Page 114 of Imperfect Desires

He reaches into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulls out a small black velvet box. My heart thunders.

“I want to build with you. I want to be your family.”

He opens the box.

And I lose track of how to breathe. Breathe in, and then out. I tell my brain.

The ring is stunning. A pear-cut diamond—bold, brilliant, and breathtaking- nestles between two vivid sapphires that shimmer like the very lake below us. It’s framed in delicate platinum vines and intricate etchings that speak of old-world wealth and dangerous devotion.

My hand flies to my mouth.

“Lev…” I gasp. “This is insane. This is… extravagant.”

He shrugs, his smile half-wicked, half-serious. “And still not enough for you.”

Emotion slams into me, and suddenly I’m blinking back tears.

His voice drops, low and raw. “Say yeskotyonok.Say you will be my bride.”

I don’t hesitate.

“Yes,” I whisper, then louder. “Yes, Lev. Always, yes.”

He slips the ring onto my finger with the precision of a man who’s claimed his world piece by piece—and knows this is his most sacred prize yet.

The fit is perfect. Of course, it is. Before I can say another word, he pulls me into his arms. His kiss crashes into me like a tide, like a promise, like a life carved out from fire and blood and made whole again.

When he pulls back, I look at my ring. “It is beautiful.”

“This ring,” he murmurs, “means nothing to me without you in it.”

“I’m already yours,” I say. “This just makes it official.”

And with the lake beneath us, the stars above, and the fire of his love burning like a brand into my soul—I know…

This is the beginning of everything.

38

Lev

She said yes.

The words still echo in my head, louder than the wind, louder than the blood still pumping through my veins like a war drum finally silenced.

Alina Makarova—mine in every way that counts—said yes.

The ring glints on her finger in the low light. She’s staring at it like she can’t believe it’s real, like she’s afraid it might vanish if she blinks.

But it won’t.

Because I will never let her go again. I wrap the blanket around her shoulders and draw her close. She leans into me without hesitation. Trusting. Soft and mine.

We sit in silence for a moment, the dock beneath us, the stars overhead, the lake whispering beside us like it knows our secrets.

“I didn’t want to do this inside,” I say quietly.

Alina tilts her head toward me, brows drawing together.

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