Page 93 of Shatter Me

The click of her heels echoes through the empty halls. My heart rate picks up something only she can trigger in me. She rounds the corner and freezes.

Rose petals create a path through the exhibits, leading to where I stand. Hundreds of candles flicker strategically, casting a warm glow over the many artifacts she loves.

"What is this?" Her voice wavers.

"This is me, showing you who I am." I step forward. "Not the businessman, not the criminal, just the man who fell in love with a curator who sees beauty in everything, even the darkest pieces of history."

"Dmitri..." She takes in the transformed space, her eyes widening at the intimate dinner setting I've arranged beside the statue.

"I know I hurt you. I know I broke your trust. But everything in this room represents something you taught me to see differently." I gesture to the artifacts around us. "Just like you taught me to see myself differently."

Tash's eyes soften as she takes another step into the gallery. The candlelight catches the gold flecks in her irises, tightening my chest. She trails her fingers along the edge of an exhibit case, her professional instincts warring with her emotions.

"You went through all this trouble." Her voice carries that mix of wonder and suspicion I've grown to expect. "Did you clear this with the board? Or did you just..." She waves her hand. "Make it happen because you're Dmitri Ivanov?"

I deserve that barb. "I followed proper protocols. Even filled out the event request forms in triplicate."

A ghost of a smile touches her lips before she catches herself. "How thoughtful. Planning to kidnap any curators tonight?"

The words sting, but I keep my expression steady. "I earned that."

"You earned worse." She moves closer to the Hatshepsut statue, her fingers hovering near its base. "But using my favorite pieces, creating this space..." She shakes her head. "It's manipulative."

"It's honest." I step toward her, close enough to catch her scent but not enough to crowd her. "Everything here represents what drew me to you. Your passion. Your knowledge. The way you light up when talking about preservation techniques."

"Don't." She holds up a hand. "Don't make this sound romantic when you put me in danger."

I drop to my knees before her, my usual pride forgotten. The marble floor is hard against my joints, but the physical discomfort is nothing compared to the ache in my chest.

"When they took you..." My voice cracks, something that hasn't happened since I was a child. "When I found your apartment empty, saw what they'd done to my men—Tash, my world collapsed. I've faced death, violence, betrayal. None of it compared to knowing you were in danger because of me."

She takes a step back.

"I should have told you everything from the start. About the risks of who might target you. I convinced myself I could protect you without frightening you." I look up at her, letting her see the raw truth in my eyes. "I was wrong. My arrogance nearly got you killed."

"Dmitri..."

"No, let me finish." I spread my palms against the cold floor, grounding myself. "I've spent my life controlling everything, planning ten steps ahead. But with you, I lost that control. I wanted to keep you separate from that world, preserve something pure. Instead, I left you vulnerable."

The silence stretches between us, broken only by the soft flicker of candlelight against ancient stone.

"I thought I was protecting you by keeping secrets. Instead, I betrayed your trust. You deserved better than half-truths and false security." I swallow hard. "I've never begged for anything in my life, Tash. But I'm begging now for a chance to prove I can be honest with you, even when the truth is ugly."

A soft smile plays at the corners of Tash's mouth. "Get up off your knees, Dmitri. You'll wrinkle that ridiculously expensive suit."

The lightness in her voice sends relief coursing through me. I remain kneeling, drinking in the sight of her. "The suit can be replaced. You can't."

"All I want is honesty between us." She steps closer, her fingers brushing my jaw. "Complete honesty."

My chest tightens. I catch her hand, pressing it against my cheek. "When I was sixteen, I watched my mother die." The words scrape my throat. "She was the only person who saw past the family name and expectations. Who loved me for me."

Tash's fingers tremble against my skin.

"After that, I built walls. Turned everything into transactions, statistics, and probabilities. Easier to control numbers than feel." I kiss her palm. "Then you walked into that board meeting, challenging everything I thought I knew about control."

"Dmitri..."

"You reminded me of her—not in looks but in how you see through the facade, how you demand truth, even when it's uncomfortable." I close my eyes. "I've been running from real emotion since I lost her—until you forced me to feel again."

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