Chapter 84 Eighty four

Chapter 84 Eighty four
Salvatore seemed completely unaffected by the tension at the table. He picked up his napkin and slowly wiped the corner of his mouth, taking his time as though Anna hadn’t just challenged him or Mira hadn’t just admitted that she didn’t want to leave with her. When he lowered the napkin, a faint smile appeared on his lips. “I wanted to wait for the right time,” he said casually, his eyes settling on Mira. “But I suppose this seems to be the right time.”

Mira frowned, confused by his words. “Right time for what?”

Anna looked at him suspiciously. “What are you talking about?”

Salvatore glanced between them, clearly enjoying the confusion he had created. He leaned back in his chair, his injured shoulder making him wince slightly before his expression returned to normal. “I was going to tell you eventually,” he said, looking at Mira again.

“Tell me what?” Mira asked, her patience beginning to disappear.

His smile widened. “Me and Miss Voss are getting married.”

Mira nearly stopped breathing.

For several seconds, she could only stare at him, convinced she had heard him wrong. “What?”

“Our engagement is in two days,” Salvatore added calmly.

Mira’s mouth fell open. “Two days?”

Salvatore nodded as though he had just announced the weather. “Two days.”

Anna stared at him in disbelief before turning toward Mira. “You’re engaged to him?”

“No!” Mira snapped immediately, her eyes never leaving Salvatore. “I didn’t know anything about this.”

Salvatore chuckled softly. “You know now.”

“Salvatore, what the hell are you talking about?” Mira demanded, her voice rising. “You can’t just announce that we’re getting married when we haven’t even discussed marriage.”

“We’ve discussed plenty of things darling..”

“Not marriage.” Mira yelled” Who says I want to even marry you have you lost it.”

He didn’t say a word he just stared at her. Anna pushed her chair back, anger flashing across her face. “This is ridiculous. You’re not getting married to her.”

Salvatore finally looked at her, his expression calm but his eyes turning cold. “That sounds like Mira’s decision to make.”

Anna went silent. Mira stared at him, trying to understand what he was doing. He had been enjoying every second of this since Anna arrived, but this was different. This wasn’t simply him provoking her. He had just announced their engagement in front of Anna as though it had already been decided.

“You’re doing this because she came here,” Mira said quietly.

Salvatore’s gaze returned to her. “I was going to do it anyway. It has nothing to do with her. .”

“You’re lying. Is this your way of controlling me.”

A faint smile touched his lips. “Maybe.”

Mira’s heart pounded harder. “You’re trying to stop her from taking me.”

“I’m trying to stop you from pretending you don’t know where you belong.”

Her brows knitted together. “I don’t belong anywhere with you.”

Salvatore leaned forward slightly, his gaze holding hers. “Then leave if you can.”

The words caught her completely off guard.

Anna looked at him, equally surprised.

Salvatore gestured toward the doors with his good hand. “You can walk out of this house with Anna right now. I won’t stop you.”

Mira stared at him.

“Why are you doing this?”

His expression softened as he looked at her. “Doing what? Giving you  chance to choose?”

Anna shook her head. “This isn’t a choice. You’re putting her under pressure.”

Salvatore ignored her. His attention remained on Mira. “Stay, and marry me, or leave with Anna and walk away from everything between us. How is that not a fucking choice.”

Mira swallowed hard.Everything between us.Those words echoed inside her head. She hated how she knew he was daring her. Salvatore watched the conflict playing across her face, but he didn’t push her for an answer. For once, he simply waited.

Anna reached for her hand again. “Mira, please. You don’t have to decide anything. You’re leaving with me.”

Mira looked down at their joined hands, then slowly lifted her eyes toward Salvatore. He was watching her with an expression she couldn’t read.

“You really expect me to marry you?” she whispered.

His lips curved into a slow smile. “No.”

Her brows pulled together. “I expect you to be a good girl and do as I say.”  Mira’s heart stumbled.She hated him, she couldn’t possibly love this monster.

Mira stared at him, her heart beating so hard that she could hear it in her ears. “You’re insane,” she whispered, but Salvatore only smiled as if her words didn’t bother him at all. Maybe he expected her to scream at him or slap him, but Mira was too shocked to do either.

“I’m not marrying you,” she said firmly.

Salvatore’s smile slowly disappeared. “Mira…”

“To hell with you,” she interrupted, shaking her head. “You don’t get to decide something like that for me.”

Anna stepped closer to her. “That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you. You need to get out of here.”

Salvatore looked at Anna for a moment before turning his attention back to Mira. “I’m not forcing you.”

Mira let out a bitter laugh. “You just announced an  engagement in without even asking me.”

“And now I’m asking.” Salvatore said with a low voice.

“You call this asking ?” Mira scoffed “ After making a decision without my knowledge.”

“Yes  made the  decision,” he replied calmly. “You still have a choice.”

Mira stared at him, trying to understand how he could say that so calmly when he had just turned her entire life upside down. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her uneasy because he didn’t seem worried that she would actually leave.

“You really think I’m going to stay?” she asked.

Salvatore stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. “I think you’re going to surprise yourself.”

Her chest tightened at his words, but she refused to let him see it.

Anna reached for her hand. “Come on, Mira. We’re leaving.”

Mira looked down at Anna’s hand holding hers, then back at Salvatore. For a moment, she almost followed her. She almost walked out of the mansion and left everything behind, but before she could move, Salvatore spoke again.

“Before you go.”Mira stopped and turned toward him. Salvatore reached into his pocket and pulled out a small envelope before placing it on the table between them.

“What is that?” Mira asked suspiciously.

“Something you’ve been looking for.”

Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t reach for it. “What’s inside?”

“You’ll find out when you’re ready.” Mira stared at the envelope for a few seconds before finally picking it up. The moment her fingers touched it, something about his expression changed, almost as if he knew exactly what was going through her mind.

“You’re playing another game with me,” she said.

“Maybe.” She hated that answer.

Anna looked at the envelope and frowned. “Mira, don’t listen to him.”

Mira ignored her and slipped it into her bag before looking back at Salvatore. “I’m still leaving.”

He nodded calmly. “Your choice sweetheart.”

His answer caught her off guard. “You’re not going to stop me?”

“No. You’re free.”

“Then why do you look so confident?”

A slow smile appeared on his face again. “Because you’ll be back.”

Mira’s stomach twisted, but she refused to let him see how much those words affected her. She turned away and allowed Anna to lead her toward the door, but before she stepped outside, she looked back at him one last time.

Salvatore was still standing exactly where she had left him, watching her with that same unreadable expression on his face.

And somehow, Mira couldn’t shake the feeling that he had let her walk away like he already knew she wouldn’t stay gone for long.

And she was planning on proofing him wrong.