Page 119 of The Masked King

“It’s all right.” Megan sucks her lips in to stop herself from smiling. “They love splashing in puddles. They’ll soon dry off.”

“See who can splash Uncle Enzo the most,” Gio suggests to his children, earning himself a glare from his younger brother.

“Is there any news about Bianca and Leo?” I ask Gio while I find the bottle of Moet in the fridge.

Over the last twelve months, he has followed several leads in Singapore, Europe, and Tokyo, but all have resulted in a dead end. It seems that Bianca is determined not to be found and has sufficient funds and resources to move around the world and stay one step ahead of her brother. But Gio refuses to give up searching for them because he feels responsible for his nephew.

“Nothing.”

A glance passes between him and Megan, and I don’t press the issue. She and I believe that Bianca wouldn’t put her son’s life in danger, but we don’t know her the way her brothers do so it has become a moot point. I only pray that Bianca doesn’t prove us wrong someday.

Megan unwraps four champagne flutes from a carton on top of the kitchen counter, and I twist the cork with a satisfying pop. She places the glasses in a line on the counter, and I’m about to pour when she picks one up and peers inside.

“What’s this?” Megan tips the glass and a tiny metal object drops into her palm. She holds it up to inspect it more closely, her jaw dropping when she realizes what it is. “Oh… Demi… I’m so sorry, I think I wasn’t supposed to find this.”

Her gaze flits between me and Gio and back again.

“What is it?” I set the bottle down on the counter and take it from her, puzzled by her reaction.

Until I see the exquisite yellow diamond set into a simple platinum band. I blink, turning the ring and watching it catch the sunlight suddenly turning the terrace windows to a clear sparkling canvas.

Enzo must’ve watched the scene unfold from outside, unable to get back in and prevent Megan from spoiling the surprise because the twins were tugging him from puddle to puddle. Now, his eyes meet mine through the raindrop-covered window and his lips quirk into a lopsided smile.

“Yes,” I mouth, and his face lights up.

“Oh my God,” Megan squeals. “Did Enzo just propose to you?”

“Technically, I think you just proposed to her,” Enzo says, finally released from puddle-jumping duty and coming back inside. He goes down on one knee in front of me in the kitchen, takes the ring, and slides it onto my finger. “I was going to do this before anyone arrived but now is as good a time as any. I love you, Demi. I love everything about you, even when you cremate grilled cheese, and, if you’ll have me, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, will you marry me?”

I stare at the diamond on my hand, my fingers trembling with the emotions racing around my body. Over the past twelve months since Enzo and Gio killed Malevsky, forever has become an unwritten signpost that we glimpse at various points along the way without either of us acknowledging it. Marriage hasn’t come up in conversation. Not because it isn’t what we want, but because we’ve been too busy taking each day as it comes, enjoying each other’s company, and savoring every moment.

So, this proposal is unexpected.

But also, utterly right.

“Hold that thought.” I raise my finger and open the fridge door a second time, returning with a glass dish containing homemade tiramisu. I go down on one knee in front of Enzo, who stares at the dessert with one eyebrow raised. “I love you too, Enzo, so will you marry me?”

He grins at me, while the twins come closer to sniff the dish, and Megan and Gio try to stop them from poking it with their fingers.

“You’re proposing to me with tiramisu?”

“I made it myself.” I’m trying hard to look serious; I’m not sure if it’s working when he scoops cream onto his index finger and licks it.

“Do I have to eat the entire dish if I want to say yes?”

“If you want to say yes?” I chew my bottom lip, my heart thudding to escape. “I was kinda hoping that would be a given.”

“It is.” He leans forward to kiss me, and I pull away. “I thought I made that clear when I gave you the ring.”

“You did. But I need you to eat some of it.” I’m aware of Megan, Gio, and the twins watching us like I’ve lost the plot since the last time they saw me. “Please. All will become clear, I promise. I’m not completely deranged.”

Enzo grins. “How much should I eat?”

“The top layer. And maybe some of the cream. But be careful how you chew.”

“Okay.”

He takes the dish from me, and Megan goes to the kitchen to find a spoon in one of the few drawers that I’ve filled since we signed the deeds to the apartment.