Aria did not relax when they entered the boutique.
If anything, her suspicion sharpened.
The store was closed.
Lights dimmed low. Staff standing neatly to the side. A single stylist approached with a warm smile.
"Good evening, Ms. Bennett."
She glanced at Leo.
"Explain."
He only smiled.
"I told you I'd make it up to you."
"For what?"
"For doubting me."
Her chest tightened slightly at that.
"I didn't doubt you," she said quietly.
"You did."
She held his gaze.
"I was scared."
Something softened in his eyes at that word.
"I know."
The stylist gently guided her toward a private fitting area.
"Everything has been pre-selected," she said softly.
Aria blinked.
"Pre-selected?"
"Yes."
She turned slowly toward Leo.
"How long have you been planning this?"
He adjusted his cuff casually.
"Long enough."
Her heart started beating harder - not from fear this time.
From uncertainty.
The next two hours were excessive.
Luxury dresses. Shoes delivered in velvet boxes. A makeup artist waiting in a private suite upstairs. Hair stylist. Nail technician.
She stared at herself in the mirror at one point, lashes done, hair flowing perfectly, skin glowing.
"This is unnecessary," she murmured.
"No," Leo said quietly from the doorway. "It's intentional."
Her pulse skipped.
Intentional.
That word felt familiar.
When she stepped out in the final dress - a sleek, structured black gown hugging her frame perfectly - he went quiet.
Not performative silence.
Real.
"You're dangerous," he said softly.
She tried not to smile.
"You're avoiding explaining yourself."
He stepped closer.
"Soon."
The car ride afterward felt different.
Less tense. More electric.
The sun was setting now, streaking the sky with gold and deep violet.
"Are we going somewhere public?" she asked carefully.
"No."
That made her breathe easier.
They drove upward.
Higher.
Until the car stopped at a private rooftop venue overlooking the entire city skyline.
Her breath caught.
Candles lined the perimeter. Soft string lights above. A table set in the center. No crowd. No cameras. No orchestra.
Private.
But big.
Her chest tightened slowly as realization began creeping in.
He stepped around the car and opened her door.
When she stepped out, the wind lifted her hair gently.
She looked at him.
"You..."
He didn't speak yet.
He just took her hand and led her to the center of the rooftop.
The city glittered beneath them.
No audience.
Just sky and skyline.
Her heart started racing now.
The phone. The passwords. The calls. The closed doors.
"Oh my God," she whispered.
He let go of her hand slowly.
Reached into his jacket.
Her breath stopped completely.
He dropped to one knee.
No hesitation.
No dramatic pause.
Just certainty.
"Aria."
Her hands flew to her mouth.
"I didn't want you to have the slightest idea," he said quietly. "You notice everything. So I had to be careful."
Tears started forming in her eyes.
"The password change. The calls. The doors..."
"I was coordinating this. The boutique. The ring. The rooftop."
He opened the small velvet box.
Tiny band.
Massive diamond.
Exactly what she described weeks ago on the living room floor.
Her knees nearly gave out.
"You said private," he continued. "But big. You said no crowds. No spectacle. Just intention."
She was already crying now.
"I don't want control over you," he said softly. "I don't want to cage you. I don't want to compete with you."
His voice deepened slightly.
"I want to build with you. I want to grow with you. I want you beside me for everything."
He looked up at her.
Certain. Unshaken.
"Marry me."
There was no dramatic silence.
No hesitation.
"Yes."
It came out broken through tears.
"Yes."
He stood quickly, sliding the ring onto her finger.
It fit perfectly.
Of course it did.
He pulled her into him as she laughed and cried at the same time.
"You idiot," she whispered against his chest.
"You thought I was cheating?"
"You were suspicious!"
"I know."
She pulled back slightly, hitting his shoulder lightly.
"I almost killed you in my head."
He laughed.
"That's fair."
She stared at the ring again.
It caught the candlelight, flashing brilliantly.
"It's ridiculous," she murmured.
"It's you."
She looked at him carefully.
"You did all this because I said tiny band, big rock?"
"I listen."
That hit deeper than the ring.
He listens.
They stayed on that rooftop for hours.
Eating. Laughing. Talking.
No pressure.
No outside noise.
Just them.
When they finally returned home, the energy was softer.
Warmer.
She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her hand again.
He loosened his tie and watched her quietly.
"You're quiet," he said.
She looked up.
"I don't want to rush the wedding."
He blinked.
"What?"
"I want to work for a while. Grow more. I don't want to get swallowed into planning immediately."
He didn't even hesitate.
"Okay."
Her brows lifted slightly.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"No argument?"
"No."
She stood and walked closer to him.
"You're not disappointed?"
"I asked you to marry me," he said calmly. "Not to abandon yourself."
Her chest tightened slightly.
"I want to settle into us first," she said. "As fiancés. Not as event planners."
He smiled faintly.
"Then we settle."
She searched his face for frustration.
There was none.
Only understanding.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"For what?"
"For not making this about control."
He cupped her face gently.
"You said you wanted certainty."
"Yes."
"This is it."
She kissed him softly.
Not rushed. Not urgent.
Just sure.
That night, as she lay beside him with the city lights glowing faintly beyond the windows, she turned toward him.
"You really weren't cheating?"
He groaned.
"Aria."
She laughed.
"I'm joking."
He pulled her closer.
"You're stuck with me now."
"Good."
She traced her thumb over the edge of the diamond one more time before closing her eyes.
Private.
But big.
Exactly what she asked for.
And for the first time in weeks-
There were no doubts left.
Only promise.
