Chapter 19 - The Ring
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Rafe didn't let go of her waist. His dark eyes locked onto hers, filled with a raw, unprotected emotion that he reserved entirely for her.
“When you walked into my study that night to warn me about Bruno, you risked everything,” Rafe whispered, the memory still haunting the edges of his mind. “You thought I was a monster, but you saved me anyway.”
“I saw the man beneath the monster,” Nell corrected gently, reaching up to touch his face.
Rafe reached into his jacket pocket. He didn't drop to one knee—that wasn't who they were. He stood tall, opening a small, black velvet box to reveal a massive, flawless, emerald-cut diamond ring that caught the moonlight beautifully.
“I promised to protect you, Nell,” Rafe said, his voice dropping into a solemn, sacred register. “But I want more than that. I want you by my side, ruling this empire, for the rest of our lives. Marry me.”
Tears of absolute joy spilled over Nell’s lashes. She looked at the man who had torn down his own family to keep her safe, the man who had given her brother a home and given her a crown.
“Yes,” Nell choked out, laughing through her tears. “Yes, Rafe. I will marry you.”
He slid the heavy, perfect ring onto her finger, sealing the promise with a deep, passionate kiss that tasted like victory and eternal devotion.
They walked back into the ballroom hand-in-hand, the undisputed king and queen of Boston. The crowd parted respectfully, raising their glasses in silent acknowledgment of the new era.
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They had won the war. They had secured the empire.
But in the world of power and shadows, absolute peace is always an illusion.
