He doesn’t answer, and I can’t tear my gaze away from my finger to glare at him. I recognize the ring instantly. It isn’t my first time seeing it. Not my second. Not even my tenth. I’ve stared at this engagement ring countless times over the past decade, so of course I recognize it.
The moment he gave me this ring at the peak restaurant ten years ago marked the beginning of our relationship. And although I fell in love with it at first sight, although I would choose it over and over again if given a choice, I’ve never once tried it on.
I don’t know how I had that kind of self-control.
Maybe at first, it was because I was too angry at his perceived murder of my father. And then later, when I finally started to soften towards him, I knew that putting it on would be crossing a line I could never uncross.
But now…
I’m mesmerized as I slowly turn my wrist this way and that, watching how the rose gold band pops against my pale skin. The star-shaped design, the pink diamond centerpiece, the tiny diamonds scattered around it—it’sperfect.
“If you don’t like it—” Rafael’s voice is so startingly close I jerk my gaze up, heart tripping to see him right in front of me. Fuck, he always moves so quietly. “—we can get you something else.”
He’s talking aboutmyring.Get me something else?Instinctively, my fingers curl into my palm.Over my dead body.I’m never taking this off again. The fact that he had to go all the way to my apartment, navigate through my personal space, findthe hidden compartment in my fake book just to retrieve the ring—and then slipped it onto my finger when I was asleep?
The audacity. The romance. The absolute bastard.
I never technically said yes to his proposal, but they’ll have to pry this ring off my cold, dead hands. Besides, I was eventually going to say yes anyway.
My heart stutters when I remember my conversation with Maximo yesterday, the realizations I’d come to before the attack in the mall’s lot. There’s no going back to the bureau for me.It’s time I start putting myself first for once in my life.
“You went to my apartment. My room.” I keep my voice steady, curious rather than accusatory. “How did you find the ring?”
“You forget that I know you well,” he says simply. “We might have been separated for a decade, but you and I… we’re birds of the same feather.”
The words please me more than they should, sending warmth curling through my chest down to my toes. He steps even closer, forcing me to tilt my head back so I can keep looking into his eyes, and something shifts in my hair. As I lift my hand, I already know what I’ll find—and I’m not disappointed.
It’s a crown.Thecrown. “Rafael…” I start as I pull it free to examine the dazzling diamond crown.
He clicks his tongue. “I was rather enjoying watching you wear that.” Before I can protest, he takes it out of my hand and places it back on my head, his brow furrowing slightly as he adjusts the fit. “We’re getting married in three days. You need to start getting used to the ring and the crown. You’re going to be my queen.”
“Three days!” My heart doesn’t just pound—itexplodesin my chest. I swallow compulsively, trying to process what he just said.
That’s… that’s incredibly fast. I’m still grappling with the fact that we’regetting marriedat all. Why does the wedding have to happen so quickly?
Rafael raises a brow. “You have a problem with that timeline?”
My hands flutter in my lap, and I try not to get distracted by the way the light catches my ring. “That’s too fast. There’s really no reason to rush, is there?”
Is there?Panic starts to creep in around the edges of my consciousness. I still have to go into the office to officially drop my resignation letter. Face my colleagues. Explain why I’m throwing away everything I’ve worked for…
My heart sinks to my stomach like lead, and second thoughts crowd my brain. What the hell am I thinking? What the hell am I doing? Marrying Rafael? Trading the career I’ve busted my ass for all my life, just like that?
“Oh? How long did you think this engagement would last? Three months? Six?”
“That’s not an unreasonable amount of time,” I object, but even I can hear how weak it sounds. How the hell did we even get to this point? Just a month ago, we were still enemies! Nemesis… or whatever the hell we were. I don’t know anymore… But I literally led a team of agents into his club, for crying out loud.
“We’re not like the typical couple. You need protection. I’m not going to let you die the way Tomassi did. That organization you work for—” He stops abruptly, shaking his head. “Anyways, I’m glad you decided to leave on your own.”
My heart sinks even further. He’s right. Someone is after my life, and we still don’t know who.
What would it be—your life or your career?
When framed that way, the choice becomes clearer, quieting the worst of my doubts. But my heart still feels heavy. This isn’t how I imagined my life would go.
But then a darker thought creeps in. What if he’s lying?What if yesterday’s attack was orchestrated? What ifhemanipulated this entire situation just to get me to marry him? Is he that obsessed with me?
I narrow my eyes at him.No. Rafael is a manipulative bastard, sure, but I can’t deny one fundamental truth—he would never truly hurt me. Not physically. If he’d orchestrated that attack, those men wouldn’t have laid a single finger on me at all. Which reminds me…
