Page 183 of Ruined Vows
She stills.
I open it. Inside—simple. Elegant. A ring. Platinum, sharp lines. No frills. Just us.
I kneel beside her. “You already wear my name. My scars. My blood. You carry my future.” My voice stays low. “But I want you to wear my promise. Every day. Every room. Every fight. Every night. You and me and as many kids as you want running these halls.”
Her eyes burn. But she doesn’t cry.She never does.
“I want all of it,” I say. “The fire. The quiet. The forever. I want you as my wife.”
She doesn’t blink, she leans in and whispers, “Yes.”
Not soft. Not hesitant. Justyes.
The only yes that’s ever mattered.
And I slide the ring onto her finger like I’m locking the last piece of my world into place. She completes me.
The ring is a six-carat ethically sourced emerald-cut black diamond. It’s deep, inky, and utterly unique, like her.
The sleek platinum band features claw prongs that hold the stone securely in place, much like talons. The tapered white baguette diamonds on each side accentuate the prominence of the center stones.
The engagement ring screams, “You’re mine.” The engraving says: “You were always going to be mine.” It’s in Serbian, so that only she and I know what it says.
Her eyes mist.
“This ring is a reflection of you, unique, smoldering, and unconventional. Because I didn’t want you to shine like anyone else,” I say. “I wanted you to wear something no one could mistake for soft.”
The ring looks like it came with a threat, but it’s a promise. One I intend to keep.
The promise that I will love her forever.
62
BIANCA
I SAID YES
His battles are now my battles.
I thought I’d consider the ring and marriage surrender…but sometimes surrender is just another word for saying, “I choose you,” meaning it with blood, not flowers and cake.
As I walk the halls, the mansion is silent. Summer rain pounds the windows. It’s a lullaby of temptation.
He kissed me with his words—I’ll make you cum so hard you’ll forget how to lie—it wasn’t just lust. It was a threat.
And I’ve never been good at resisting a dare.
The door clicks open behind me. I don’t turn. I know it’s him.
His voice is low. Possessive. "You keep coming back to the flame, Bianca. How long before you admit you want to burn?"
I breathe deep. Slow.Not yet.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
He steps behind me. Close. His heat licks my spine.
“I know. I heard you pacing. I imagined your thighs rubbing together while you tried not to think of me.”
