The officiant cleared his throat, trying to pull the moment back, but Rodion’s voice sliced through his effort before it began.
“So you trusted Dmitri. Was that the point?”
“I…” I shook my head. “Rodion.”
“No. Say it. Let’s hear how clever this plan was.”
He gave me his full attention again, and the officiant gave up. I caught him slipping away from the stage like a man escaping a war he didn’t sign up for. And honestly, I couldn’t blame him. I was done with Rodion, too, or at least, I wanted to be.
“Fine,” I breathed. “I was to faint when the lights went out. Dmitri would’ve shown up with his team pretending to be medics and…and that’s it.”
Rodion stayed silent for a long moment before a low chuckle escaped him. “Brilliant.”
My smile came again, hopeful. “It is?”
“That’s stupid. Brilliantly so.” His voice dropped. “Do you even realize the ways it could have failed? And you believed him. Because apparently, youtrusthim.”
The smile on my lips faltered, and I turned away, trying to hide the sting of humiliation. I was done with his lecture. But why was everyone so quiet?
I glanced toward the audience, expecting curious faces, and my breath caught. Vincenzo’s relatives weren’t occupying the seats like I expected, but men in black suits. The realization made my skin tighten before my mind caught up. No wonder everyone was so calm, even with the fact that it was Rodion standing there instead of Vincenzo. Vincenzo’s people weren’t here. These were Rodion’s soldiers.
My pulse stumbled as I searched the room. Toward the back, Savina and the lady who came for me earlier sat calmly, as if they had planned this.
What the hell was happening?
I turned back to Rodion. “Where are Vincenzo’s relatives?” Looking at him, I remembered he was angry. “Oh, right,” I sighed. “You are mad at me,” my voice wavered somewhere between sarcasm and exhaustion. “So, should we end the wedding? We’ve made the poor man leave. He was completely done with us.”
“You can leave,” he said.
I stared at him, stunned. “Okay.” I swallowed, realizing he wasn’t joking. “I’ll go and change. But I’m gladyou’rethe one who got to see me in this dress.”
I meant it. When he didn’t say anything, I turned and started down the stage. But before I reached the second staircase, a sudden rustle made me gasp. Every man in the room rose fromtheir seat in unison, and they all turned their backs to me: even Savina and the lady in blue.
Confused, I looked back at Rodion to ask what the hell was happening, but the words died in my throat.
Rodion was on one knee.
The world stilled around me, the space between us thick with disbelief. My breath hitched as I watched him slip a ring from his baby finger, his gaze never breaking from mine.
“Rodion?” I glanced at the audience, then back at him. The soldiers had turned away the moment their boss knelt? “What… what are you doing?”
“Proposing.” He looked down at his hand. “Perhaps this could remind you that you aremine.”
I took a step back to him, watching as he turned the ring on his finger. The metal caught the light, and I saw the letter R engraved on it. Every finger carried a ring, spelling out ARTUR. And he was proposing to me with the one with the letter R.
“You’re proposing?” The words slipped out with a shaky laugh, though the warmth blooming inside me made my chest ache.
“Is it a yes?”
I let out a chuckle. “That’s not how you propose.”
“Alessia, if I—”
“Okay.” I interrupted him before he ruined the moment with his bossy tone. “Fine. Yes.”
He rose to his feet and closed the distance between us, close enough that his breath brushed against my skin. His gaze locked on mine, and he slid the ring onto my finger.
“This is the last time you make a decision without me,” he murmured. “If it’s not with me, it’s nothing. Do you understand?”