Page 32 of Deadly Vows

“Please,” I said, turning her to face me. “Let me do this for you. You mean everything to me, Talia. I want you to have something beautiful.”

She looked at me for a long moment, then nodded, a small smile on her plump lips. “Alright.”

We spent the next hour browsing the displays, Talia admiring the various pieces. Finally, she stopped in front of a pair of delicate diamond earrings that sparkled in the light.

“These,” she said softly. “They’re beautiful.”

I smiled, signaling to the manager. “We’ll take them.”

As the manager carefully removed the earrings from the display case, I reached into my pocket, my fingers closing around the small velvet box. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched Talia try on the earrings, her reflection in the mirror stunning.

“They’re perfect,” she said, turning to face me. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”

I stepped closer, holding out the velvet box. “There’s one more thing.”

She looked at the box, then back at me, her eyes wide with shock and something else—hope.

I opened the box, revealing the diamond ring inside. I had chosen it with Dimitri’s help, and it symbolized everything I felt for her.

“Talia,” I said, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions. “From the moment I met you, my life changed. You’ve shown me a love I never thought possible, and I can’t imagine my life without you. Will you marry me?”

Tears filled her eyes, and for a moment, she was silent. Then she nodded, a radiant smile breaking across her face. “Yes, Aleksandr. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

I slipped the ring onto her finger, my heart soaring as she threw her arms around me, her laughter and tears mingling in a symphony of joy.

Everything else faded away in that moment—the dangers, the challenges, the world we lived in. There was only Talia and me and the love we had found in each other.

The drive back to the mansion was quiet, each of us comfortable in our own thoughts. Talia couldn’t stop admiring her ring, the large diamond catching the light and casting tiny rainbows around the car.

“I still can’t believe it,” she said softly, glancing at me. “It feels like a dream.”

I reached over, taking her hand in mine. “It’s real,kiska. And it’s just the beginning.”

She smiled, squeezing my hand. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” I said, my heart full. “More than you’ll ever know.”

Chapter 19

Talia

Happiness has a strange way of filling up the empty spaces in your heart, making you feel like you’re floating above the ground, untethered by the world’s weight. That’s exactly how I felt when Aleksandr proposed to me. As I lay in bed, the morning sunlight warm on my face, I couldn’t help but smile. It was as if the entire world had shifted, just a little, to make room for this new chapter of my life. My heart raced excitedly as I thought about the man who had turned my world upside down.

Aleksandr. My Aleksandr.

He was already up, of course, taking care of something or another. Even in his sleep, Aleksandr was always on guard, one step ahead of everyone else. What I loved most about him washis fierce protectiveness and unyielding strength. Aspakhan, he was a man who carried the weight of his world on his shoulders, but with me, he let some of that burden slip away.

I reached for my phone, the one connection I had to the world outside this fortress. My fingers hovered over the screen, and I dialed Sandy’s number without thinking. She answered on the third ring, her voice still groggy from sleep.

“Sis? What’s wrong? It’s barely eight in the morning.”

I laughed, unable to contain the bubbling joy inside me. “I have the best news! Aleksandr proposed yesterday, and I said yes!”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, and then Sandy squealed, her excitement almost as palpable as mine. “Oh my God, Talia! Are you serious? This is amazing! I can’t believe it! Tell me everything!”

I could practically see her bouncing around in her bed, her strawberry blonde hair tousled from sleep, eyes bright with excitement. Sandy was always the more animated one between us—full of life and ready to celebrate the smallest victories.

I told her everything—the way Aleksandr had taken me by surprise, the way he looked at me with those intense, ice-blue eyes that saw right through me, the way he said the words I had longed to hear. And then, of course, the ring.

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