but seeing you accept my proposal, seeing you so happy..." He shook his head. "I love you even more than I thought possible."

The sincerity in his voice made my eyes well up with tears again. "Noah—"

"I know this is moving fast," he interrupted gently. "And I know you’ve been hurt before. But I want you to know that I’m not Liam. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to change my mind or decide I want something different. You’re it for me, Diane. You and Dylan and Danielle—you’re my entire world."

I reached up and kissed him, pouring all of my love and gratitude into that kiss. When we pulled apart, I was breathless.

"I love you too," I whispered. "More than I ever thought I could love anyone again."

Noah’s smile was radiant. "Good. Because I have plans for us tonight, and I want you to know exactly how cherished you are."

He led me to the car, but instead of heading toward my place or his, he turned in the opposite direction. "Where are we going?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"It’s a surprise," he said mysteriously. "But first, I need to make a stop."

He pulled up in front of my house, and I looked at him in confusion. "I thought you said—"

"I need you to pack a bag," he explained. "We’re going somewhere special for the weekend. Just the two of us."

My heart began to race again, but this time with excitement rather than panic. "Noah, I can’t just disappear. I have responsibilities, Dylan and Danielle need—"

"Already taken care of," he said smoothly. "Your parents are watching the twins, Sarah is helping, and Joan cleared your schedule for Monday. All you need to do is pack whatever you’d like to wear."

I stared at him in amazement. "You really have thought of everything, haven’t you?"

"I told you," he said, getting out of the car and coming around to open my door. "I’ve been planning this for months. Every detail."

Inside the house, I moved toward my bedroom to start packing, but Noah gently caught my arm. "Actually," he said, his voice slightly nervous, "I took the liberty of getting you a few things."

He led me to the living room, where several elegant shopping bags were arranged on the coffee table. My breath caught as I recognized the logos—Just For You boutiques.

"Noah, you didn’t have to—"

"I wanted to," he said simply. "Open them."

With trembling hands, I began to explore the bags. The first contained a stunning cocktail dress in deep emerald green, made of silk that felt like water between my fingers. The second held a casual but elegant sundress in flowing cream fabric.

"These are gorgeous," I breathed, holding up the cocktail dress. "But Noah, this must have cost—"

"Don’t worry about that," he said, moving closer. "I want to spoil you, Diane. I want to give you beautiful things and see you light up the way you’re lighting up right now."

The last bag contained shoes, jewelry, and even a small selection of toiletries and makeup. Everything was perfect, chosen with obvious care and attention to my preferences.

"How did you know my sizes?" I asked, still in awe.

Noah’s cheeks reddened slightly. "I may have enlisted Joan’s help with some of the details."

I laughed, imagining my best friend conspiring with my fiancé. "Is there anyone who wasn’t in on this plot?"

"Actually," Noah said, checking his watch, "we should get going. Our dinner reservation is in an hour."

Twenty minutes later, I emerged from my bedroom wearing the emerald dress, my hair swept up in an elegant chignon, and the diamond earrings Noah had included in one of the shopping bags. When I walked into the living room, Noah’s reaction was everything I could have hoped for.

His eyes widened, and he actually took a step back. "Diane," he breathed, "you look absolutely stunning."

I blushed, suddenly feeling shy. "You like it?"

"Like it?" He moved toward me, his eyes never leaving mine. "I can barely form coherent thoughts right now. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen."

The drive to the restaurant was filled with easy conversation and comfortable silences. Noah kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding mine, occasionally lifting our joined hands to press a kiss to my knuckles. Every time he did it, my heart fluttered.

"Can I ask you something?" I said as we pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot.

"Anything."

"Why me?" The question had been burning in my mind since he’d proposed. "You could have anyone, Noah. You’re successful, handsome, kind...why choose someone with as much baggage as I have?" noveldrama

Noah parked the car and turned to face me fully. "Because you’re not baggage, Diane. You’re strength. You’re resilience. You’re a woman who has been knocked down repeatedly and keeps getting back up. You’re a mother who would do anything for her children. You’re a leader who inspires everyone around her."

He reached over and took my hand again. "But more than that, you’re the woman who makes me want to be better. When I’m with you, I feel like the best version of myself. You challenge me, you inspire me, you make me laugh. You’re beautiful, yes, but you’re also brilliant and brave and kind. How could I not fall in love with you?"

Tears were threatening to spill over again. "Noah—"

"Plus," he added with a grin, "you’re one hell of an audacious woman I know."

I laughed through my tears. "You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Never," he confirmed, leaning over to kiss me softly. "It’s one of my favorite things about you."

The restaurant was intimate and elegant, with soft lighting and a view of the city skyline. Noah had clearly chosen it carefully—it was romantic without being stuffy, upscale without being pretentious. Our table was in a quiet corner, perfect for conversation.

"So," I said after we’d ordered, "tell me about your evil plan. How long have you really been scheming this?"

Noah’s eyes twinkled. "Remember that day at the office when you mentioned you’d never had a proper proposal? That you’d just gotten a ring shoved at you during a fight?"

I nodded, remembering the conversation.

"That’s when I knew I wanted to give you everything you’d never had. A real proposal, with thought and effort and all the romance you deserved."

"And Joan was in on it from the beginning?"

"She was actually the one who suggested the fake crisis," Noah admitted. "She said you needed to be properly surprised, and that meant getting you somewhere you wouldn’t expect it."

I shook my head in amazement. "I’m going to have to get her back for that. Do you know how terrified I was?"

"I’m sorry about that part," Noah said, looking genuinely sorry. "But you have to admit, it made the surprise even better."

"It did," I agreed. "Though I think I lost about ten years of my life in that elevator."

We talked throughout dinner, sharing stories and dreams for the future. Noah told me about his plans for expanding his personal business, and I found myself opening up about my own ambitions—ideas I’d put on hold.

"I want to do something meaningful," I said as we shared dessert. "Something that makes a difference, not just generates profit."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I’ve been thinking about women’s empowerment," I said, the idea crystallizing as I spoke. "Programs for women going through divorce, helping them rebuild their lives and careers. Maybe even a foundation."

Noah’s eyes lit up. "That’s incredible, Diane. You’d be amazing at that."

"You think so?"

"I know so," he said firmly. "You’ve lived through it, you understand the challenges, and you have the business acumen to make it work. Plus, you’d be helping other women the way Joan helped you."

The idea excited me more than anything had in months. "We could partner with law firms, provide job training, maybe even seed funding for women starting their own businesses."

"I’d love to help," Noah said. "Whatever you need—funding, connections, expertise—I’m in."

I reached across the table and took his hand. "Thank you for believing in me."

"Thank you for letting me."

After dinner, Noah drove us to the Wellington hotel downtown. My eyebrows rose as we pulled up to the elegant hotel.

"Noah, this is—"

"Where we’re staying tonight," he finished. "I hope you don’t mind."

Mind? I was practically vibrating with excitement. "It’s perfect."

As we approached the front desk, Noah turned to me. "I need to run down to the wine cellar quickly. They have a special bottle I wanted to get for tonight. Why don’t you go up to the room? I’ll be right behind you."

He handed me a key card, and I felt a flutter of anticipation. "Room 1247," he said. "Take your time getting comfortable."

The elevator ride to the twelfth floor felt like the longest few minutes of my life. When I reached the room and slid the key card, I expected to find a standard hotel room, albeit a nice one.

Instead, I opened the door to find a scene that took my breath away.