After dinner, we walked together up the grand staircase, leaving behind the tense energy that seemed to saturate the dining room. I could feel Alex's fingers tightening around mine as we made our way to his room, and I let him lead, comforted by the warmth of his hand. Despite the evening's intensity, I noticed a slight smile curling on his lips.

Once we were in his room, he closed the door with a sigh and leaned against it, looking at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You know," he began, crossing his arms and grinning, "there's one upside to all of this drama."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow, curious. "What's that?"

"Well," he started, his tone light, "my dad's off on his usual 'business trip' for the rest of the weekend." He threw up finger quotes around "business trip," making me chuckle. "Which means... he's out of our hair until Sunday."

"And?" I asked, playing along with his theatrics, trying to hold back a grin.

"And!" he exclaimed, coming over to wrap his arms around my waist, pulling me close. "It means we've got the whole place to ourselves. Just us, no lectures, no disapproving looks, and best of all, no one trying to kick you out!"

I laughed, letting my head fall back slightly. "Wow, it really is a miracle! An entire weekend of silence? Without David looming in every doorway?" I teased.

"See?" he said, his eyes lighting up as he looked down at me. "It's perfect. We can relax, binge terrible movies, or do absolutely nothing but stay right here, and no one will be around to interrupt us."

I leaned in, resting my head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. "Sounds amazing," I murmured, my voice muffled against his shirt. "And you don't think anyone's going to... suddenly show up?"

"Oh, I wouldn't put it past my mom to randomly pop by to 'offer us snacks' and ask far too many questions," he said, laughing softly. "But I'll barricade the door if I have to."

I laughed, feeling the tension from the evening melting away in his arms. "Barricades, movie marathons, maybe a fortress made of pillows... I like where this weekend is headed."

His smile softened, and he pulled me over to sit on the bed with him. We settled in comfortably, legs tangled together as we leaned back into the mountain of pillows. "You know, I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to run after what happened down there," he said, sounding uncharacteristically serious. "Things got... intense."

"Are you kidding? This is practically my training ground," I joked, nudging him with my shoulder. "I've survived this long; what's one Beaumont family dinner?"

He laughed, the sound deep and genuine. "Guess you're tougher than I thought," he teased. "Maybe we should make a list of things tougher than a Beaumont family dinner."

"Oh, please. Like there's anything that could compete with that." I rolled my eyes playfully. "But if we had to pick... surviving your mom's cooking, maybe?"

He gasped in mock horror, clutching his chest. "Low blow! My mom's cooking is... okay, it's terrible, but I had to pretend to love it for years."

We both burst into laughter, the kind that's both liberating and silly, the perfect antidote to the evening's tension. After a few moments, we settled into a comfortable silence, and he reached out, stroking my hair as I rested my head against his shoulder.

"So... you're staying?" he asked softly, his fingers gently tracing circles on my back.

"Yes," I replied, closing my eyes and letting the quiet wash over us. "For the whole weekend. You're not getting rid of me that easily, Alex Beaumont."

"Good," he murmured, pressing a light kiss to my forehead. "I don't want you going anywhere."

We lay there, wrapped up in each other, the worries of his family and their expectations fading into the background. For a little while, it was just us-two people tangled up in a mess but managing to find our way through it together.

The weekend stretched out before us like a promise, and for once, there were no shadows from Alex's family. David was away on business, Margaret had lost interest in anything more serious than her next glass of wine, and even Charlotte seemed to have retreated into her own world. For the first time, Alex and I had the Beaumont estate to ourselves, and it felt like the entire house held its breath for us to fill it with our own laughter and stories.

Saturday morning dawned slowly, soft golden light filtering through Alex's oversized windows, warming the room with a peaceful glow. I blinked awake, feeling the silky sheets against my skin and Alex's steady breathing beside me. The mansion's usual formalities seemed to melt away in the privacy of his room, leaving just the two of us.

I turned to find him already awake, his head propped up on one arm, watching me with an affectionate grin.

"Good morning, beautiful," he whispered, his voice warm and lazy.

I stretched, smiling. "Morning. It feels like we're in our own little world here."

"That's the idea." He sat up, stretching his arms above his head before ruffling his own bedhead hair. "And I say we make the most of it. How does a picnic sound?"

I laughed, glancing out at the perfectly manicured lawn that seemed to stretch on forever. "A picnic? You mean in that miniature field out there?"

He gave me a playful shove, laughing. "It's not that big. But yeah, there's this spot by the pond-practically begging for a blanket and way too much food."

"Well, lead the way, my liege," I said, with an exaggerated curtsy, grinning as he rolled his eyes.

Together, we tiptoed down to the kitchen, doing our best to avoid any lingering staff. He rummaged through the cabinets and the fridge, pulling out bread, cheese, fruits, and enough pastries to feed a small army.

"You know we can't possibly eat all of this, right?" I teased, as he packed it all into a large basket.

"It's called options," he replied with a wink. "Besides, you never know when a picnic might turn into an all-day affair."

I snorted, grabbing a few chocolate croissants and tucking them in. "Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you when we're in a food coma later."

With the basket in one hand and a blanket in the other, he led me outside, through the winding garden paths and hedgerows that seemed designed to create hidden worlds within his family's estate. Finally, we reached the pond-a sparkling, calm oasis surrounded by willow trees and wildflowers. Alex spread the blanket out on the grass, setting the basket down with a triumphant grin.

"Voilà," he announced, sinking down beside me as I opened the basket.

"This is honestly the prettiest picnic spot I've ever seen," I said, looking out at the pond where the sun cast shimmers across the water's surface. "Is this some hidden corner of Beaumont-land?"

"Not so hidden," he said, leaning back on his elbows with a smirk. "But definitely my favorite. Haven't had much reason to come here, though."

I handed him a strawberry, which he took with a grin, before popping it into his mouth. "Guess you just needed someone to share it with."

We lounged there, snacking on croissants, sipping on cold sparkling water from a bottle he'd packed, and letting the warm breeze wrap around us. Between bites, we swapped silly stories and half-baked dreams about places we'd travel, things we'd do together. With him beside me, I felt like we could go anywhere, do anything.

After we'd devoured half the basket, we stretched out, watching the clouds drift lazily overhead. Alex pointed out a cloud that he swore looked like a unicorn, which led to a debate that lasted until we were laughing so hard we could barely breathe. Eventually, we let the conversation drift into a comfortable silence, the only sounds being the rustling leaves and the quiet hum of nature around us.

"What's next on the agenda, Mr. Beaumont?" I asked, propping myself up on one elbow to look at him.

He grinned, pretending to think hard. "Well, I happen to know there's a stable on the other side of the property. Ever been horseback riding?"

My eyes widened in surprise. "Nope. Always wanted to try, though."

"Perfect," he said, leaping up and offering me a hand. "Let's make it happen."

He led me to the stables, where a small crew was finishing up morning chores. Alex introduced me to a gentle chestnut mare named Mocha, who nuzzled my hand in greeting. Alex helped me onto her saddle, showing me how to hold the reins and guiding me as we trotted out into the open field. I grinned, exhilarated and slightly nervous as Mocha carried me forward with steady, rhythmic steps. Alex rode beside me on a sleek black stallion, making occasional jokes and offering tips to keep me balanced.

"You're a natural," he called over, watching me closely as we picked up the pace.

"Says the guy who's been doing this since he could walk," I shot back, laughing as I tried to keep my balance.

The horses carried us across the sprawling fields, the view stretching out beneath a wide, open sky. With each moment, my nervousness faded, replaced by the thrill of freedom and the warmth of his smile beside me.

Once we returned the horses to the stables, our next stop was the mansion's private cinema. It was hidden away down a winding corridor, complete with plush velvet seats, a projector screen, and dimmed lights. I let out a gasp as we walked in.

"Of course, you have a cinema in here. Why am I not surprised?" I said, turning to him with a grin.

Alex held up a DVD-a classic rom-com we'd both seen a hundred times. "Feel like something light?"

I laughed, sinking into one of the oversized seats as he joined me, pulling a blanket over us as the movie started. Within minutes, we were whispering sarcastic comments about the characters, doubling over with laughter as we mimicked the overly dramatic lines and absurd plot twists.

"If he proposes on a beach at sunset, I'm calling it," I muttered, grinning.

"Oh, he totally will," Alex whispered back, grinning.

Sure enough, the character dropped to one knee as the sun set behind him, and we burst out laughing, trying to keep quiet. Eventually, we settled down, leaning against each other as the movie played out, more interested in the warmth and comfort between us than in the screen.

When the credits rolled, Alex turned to me, his gaze soft. "This might sound crazy, but... this weekend's the happiest I've felt in a long time."

I looked into his eyes, seeing a sincerity that made my heart skip. "Me too. It's like... all the noise just fades away, and it's just us."

He leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. "Then let's keep it that way for as long as we can."

After the movie, we wandered through the mansion, exploring rooms and halls that felt like a maze of secret worlds. Eventually, we found our way to a private spa, complete with a sauna and a small indoor pool. Alex raised an eyebrow, grinning.

"Ever been in a sauna?"

"Nope, but now's as good a time as any to start."

The heat of the sauna wrapped around us as we settled in, sitting side by side on the warm benches. I closed my eyes, feeling a drowsy, relaxed calm wash over me. After a few moments, Alex's hand found mine, his fingers intertwining with mine as we sat in silence.

"You know," he said softly, "I used to hate all of this-everything about this place. It just felt so... fake."

I opened my eyes, glancing over at him. "But now?"

He smiled, looking down at our hands. "Now, it feels different, real. Because you're here."

I felt a lump form in my throat, squeezing his hand as I smiled back.

That night, we sat on his balcony, a small table set with a simple dinner we'd prepared ourselves. We clinked glasses of sparkling water, laughing and whispering beneath the stars as the world seemed to fall away around us. The city lights glimmered in the distance, but the only light that mattered was the soft glow in his eyes.

When the night grew late, we curled up together in his room, letting our conversations drift and wander until they softened into sleep. We woke up late on Sunday morning, taking our time as we lazed around the mansion. We filled the hours with more laughter, a last leisurely walk through the gardens, and one final ride around the grounds.

On Sunday evening, just as the sun dipped low and cast the estate in a warm, golden glow, we had one last picnic on the lawn. The sky was streaked in pinks and purples, and I felt as if we were suspended in a beautiful, fleeting moment.

"This has been perfect," I murmured, my head resting on his shoulder as we watched the stars slowly begin to appear.

Alex turned to me, his eyes soft with a kind of happiness I hadn't seen before. "Maybe it's a dream," he whispered, "but I don't want to wake up." He said as he kissed my head