Page 90 of Shattered Vows

But tonight, it’s New Year’s Eve, and I have something special planned. Something I’ve been forcing myself to put off since I woke up with that stab wound and Rapsody lying beside me.

The only reason I put it off was because I didn’t think she was ready. I knew she was still processing all the shit that went down. It wasn’t the time to ask her to be my wife—again. But I’ve waited long enough, and tonight is the night. I refuse to start the year without solidifying our union.

Originally, I was going to plan some elaborate setup, but decided against it. That’s not who she is. She enjoys adding people and experiences to her life. So I figured why not give her something else to love as part of the proposal?

I step into one of the many living spaces in the communal part of the house to find Marcel where I left him with the newest member of our household.

“He peed on the rug,” Marcel says as he sees me approach.

“I’m sure it won’t be the last time.”

“It’s the Pearl Carpet of Baroda, sir.”

I shrug and bend to pick up the yellow Labrador puppy sniffing around the area rug. “Come here, big guy.” I hold him out to Marcel. “Here, hold him so I can put his collar on.”

Marcel takes the dog, albeit with a pained look on his face. I pull the collar from my pocket and slide the giant pear-shaped engagement ring onto the leash ring at the front, then I secure it around the puppy’s neck.

“Perfect. I’ll take it from here.” I pull the puppy from his arms.

“Thank God,” Marcel mumbles.

“Better get used to him. You’ll be seeing a lot more of him.” Laughing at Marcel’s expense, I turn and make my way back to the conservatory.

Rapsody wanted to get some painting in before the festivities tonight. She’s been doing more and more painting and experimenting with erotic art regularly now. I haven’t told her, but I reached out to an art dealer in New York with some pictures of her paintings and they’re interested in seeing more and talking to her.

The puppy wiggles in my arms as I make my way through the manor, whining to get down, but I keep a firm grip on him.

We finally reach the conservatory, and I poke my head around the doorframe. “Mind if we join you?”

Rapsody looks over her shoulder at me with a smile. “Of course. But who’s we?” I step fully into the doorway, and she gasps, her paintbrush falling to the floor. “Oh my god, who is this?”

She crouches down, and I set the dog on the floor. He races over to her.

Smart dog.

“This is your new dog. Happy new year.”

She looks from me to the puppy, clearly at a loss for words. When he leaps up on her to lick her face, she giggles, and it’s the best fucking sound in the world.

“What’s his name?” she asks between licks.

“Why don’t you see for yourself? It’s written on the gold bone on his collar.”

She looks at the name tag. “Max. What a perfect name for a perfect boy.”

The moment she sees the ring, she stills and looks up at me with wide eyes. I step over to them and take her hand, helping her stand. Then I bend to pick up the dog.

“Hold him while I get this?”

She takes him in her arms while I work the ring off the collar. All the while, she watches my every move with glistening emerald eyes.

Then I get down on bended knee. “Rapsody, this may not have started in the best way, but what it’s grown into certainly is the best. I want to show you the world. I want to give you all the experiences you can handle, and I want to prove to you every day that we’re meant to be together. I never thought much about love until you came along. And I’m thankful every day that I’m a jealous, prideful, angry man, because if I wasn’t, you might be married to the wrong man right now. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anybody, and somehow, you’ve found it in yourself to love me too, flaws and all. Will you do me the privilege of becoming my wife and my partner for the remainder of our days?”

Big fat tears roll down her cheeks, and she nods. Vigorously. “Yes, yes, I’ll be your wife. Yes!” She shifts the puppy to hold him with one hand and holds out her left one to me.

I slide the oversized ring on her finger. I don’t want any asshole to miss the fact that she’s taken.

“Wow. Kol, this is… just wow.”

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