Chapter 199 - Groomsmen And Bridesmaids

Halia and Jackson left the bridge and got back in the white Mercedes. The driver passed them each a bottle of water and drove up the road a little before he reached a dead end.

As Halia glanced out the window, she realized they had reached the castle complex. 

Up close, the castle looked even more amazing than from the bridge. Especially from the side that couldn't be seen earlier.

The crew got special permission to fly a drone above the castle, so as the couple stood on the top of some stairs in the castle, the drone circled their heads to take some photos from above. It was the best way to capture the magnificence of the castle as a whole.

As the couple stood there, Halia decided to ask Jackson more about his friends, "So how did you meet Rowan and Max? Do the three boys know your real identity?"

Jackson shook his head, "I've never told them who I really am, but they've stayed by my side and supported me with no questions asked and I've made sure to never implicate them with any crimes. They followed me from France to China, but apart from getting in a few fights to protect me, they haven't done anything illegal."

"I'm sure they must have suspected something by now."

Jackson then proceeded to tell Halia about how he met Max in Paris and how they ended up opening a restaurant together. After that, he explained how Rowan was originally Amelie's driver when she was undercover in Marseille and how he followed him after his boss died.

Now that he thought back on these memories, he realized that these three guys were like family to him.

"On our wedding day, I'm planning to ask the three boys to be my groomsmen. What do you think?" Jackson asked.

Halia quickly nodded, "Of course. No one else deserves that honor."

"What about you? Who will you get to be your bridesmaids?" Jackson questioned.

From what he knew, Halia didn't have many friends. 

"I was thinking Natalie, Amelie, and Lily," Halia replied. 

Jackson was a little surprised. Natalie was a no-brainer since she was Halia's best friend. But, what about Amelie and Lily?

Halia saw the confusion on Jackson's face. "Amelie and I bonded when she was pretending to be your girlfriend and when we were acting as ghosts," Halia giggled. "Besides, I know she is a really good friend of yours. I don't think she should miss out on being a part of the bridal party just because she's a girl."

"But, you do know that she liked me for a long time, right?" Jackson asked. "Aren't you jealous?"

"She's with Alexander now. Plus, I trust that nothing ever happened between the two of you," Halia replied open-mindedly.

Jackson smiled and patted his fiancee on the head. He had definitely chosen the right person.

"What about Lily, I didn't know that the two of you still kept in touch," Jackson said in surprise.

There was a period of time when Jackson visited the hospital quite often and was treated by Lily each time he went there, but ever since meeting Halia, he had remained relatively injury-free (except for the one time when Halia stitched him up), so he had almost forgotten about the doctors at Peking University Hospital.

"I actually speak to her on the phone at least once a week," Halia replied.

"At first, she was concerned that I left the hospital, so she kept trying to convince me to return. Later, when she discovered that I was working at the bar, she bugged me about seeing a psychiatrist because she thought I was acting strange due to post-traumatic stress. Then, when she realized I was working with you, she started scolding me like crazy. She is honestly a good friend," Halia explained.

Jackson nodded in agreement. "Did you eventually tell her your true identity?" Jackson asked.

"Yes, just before I left for Macau, I explained everything to her," Halia revealed. "She was so happy she even thanked me for risking my life for the sake of others."

"I never felt so proud of my job before."

At that moment, one of the photographers yelled out, "Groom, lift your bride in your arms and look up at the drone."

Jackson looked at Halia and laughed, "Have you gained any weight?"

Halia frowned and shook her head, "No, I'm as light as a feather!"

Jackson laughed and quickly lifted his fiancee in his arms. "You're right...I think I can carry you like this for the rest of my life."

Halia pinched the cheeky man on the nose, "You're such a sweet talker! I better be the only one that you talk to like this!"

"Of course! I'm only sweet to you!" 

The couple then looked up and waved at the drone with a smile. 

Halia watched as the fluffy white clouds floated across the blue sky. She hadn't been this happy and relaxed for a long time. 

"You know, you don't have to necessarily quit your job at Interpol to be able to enjoy your life with me. As long as we take holidays like this every once in a while, I'm more than satisfied," Halia suddenly said. During this trip to Europe, she had finally witnessed Jackson at work properly. It felt like a bit of a waste for him to retire at such a young age. Who would take his place? And would that person be able to do a better job?

"No, I've already decided to quit. I've already invested enough of my life to this job. Plus, I can't bear to be separated from you again. You don't know how much I missed you when I was in France. You can continue with your role in the SPU, I will come to Beijing to be your house husband," Jackson winked.

Halia wrapped her arms around Jackson's neck and placed a kiss on his lips. 

"By the way, I was thinking of passing my role onto Trisha. Do you think she can handle it?" Jackson asked.

Halia thought about the young woman that had been idolizing her fiance and how she had pretty much taken care of all the logistics behind their mission in Europe. She even contacted Oliver ahead of time and got him to do research for them. If not for her, they may not have solved the case so quickly.

"I think she is worth recommending. She will be ecstatic when she finds out her idol thinks so highly of her," Halia commented.

"Idol?" Jackson asked.

Halia shook her head and laughed. 

Jackson was completely oblivious towards the feelings of other women. All he cared about was Halia...