Page 27 of When Love Changes Everything

"Aren’t you being just a tad bit presumptuous, Mr. Cruz?"

"Am I?" I ask, sprinkling her face with featherlight kisses. "Marry me,hermosa."

"What about Lily?" she asks, her piercing blue eyes searching mine.

"Lily's a bright girl," I say. "She might already know."

"You think so?"

"I don’t think she’ll be shocked when we tell her," I assure her. "What about our age difference? Are you going to look at me someday and regret marrying me?"

"What I feel for you is real," she says softly. "And true love is forever." She cups my face with her hands, sprinkling sweet kisses across my skin.

"What about the fact that I live in Mérida?" I ask, wanting to know exactly how much she’s willing to give up forrealandforever.

"I go where you go," she says simply.

When a smile spreads across my lips, she whispers, "Yes, Mateo. I will marry you." Then, cupping my face in her hands again, shekisses me—softly at first, letting the intensity build until we're both completely lost in each other.

Chapter 11

Lisa

"I don’t approve of your relationship with that man!" Dad’s voice booms across the restaurant, sharp and resounding, grinding against my last nerve. Heads turn, curious eyes settling on us, and I feel the heat rise in my cheeks.

I shake my head, trying to hold onto my composure, but the embarrassment is heavy, leaving me exposed under the harsh scrutiny of strangers—and my father’s unyielding judgment.

"I don’t need your approval, Dad." The words spill out, a mix of pride and terror surging through me as I finally stand up to him. My hands tremble beneath the table, but I lift my chin, meeting his glare head-on.

I brace myself for his next attack, the tension crackling between us like a live wire. "I’m an adult," I continue, my voice steady despite the anger raging inside me, "and I love him."

The truth in my words roots me, filling me with a strength I didn’t know I had. For the first time, I feel unshakable—sure of what I want, even if it means never having his approval.

"I’ll disown you, Annalisa," he barks, his words sharp enough to cut. "Don’t you dare test me."

I meet his glare, the pain slicing through me, but I refuse to back down. "I think you did that a long time ago, Dad," I shoot back, my voice laced with defiance. "You just never had the courage to say it out loud—until now."

"You're being absolutely ridiculous!" he exclaims, using his go-to defense every time he’s forced to justify his cruelty toward me.

When I spot Mateo, a wave of calm washes over me, and the smile he flashes when our eyes meet sends my heart soaring to the moon and back.

"Hola, hermosa," he says, his voice a soft caress as he pulls out a chair and sits next to me. Leaning over, he brushes a gentle kiss against my cheek before turning to greet my father with a cheerful hello, earning a simple nod of acknowledgment in return.

His strong presence fills me with something that feels a lot like peace. I take a deep breath, inhaling the heavenly scent of his cologne, my gaze lingering on him. He's so devastatingly handsome. He’s wearing a blue dress shirt that brings out the cinnamon specks in his blue eyes, sleeves rolled up to his elbows,revealing forearms carved with strength, veins rippling beneath his skin like roads on a map.

His large hand reaches for mine, and the sensation that courses through me is immediate and profound—a force I feel from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. This is the man I love. The man I’m going to marry.

"What are you smiling about?" Dad asks, his voice hard, a scowl deepening on his face.

"I was just thinking about how happy Mateo makes me," I say, deciding to be completely transparent, no walls, no hesitation—just the truth of how I feel about him.

"I love you,hermosa," Mateo whispers, bringing my hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against it as his eyes lock with mine.

"I love you too," I reply, the truth in my words radiating from my heart.

"Does your mother know about this?" My father’s voice cuts through the air, his ire clear in the way his eyes narrow and his lips tighten into a hard line.

"We video chatted with her last night," Mateo says, his grip tightening around my hand. "We had a lovely conversation. She gave us her blessing."

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