Cassie stared at her new ring secured on her finger before looking at me, dumbfounded. "Luke..." she whispered.
I wrapped her fists inside my palms, looking into her eyes.
"I'm not going to ask you to marry me," I said, a hint of amusement in my voice, "yet."
She still stared at me with curiosity, wondering what the hell I was talking about. Right. I hoped that she wouldn't run for her life now that she realized I was just as crazy, because it would make things damn awkward.
"But I will come back to you," I vowed. "And when I do, I'll make you mine for the rest of my life."
"What do you mean?" she asked, clueless.
"It means that I'm going to find you wherever you are," I said without the slightest hint of doubt. "In seven years, you will see me again, and that's when we'll be together. Forever."
"Seven years?" she squeaked.
Damn right. Seven years. Had I just made that number up? No. I'd calculated it.
These past few days, every time I'd been wondering how to bring Klein Enterprise into a safe state, that was the number that made sense. With all the business problems. With how wide the business had spread all over the world, which caused even more complications. With the number of powerful people who were trying to bring the company down. With all the employees andworkers involved, whose survival depended on me.
In fact, seven years was quite optimistic.
"Yes, seven years," I repeated. "Wait for me, Cassie. I promise you that I'll come to you, wherever you are. I give you my word."
She frowned, still not convinced. "Do you have something big to do within all those years?"
"Yes," I said in a firm tone.
"About what?"
"I have something to settle with my family."
Her eyes widened, her jaw dropping.
"Oh, God," she cried, horror in her expression. "Are you already married?"
That made me laugh. But Cassie still looked at me with hurt and disbelief on her face, and my expression turned serious.
"Cassie." My jaw tightened. "I swear to God that I'm not fucking married, neither am I committed to another girl. It's only you, and it will only be you."
Cassie gaped at me. "Then what is it all about?"
Goddammit. I wished I could tell her. But my ego and pride as a man wouldn't just let her know that I was managing a business that was on the verge of bankruptcy.
"I have a job that many people's lives depend on," I said. "I have to take care of my responsibilities within those seven years. My father can't do it alone."
Cassie's eyes softened.
"Will you wait for me and let me come to you again?" I asked. "Cassandra..." I signaled her to finish her last name.
"Castillo. Cassandra Castillo," she said her full name out loud, like she was expecting me to stalk her on social media and find her whereabouts right away.
I kissed her knuckle, the one close to the ring on her finger.
"Trust me, Cassandra. You are going to be my wife," I said, determination in my voice. "I can only give you this ring right now, but I will replace it with something much better when we meetagain."
She still looked overwhelmed with everything that I was saying. Maybe all of this was too much for her to absorb all at once.
"Will you promise me, Cassie, that you will wait for me and let me come to you again?" I asked with a hopeful look.
