Chapter 9 - The Unexpected ProposalThe sun began to dip below the Manhattan skyline, casting a golden-orange glow over the sprawling skyscrapers and the shimmering surface of the park’s lake.
Marcus walked up from the pathway, holding two ice cream cones, and politely handed one to Chloe and Claire—who immediately smeared it all over their faces—before nodding respectfully to Elias and stepping back to give us privacy.
Elias reached into his pocket.
My breath hitched. My heart did a sudden, violent somersault against my ribs.
He didn't pull out a gun. He didn't pull out a dossier or a secret document.
Instead, he pulled out a small, elegant velvet box.
My eyes widened as he popped the lid open. Resting inside on a bed of black silk was a breathtaking antique diamond ring—its center stone sparkling like a star caught in the twilight.
“Elias...” I gasped, my hands flying to my mouth as tears welled up in my eyes.
“I never planned on having a family, Ava,” Elias began, his voice surprisingly husky, carrying a raw vulnerability that made my heart ache with overwhelming love. “I built my entire life around war, protection, and blood. I thought love was just a liability.”
He took my trembling hand in his large, warm palm.
“Then I found you under that bridge, holding your daughters against the freezing wind, refusing to let the world break you. And I knew right then... my life was never going to be the same.”
He looked deeply into my eyes, his gaze steady, fierce, and entirely devoted.
“I don’t just want to protect you and your daughters, Ava. I want to be your husband. I want to give you a family that will never, ever abandon you in the snow.”
“Yes,” I choked out, a warm tear slipping down my cheek as a radiant smile broke across my face. “Yes, Elias. A thousand times yes.”
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He slid the stunning diamond ring onto my finger, leaned in, and kissed me tenderly—a warm, passionate promise of forever that washed away every drop of pain from my past.
Behind us, Chloe and Claire let out a loud, joyful giggle, clapping their sticky little hands together as if they were celebrating right along with us.
