He shakes his head, utterly unfazed. “Lily. This is a grand gesture. A man on his knees begging for you to have him. Did you really think he was going to allow a crowd?”
He tuts, like this is the most obvious thing in the world, then helps me out of the car.
My head spins. “But that would cost a fortune? That’s crazy!”
He chuckles as I loop my arm through his. “This costs nothing to men like us, Lily. Get used to it.”
We head toward the back entrance, where the twins are waiting, suited and alert. They both smile, even Reggie, which shocks me.
Inside, soft classical music plays through the space, calming my erratic heart.
It’s beautiful. Chandeliers glitter overhead, gold ornamentation catching the light, deep red carpet stretching beneath my feet.
“This is your first stop,” Conan says, guiding me to the front desk. “I’ll be getting into position with Finn at the front doors. You’re safe here, Lily. Relax and have fun.”
My shoulders drop at his words.
The older woman behind the counter smiles warmly at me. “You must be Lily.”
“I am.”
“This is for you,” she says, handing me a blue foiled ticket with my name printed neatly on the front. “If you take the elevator behind you and press the button for floor two, you’ll be in your box.”
I thank her and head toward the elevator, my chest tight with nerves and anticipation.
When the doors close, I catch my reflection in the mirrored wall, and I smile. The one place I thought would make me sick with nerves has instead made me buzz with anticipation. Burning to finally claim the man who owns my heart. I no longer feel dread about being in this place; I feel safe, because I’m going to be with him.
The elevator doors slide open with a quiet ping, and I step out onto the private balcony level.
The first thing I see is Drago. He stands there with his hands in his pockets, waiting for me. His black tux fits him like it was made for this moment alone, sharp lines and dark fabric that somehow make his eyes burn brighter.
Fucking gorgeous.
I take a step toward him, my heels echoing softly. He doesn’t move. Doesn’t rush me. He’s watching me like he already knows what’s coming, like he’s braced for it.
I inhale.
And everything stops.
The air changes.
That scent, familiar in a way that hits so deep my knees almost buckle. It wraps around me, sinks straight into my chest, and suddenly I’m not standing in a theatre anymore.
I’m back in the dark. Back in terror and pain and shaking breath. Back in the moment when I was sure I was going to die.
But then all I can feel is safety. His strong arms. This exact scent grounding me when nothing else could.
My heart slams violently against my ribs. No. It can’t be.
My hand flies to my mouth as I stumble sideways, gripping the cool balcony railing. My vision blurs, tears spilling before I even understand they’re coming.
Drago is there instantly. His hands are on my waist, pulling me back from the edge like he always has. Like he always will.
And that’s when I know. Not because he tells me. Not because he explains. Because my body already remembers him.
The scent I’ve spent the last year trying to find. It’s this exact one. The one that keeps me safe. The man I believed was just a shadow in my worst memory.
I was never alone. It wasn’t a stranger who rescued me. I was protected by my soulmate. “It was you,” I sob, the truth ripping out of me as my chest caves in. “Y-you saved me.”
