Chapter 49

Alejandro’s POV

Mira was becoming the one variable I couldn’t quite predict. And that unsettled me more than I cared to admit.

I sat behind my desk, my fingers tapping slowly against the polished wood as I replayed the morning over and over again in my head. The way she avoided my eyes, the way her voice had trembled just slightly when she thought I wouldn’t notice, the way she lied.

Because she did lie.

Mira wasn’t good at it. Not with me.

I could feel in my bones something was wrong since the incident at Maison Élitaire and that call she got confirmed it.

My jaw tightened as I leaned back into my chair, my gaze drifting toward the large windows overlooking the city. From up here, everything looked small.

A soft knock came from the door before it opened.

Marcus stepped in, already reading the tension in the room before I even said a word. He had worked with me long enough to recognize the signs.

“You wanted to see me,” he said, closing the door behind him.

I nodded once, my expression hardening. “Sit.”

He didn’t hesitate.

For a moment, I said nothing, letting the silence stretch just enough to make the weight of what I was about to say settle properly.

“Sone days ago, at the fashion store. The woman Mira spoke to.” I finally began, my voice calm but edged with something sharper,

Marcus’s brows pulled together slightly, thinking. “The one who bumped into her on her way out?”

“Yes.”

“There was something off about her,” he admitted. “I noticed it too.”

“I want everything on her,” I said, my tone leaving no room for interpretation. “Name, background, connections. I don’t care how long it takes.”

Marcus nodded once. “Understood.”

I leaned forward slightly, my fingers interlocking. “Start with the shop. Check their CCTV from that day. I want a clear image of her face. Once you have that, run it through everything.”

He stood immediately. “I’ll handle it.”

“Marcus.”

He paused at the door, turning back to me.

My eyes met his, colder now. “Quietly.”

Something flickered in his expression before he gave a short nod. “Of course.”

Then he was gone.

The door clicked shut, leaving me alone again with my thoughts.

I exhaled slowly, reaching into the inside pocket of my jacket before pulling out the small velvet box I had been carrying around all day.

For a moment, I just held it there, staring at it.

Then I opened it.

The ring caught the light instantly, the diamond reflecting sharply, almost blinding against the darker interior of the box. It was perfect, just like her.

A faint smile tugged at my lips despite everything.

Tonight.

I was going to ask her to marry me tonight.

The thought should have felt simple. But instead, something heavier settled in my chest.

Because something wasn’t right. Still, I wasn’t going to let that ruin this. Not when I had planned everything down to the last detail. Not when I knew how much she deserved something beautiful, something that would take her away from whatever was clouding her mind.

My grip on the box tightened slightly before I shut it and slipped it back into my pocket.

Whatever was going on, I would handle it.

I always did.

My mind shifted briefly, uninvited, to someone I hadn’t thought about in days.

Ace.

A sharp irritation flared instantly.

I hadn’t seen him since the vacation. No one has heard from him either.

No calls and certainly no text.

Normally, I would care because he was my best friend but what he had done was unforgivable.

My jaw clenched hard. The memory hit whether I wanted it to or not. His voice. His smirk. The way he had looked at Mira like she was something he could take.

The kiss.

My hand tightened into a fist against the desk as his words echoed in my head when he threatened to tell Mira the truth about our relationship being a bet.

Something dark twisted in my chest. I had buried that. Locked it away because it didn’t matter anymore. Because whatever it started as, it wasn’t that anymore.

Not even close.

Mira wasn’t part of some stupid game. She hadn’t been for a long time.

And if Ace thought for a second that he could come back and ruin that—

I exhaled sharply, forcing the thought away before it could settle too deeply.

He wasn’t here. And he wasn’t going to ruin this.

Not tonight.

By the time I got home, the tension from earlier had dulled into something quieter, something more controlled.

The house was calm again.

But the moment I stepped inside, my focus shifted entirely.

She was standing at the base of the stairs.

For a second, I didn’t move.

Mira turned slightly at the sound of the door, and when my eyes landed on her properly, everything else fell away.

The dress I had sent over earlier fit her perfectly. Of course it did. I had made sure of that.

Soft, elegant, just enough to highlight her without overwhelming her.

Beautiful didn’t even begin to cover it.

My gaze moved slowly over her, taking in every detail, every curve, every subtle shift in her posture.

And then finally, her face.

There was still something there. Something faint. That same tension from earlier.

But right now, it didn’t matter.

“Wow,” I said quietly, stepping closer.

Her lips parted slightly, a small, almost shy smile forming. “You picked it.”

“And you made it look better than I imagined.”

A soft color rose to her cheeks, and for a moment, she looked away.

I reached her then, my hand lifting to brush lightly against her arm before sliding up to her cheek.

“You’re beautiful, Mira.”

Her breath hitched just slightly.

“Happy birthday,” I added, softer now.

Something in her expression shifted at that, her eyes meeting mine again, warmer this time.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

I didn’t give her time to overthink it.

My hand slid behind her neck, pulling her closer as I kissed her slowly, letting everything I couldn’t quite say settle into that moment instead.

When I pulled back, her eyes were still closed for a second before she opened them again.

“Come on,” I murmured, taking her hand. “I have something planned.”

The drive was quiet, but not uncomfortable.

Her hand stayed in mine the entire time. And I didn’t let go.

When we finally arrived, she looked around, confusion flickering across her face.

“A helicopter?” she asked, her voice carrying a mix of surprise and disbelief.

A small smirk tugged at my lips. “You said one time you wanted to see the city differently.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “I didn’t mean—”

“I know,” I cut in lightly. “But I did.”

She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head, but I could see it. The excitement creeping in despite everything.

Once we were in the air, the city stretched out beneath us, lights flickering to life as evening settled in fully.

Mira leaned slightly toward the window, her attention completely captured.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.

I didn’t look at the city. I looked at her because nothing down there came close.

For a moment, I just watched her, memorizing the way her eyes lit up, the way her lips parted slightly in awe.

And then I knew this was the right moment.

The signal had already been set. Everything aligned exactly as I had planned with Marcus for over a week now.

A sudden streak of light cut across the sky.

Mira gasped softly. “Is that a shooting star? Zara loves them.”

More lights followed, forming something larger.

Her brows furrowed slightly as she tried to make sense of it.

And then the words appeared clearly.

Will you marry me, Mira Martinez?

Immediately she saw it, she froze.

For a second, she didn’t even breathe.

Slowly, Mira turned toward me and by then, I was already moving.

I reached into my pocket, pulling out the box before stepping closer to her.

Her eyes dropped to it instantly, widening as I opened it.

The ring caught the light again just like before but this time, it felt more real.

“Mira,” I said, my voice quieter now, but steady.

There were a thousand things I could have said in that moment.

About how she changed everything.

About how she made me feel something I never planned for.

About how, despite the doubts, despite the questions, despite whatever she wasn’t telling me I still chose her every time.

“I don’t care about anything else,” I continued, holding her gaze. “Not the past, not whatever you think you need to hide from me. None of it changes what this is.”

Her breath hitched.

“I love you Mira Martinez.”

“Marry me.”