Chapter 7 - THE PROPOSAL
Three days later, the penthouse suite overlooking the glittering skyline of the city was bathed in golden afternoon sunlight.
Aarav was safely resting in a private, high-security recovery ward on the top floor of the building, surrounded by top-tier medical specialists paid for by Elliot Sterling.
Priya stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass window, holding a cup of black coffee, watching the distant traffic below.
The door opened silently, and Elliot walked in. He wore a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing the lean, corded muscle of his forearms. He held a small, velvet-lined black box in his hand.
“Your brother is asking when he can go back to college,” Elliot said, stopping a few feet away from her. “I told him he can go anywhere in the world he wants, with a full scholarship and private security detail.”
Priya turned, looking at him with a mixture of wariness and deep respect. “You didn't have to do all of that, Elliot.”
“Everything I do, I do with purpose,” Elliot replied. He stepped closer, his dark eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her pulse race.
He opened the velvet box. Inside lay a breathtaking, custom-cut blood-red ruby ring, surrounded by a halo of rare black diamonds.
Priya’s breath caught in her throat. “What is this?”
“An engagement ring,” Elliot said plainly, his voice steady and absolute.
Priya stared at him, dumbfounded. “You’ve known me for less than a week. We met because I spilled champagne and broke a soup bucket over a hitman's head.”
“I’ve spent my entire life surrounded by people who wear masks, people who lie, people who betray me for a price,” Elliot said, taking her hand in his. His grip was firm, warm, and inescapable. “When I looked at you in that club, and watched you fight for your life without a single drop of fear... I knew. You are the only woman in this city who doesn't just survive in my world—you conquer it.”
May you like
He slid the heavy, dazzling ring onto her finger. It fit her perfectly, as if it had been measured for her soul.
“Be my wife, Priya,” Elliot whispered, his voice dropping to a seductive, commanding low. “Rule my empire by my side. Nobody will ever dare touch your family again.”
