Devoted Love:The Billionaire's Precious Wife

"We're doing alright." Dave slung an arm around his buddy's shoulder, grinning from ear to ear, "If only he didn't have a knack for bullying and taking advantage, we could be even better."

"Quit bad-mouthing me in front of my fiancée."

Where had he bullied anyone or taken advantage?

"Do you really think Rose's only got eyes for you? As if her pretty little head is filled with nothing but your mug?"

At that moment, Rosemary sized up Romeo's face and found it rather fetching.

He looked even more handsome than he had a few days ago, his features even more pleasing to the eye.

"Notice anything different about me today?" Romeo's gaze fell on Rosemary, oblivious to the others.

"Your hair's shorter." Rosemary chuckled, "And you're wearing the shirt I designed."

"What else?" Romeo admired her with doting eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey, can you two spare a thought for my feelings here??" Dave, with his millions of followers,felt utterly ignored by the pair, which was a blow to his ego.

"Romeo's here?"

In the meantime, Louisa emerged from the main house. Seeing Romeo, she beamed with affection.

"Come on in, take a seat. David, what are you doing clinging to Romeo? Let go!"

She approached her son and whispered, "Can't you give the lovebirds some space? You've been hanging all over Romeo the whole way here, leaving your sister in the dust. To the uninitiated, they'd think you two were the couple."

Dave was riddled with question marks in his head, but before he could clarify, Louisa had already ushered Romeo inside, and in a low voice asked Rosemary, "You going to the Fairfield Manor tonight?"

"Yeah."

Louisa's smile couldn't be wider, "Then I'll have the kitchen prepare the dinner early."

"Alright."

"Romeo's arrived!" Louisa announced as she entered, and the living room filled with grandparents,aunts, and uncles, all coming to greet him.

"It's been a while, the boy's grown even more handsome!" Bernard always had a soft spot for Romeo,seeing him as a young man of many merits, with no flaws to speak of. He affectionately patted his

shoulder, "Come on in, I've been waiting for you."

"He's been looking forward to seeing you, asked about you so many times. A few times he wanted Rose to reach out to you, but I stopped her." Cornelia said with a smile, "Now we've finally got you here."

"I heard from the staff that you brought plenty of gifts. You shouldn't have, really!" Louisa called out,

"Someone bring in some tea and snacks. I'll go check on the kitchen and make sure they speed up the dinner preparations. You've got to head to Fairfield Manor after dinner."

David hadn't expected they'd be off to Fairfield Manor after dinner - a place belonging to Grandpa Phillip and Grandma Shirley.

Suddenly, he had a feeling, as if his sister wasn't really a Collins anymore. She was practically a McMillian now.

He felt a sense of loss, as if he were about to lose his sister.

All the elders fussed over Romeo, who, normally quiet and reserved, was especially charming that day.

Bernard and Cornelia, Darren, Belinda, and even Bard, were all exceedingly pleased with him.

"Romeo's here?"

Just then, a playful voice rang out, as Alma walked in from the garden, her face bright with a smile,

"Now our whole family's truly together."

Laughter filled the room, and Romeo also stood to greet Lucas and Beverly.

"Please, have a seat. We're all family here; no need for formalities." Lucas beamed with admiration at the handsome young man, "Romeo's got to be the son-in-law every elder dreams of having -respectful, good-looking, well-educated, capable, and loyal."

"Lucas, what are you saying? Are you suggesting we're not up to par with him?" David couldn't resist the jab.

"You're a household name, a superstar through and through. My mistake, a Collins never falls far from the tree - Romeo here's proof of that, all charm and charisma, hahaha."

At that moment, Kenneth glanced at his watch, "Make yourselves comfortable. Today marks Rose's first year with us. I've got to whip up something special."

"Dad, please, let Rose spend a nice New Year here. Your skills..." David interjected with a grimace,

"And Mom, let's not turn this evening into an episode of 'Kitchen Nightmares,' okay?"

It was a big holiday, and a trip to the ER was the last thing they needed.

"Right, right, let me handle it. I want to create a memorable and wonderful evening for Rose," Cornelia said while standing up.

"If Cornelia's cooking, then I've got to show my skills too," Belinda announced, rising from her seat.

"No, no, you sit down and relax. I'll do a couple of dishes - one representing your good intentions, and one with my personal touch," Darren said to his wife.

Rosemary wanted to tell everyone not to fuss, but before she could get a word out, they all marched into the kitchen, determined to impress her. Her brothers, not to be outdone, followed suit.

Both kitchen were bustling with activity. In the end, the only ones left idle were Rosemary, Romeo, and Alma.

Sensing the tension, Alma volunteered, "I'll go check if they need any help."

"I'd like to make something for you too," Romeo said gently.

"It's not necessary. We'll have too much food as it is."

"I'll make two dishes." Romeo caressed her cheek, "They'll be your favorites."

He kept the details a mystery.

The six massive fridges at Reflections Villa were stocked with every ingredient imaginable. If anything

was missing, David would take his sister to the property's kitchen garden for some fresh picking.

"Sis, do you like cabbage?" David asked as he noticed the robust heads of cabbage in the garden.

"Sure, anything's fine."

"I'll pick some extra. Let's see what the others whip up for you," David gathered a hefty assortment of veggies, even taking the ones Rosemary had picked, adding them to his basket. He didn't forget to snap

a selfie and post it on Facebook.

[Picking veggies with my sister. Everyone's trying to impress her with their cooking. What should I make to outshine them all? Suggestions welcome!]

The photo captured him holding a large wicker basket, selfie stick in hand, with the lush garden and the silhouette of his sister, busy picking vegetables, in the background.

Within a minute of posting, the selfie amassed thousands of likes and countless comments offering suggestions.

One comment sparked an idea in David. Yes, he'd create an artistic dish - broccoli fashioned into a tree of prosperity, garnished with colorful minced bell pepper, both appealing and simple, with a meaningful message.

It symbolized growth, wealth, and abundance.

An hour later, the dining table was laden with delectable dishes.

Rosemary wasn't idle either, preparing a visually stunning centerpiece.

"Rose, come on over. Stop fussing in the kitchen."

Everyone was eager to explain their culinary creations to Rosemary, each dish with its own special significance.

"Rose, I made this dish called 'Thrivingness'. It's to wish you an ever-rising fortune and better days ahead," Bernard explained.

"Nice!!" A round of applause filled the room.