Page 79 of Monster in Disguise

My mind reels at the words he just spoke. I had never considered wearing his ring on my finger, but as I imagine it, a warmth spreads throughout my body.

His eyes sparkle mischievously as he catches my bashful expression. "That can definitely qualify as something special," Istutter, feeling my cheeks flush with color. "But please, nothing too grandiose."

He raises an eyebrow at me and gives me a knowing smile. With a firm grip on my hand, he leads me back to the extravagant jewelry shop we had passed by earlier. My heart races as I remember the exorbitant prices of the rings displayed in the window. Did he see how much they cost? But then again, he did say he has money...

"I'm sure there are other stores where we can find more affordable options," I mutter, trying to hide my unease. But he seems determined to go inside.

"This one," he declares confidently, pushing open the heavy door.

I follow behind hesitantly as his security detail surrounds us, drawing attention to our presence. The sales assistant, a young man around my age, greets us with a smile and asks how he can assist us.

"Can you show us your diamond engagement rings?" Marcello asks directly, not wasting any time.

The assistant's eyes widen slightly at the request but quickly recovers and heads to another display case. He carefully selects several glittering rings and presents them to us.

"Diamonds?" I murmur in disbelief. "Those must be incredibly expensive..."

"And incredibly beautiful," Marcello interjects smoothly, sending me a wink that makes my heart skip a beat. "Like you."

I blush furiously and lose all train of thought regarding the prices of diamonds. Although I'm wary of receiving such a gift from him, haven't I always dreamed about it? Every girl dreams about her fairytale wedding, and growing up, I certainly did my fair share of daydreaming even knowing my marriage would be an arranged one with someone my parents chose for me. But it was only after I entered the convent that those dreamsintensified. Perhaps it's because I never thought they could materialize, so every time I'd go to sleep, I would imagine I met the love of my life who fell for me at first sight and decided to marry me—and take me and Claudia out of the convent. I always pictured a handsome man with a kind smile who would not only love me but also my daughter. And so far...I'm almost afraid to admit to myself how close Marcello is to that faceless man I once pictured.

The sales associate shows us more available rings. They don't even have a price tag attached to them, so I assume they must not be too expensive. That makes me more comfortable in browsing them.

"What do you think of this?" Marcello asks as he picks out a rose gold ring with a big diamond set in the middle.

He takes my hand and slides it over my finger. We're both surprised how well it fits without any adjustment.

"This is beautiful," I breathe out.

"That one is a five-carat natural diamond set against an eighteen-carat rose gold band. A wonderful choice."

"Do you like it?" Marcello asks, almost unsure of himself.

I'm speechless so I can only nod meekly.

The sales associate takes my silence as indecision, so he starts endorsing all the features of the ring.

"May I see that one?" I ask as I take the diamond ring off and point toward an emerald one a few rows down.

"Certainly."

The sales associate gives me the ring and Marcello places it on my finger. It's a white gold band with the most stunning emerald set against a row of small diamonds.

I am speechless as I stare at the beauty of it.

"It goes well with your eyes," the sales associate mentions.

Marcello gives him a harsh stare.

"Indeed, it does," he adds tensely.

"How much is this?"

"The price doesn't matter," Marcello swiftly says. "We'll take it."

"But—"

"You like it. We'll take it," he interrupts me.

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