Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86322 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86322 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
“What…” The word slipped from my lips, softer than a breath.
“Aspen Quinn,” he started, his lips curving into a nervous smile. “I fucked up.”
A laugh bubbled out of me at the bluntness of it, so at odds with the gravity of the moment, and he laughed too—quick and breathless—before pushing on.
Not that I could have stopped him. I stood there frozen, wide-eyed and dumbfounded, my jaw somewhere near the floor.
“Not just last week, or a month ago—but from the very beginning. I can’t redo the moment we first met, even though I know how unbelievably wrong I was about you. But I can redo this. I can get down on one knee and beg you to forgive me and give me another chance. I can lower myself before you and offer you something valuable—with no strings attached. I can bare myself to you and ask you to marry me. Truly marry me. No stipulations. No limits. No rules.”
Tears blurred my vision, clinging to my lashes. “Lucian…”
“These past few weeks without you, sitting at Felix’s bedside, made me realize how short life is. And I don’t want to spend another moment without you.”
Was this really happening? Or had stepping into the closet sent me to another dimension? Maybe I even passed out, hit my head, and all of this was a fantasy. But no matter how many times I blinked, he was still there—a foot away, confessing how he truly felt—looking at me like I was his future.
“After you left, I regressed,” he continued. “Back into the bitter man Daria’s betrayal shaped me into. The man I was before you. I dug deeper into a pit of denial. Into darkness. I refused to see what was right in front of me.”
His mouth curved slightly, his gaze soft and almost disbelieving—as if he couldn’t understand how he’d ever missed me.
“I miss the joy and laughter you brought into my life. The way you lit up every shadow I hid behind like they never existed. It took me far too long to admit it—and I screwed up more than once or ten times along the way,” he added with a reluctant laugh. “But I can’t ignore what took root the day I met you and grew until it consumed me.”
“We both mess up,” I whispered. “We’re both so stubborn. You made me feel more than I ever expected, and I barreled past our rules without thinking about how you’d react. I…bombarded you.”
He snorted. “Yeah. You were a real bitch for telling me how much you cared and that you loved me.”
“Shut up,” I said through a watery laugh.
“Being with you reminded me of the dreams I used to have,” he said, his voice filled with such awe that I could hear how fresh this discovery was for him. “I was so fixated on the fantasy woman I created as a kid that when I didn’t find her in Daria, I gave up. I didn’t give anyone else a chance. But the truth is… no one ever made me want to. Then I met you.”
I stepped closer, drawn like a magnet to the soft warmth in his eyes.
“You reshaped what I want in a wife. Not just someone who loves me—but someone strong. Someone who challenges me. Someone who fights for us when it gets hard. And God knows we’re going to fight.”
I let out a shaky laugh. “I do enjoy fighting with you.”
“And I love it. I don’t fear it. I want it all—with you.” He rose, closing the distance between us, his hand settling at my hip. “I love you.”
“Lucian…” I sniffled. “I—”
He pressed a finger to my lips. “One more thing.” He lifted the papers between us. “Even you say no and walk away, telling me you hate me, this is yours.”
I frowned down at them before looking up for an explanation.
“My contract with your father prevents me from transferring my shares right now. But what I can give you is a legal guarantee that, in five years, I will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the final five percent of Quinn Music Group is yours, giving you majority control of your company. No matter what happens. It’s airtight.”
“Oh, my god,” I breathed, scanning the pages.
“You deserve this, Aspen.”
“I…I don’t know what to say.”
“This stands regardless of your answer. I went to my lawyer a couple of days ago to get it all set up.”
“A couple of days ago?” My gaze flew to his. “You had this before you came to the office?”
“Yeah.” He gave a sheepish tilt of his head. “Someone wouldn’t let me talk.”
I winced, biting my lip.
“I planned to give it to you tomorrow before the wedding, but then you came in like a fucking dream I conjured, and I couldn’t let you walk out without hearing me first.” His hands tightened on my hips as he searched my face. “So… what do you say, princess?”