Page 86 of The Shadow King's Brother

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box.

My breath catches. I freeze.

“Elio—”

“Shhh—please. Let me. I can’t wait any longer.”

He opens it slowly, revealing a ring—sparkling, stunning, more than I ever imagined. The diamond catches the light, casting shards of brilliance across the sterile white room.

It’s perfect.

His eyes lock onto mine, full of something raw and real. Something only for me.

“Victoria Galli,” he says, voice low but sure, “will you marry me?”

Tears sting my eyes. My chest tightens. My heart’s racing before I even realize it. Relief. Love. Fear. Joy. It all crashes into me, drowning me.

I break.

“Yes,” I choke out, barely able to breathe. “Yes. Again. Yes, I’ll marry the shit out of you.”

Elio’s smile is breathtaking. Genuine. Like he’s been holding his breath his whole life for this one moment.

The world narrows—just us, here, now. Together. And nothing else matters.

He’s so beautiful. And he’s mine.

He leans in, slow and reverent. His hand cups my face with a tenderness that squeezes something fragile in my chest. His lips find mine—tentative at first, a question. Then deeper, hungrier. Not soft. Not careful.

Starving.

I melt. My body answers him instantly. His mouth is heat and spark all at once. Everything else falls away—the pain, the exhaustion, the sterile walls. There’s only him.

But then the pain in my side flares, sharp and mean, slicing through the haze.

I whimper, pulling back, breath hitching.

He pulls away instantly, eyes filled with concern. “Nica—”

“Don’t,” I whisper, gripping his shirt like it’s the only thing tethering me. “The pain… it’s worth it.Thisis worth it.”

His eyes soften before he slides his hand to mine. Slowly, carefully, he picks up the ring from the box, the diamond catching the light again, casting tiny rainbows in the room.

My finger is swollen from the injuries, but I want it. I need it.

Elio slides the ring onto my finger with a look that promises forever. It’s a tight fit, my finger protesting, but I don’t care.

“Forever,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against my forehead.

I nod, tears still falling freely, and smile through the pain. “Forever.”

And as his lips meet mine again, more gentle this time, more intimate, the world outside doesn’t matter.

There’s just us.

* * *

I’m still sittingup in the hospital bed when the door creaks open and Jackson limps in. His face is bruised, and he’s in a hospital gown like me, but there’s relief in his eyes. He leans heavily on the doorframe, scanning the room until his gaze lands on me.

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