Goodbye My Arrogant Ex (Marguerite and Leonard) novel Chapter 167

“You can say that all you want, but in my heart, you’ll always be the one who helped me most.”

“Honestly, ever since I broke up with him, I’ve felt completely lost. Then I met you, and things started to look up. I really don’t want to rely on my family for everything, and I hate making my parents worry about me. But you stepped in and helped me through such a tough time—I could never thank you enough.”

Marguerite’s words were lighthearted, but her gratitude was genuine.

“Well, if you’re really that thankful, don’t just say it. I’d like to see a little sincerity,” Luke replied, flashing a lopsided, unreadable grin.

“Alright, name it. As long as it’s something I can do, I’ll do everything I can to make it happen,” Marguerite answered without hesitation.

They’d known each other for years and were close enough to joke freely, never taking each other’s teasing too seriously.

“You know me—I don’t really need anything. But…”

He paused, then grinned. “Why don’t you just marry me? I happen to be single at the moment.”

“Oh, come on. You know I’m practically engaged already. And yes, I know you don’t have a girlfriend right now, but leave that to me—I’ll find someone amazing for you,” Marguerite shot back with a laugh, clearly not taking his proposal seriously. They’d always joked like this; it was nothing new.

Luke laughed. “Since when do you care about your reputation? That’s a first.”

Outwardly, he kept up the light-hearted banter, but inside, the laughter felt hollow. No one ever took him seriously, he thought. Not even Marguerite. For her sake, he had to act like it was all a joke.

But he meant every word.

“Laura, raise a glass to Mr. Zade,” Marguerite said, changing the subject. “I’ve had a lot going on at home lately, but everyone at his company has looked after you. You really ought to thank him for all his help.”