Here is Chapter Forty-Three of Marked by the Billionaire — a chapte
The apartment was quiet for the first time in days. Not the uneasy silence of fear, but a softer, restful one. The kind that came after a battle had been fought and won—at great cost.
Maria stood at the balcony, wrapped in one of Alexander's shirts, staring out at the sunrise bleeding gold across the skyline. The city below was waking up, oblivious to the war they had just survived.
Behind her, Alexander emerged from the bedroom. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"How's Junior?" she asked.
"Asleep again," he murmured. "Doctor said he's healthy. Just shaken."
She nodded slowly. "He didn't deserve any of it."
"Neither did you."
Maria turned, finally facing him. "You never gave up on me, even when I tried to push you away."
He cupped her cheek. "Because I saw you—long before you even remembered who you were. You were always more than just a maid, Maria. You were a fighter."
Her eyes glistened. "I don't want to keep running anymore, Alex. I want peace. I want love."
"You have it," he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers. "You have all of me. No more shadows. No more secrets."
Later That Week
The media had a field day with the arrests of Nia Mbeki and the official confirmation of Chuka's death. Rumors swirled about underground empires and a missing heiress who'd reclaimed her life in the arms of a billionaire.
Maria ignored the headlines.
Instead, she focused on helping Junior heal, volunteering at a women's shelter, and working alongside Alexander to rebuild the foundation Jemima had left behind—but this time, for good.
No more lies. No more hidden agendas.
Just purpose.
One Evening...
Alexander brought her to the rooftop where they'd first kissed. The city lights shimmered below like stars.
"I've been waiting for the right time," he said, pulling something from his pocket.
Maria's breath caught.
A ring.
Simple, elegant. Gold with a single diamond.
"Maria... will you marry me? Not because we share pain, not because of what we survived. But because I love you."
She stared at him, heart swelling, tears threatening.
"Yes," she whispered, voice thick with emotion. "A thousand times, yes."