Vito straightened, his teasing demeanor slipping into something more serious. “You’ve got sharp ears,” he said, stepping closer. His tone dropped, low and steady.
“But you need to trust me. Everything I do is for us. For the bigger picture.”
I didn’t flinch, holding his gaze. “You told me I was ready for this. If that’s true, then stop keeping me in the dark.”
The tension between us thickened. His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might snap. But instead, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Fine. You want the truth?”
“Yes,” I said firmly, my heart racing.
Vito sighed dramatically, shaking his head as if he were surrendering to a lost cause. “You’re impossible, you know that?” He muttered before finally meeting my gaze. “Fine, you win. The plan I mentioned? It’s a proposal plan.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “A what?”
“A proposal plan, Celia,” he repeated, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “The kind where I get down on one knee and ask you to be stuck with me forever.”
My mouth felt open, and for a moment, I couldn’t find the words. “You’re joking,” I managed.
Vito chuckled, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “I was trying to make it special. Something you’d never forget. But it seems you’ve ruined the surprise.”
“Wait,” I said, still stunned. “You’re serious? You were planning to propose?”
He nodded, his teasing glint giving way to something earnest. “Yes, Celia. I’m not Marco. I don’t lie to you, and I don’t play games. I wanted to do this right, but here we are.”
I hesitated, his sincerity pulling at the walls I’d carefully built around myself. But I couldn’t forget why this started in the first place.
“Vito,” I began, my voice firm despite the tremor in my chest.
“You know this—us—it’s not real. This is about revenge. About making Marco pay for what he did to me. To us.”
His jaw tightened before he exhaled slowly. “Maybe that’s how it started, Celia. But it’s not what it is anymore. At least, not for me.”
“What are you saying?” I asked, my heart pounding as I searched his gaze for answers.
He dropped his hand, taking a small step back, as if giving me space. “I’m saying that I want this to be real. That I love the idea of being your husband. Not for the plan, not for revenge, but because I care about you. I want a future with you.”