Page 144 of Chasing Gold, Catching Her

Alisa froze in horror as she realized every camera in the arena had turned toward them again.

She pulled away immediately, panic written all over her face.

But Tora only smiled softly and rested her forehead against Alisa’s, holding her carefully by the shoulders.

“We did it,” Tora whispered. “We won.”

“You won, Tora,” Alisa replied bitterly, still tasting her on her lips. “I lost.”

“You won in my eyes. And silver isn’t losing, how many times do I have to tell you that?”

“A loss,” Alisa repeated stubbornly.

Tora laughed quietly beneath her breath. “You’re impossible.”

“That’s how I was raised.”

“Oh, that Russian spirit that never gives up.”

“That’s how I was born.”

“And that’s exactly why I love you the way you are…”

Tora paused suddenly.

Then, very softly whispered: “Will you marry me?”

Alisa blinked and turned toward her so sharply it was almost comical.

“What?”

For a second she genuinely looked like she had stopped understanding language entirely.

“Did you… did I hear you correctly?”

“I’m serious.”

Tora reached behind her and suddenly pulled out a small velvet box. She opened it carefully, revealing a delicate ring with a large teardrop-shaped gemstone that sparkled beneath the arena lights.

Alisa completely froze.

“I… T-Tora…” she stammered helplessly, staring at the ring like it wasn’t real. “Where did you even get a ring from?”

Tora laughed quietly, nervousness finally breaking through her confidence.

“Will you marry me already, Alisa Voronkova?”

Still speechless, Alisa looked around in disbelief, only to realize that Tora’s parents were standing nearby, watching them both with warm smiles on their faces.

“I’ll marry you… but not because you’re Norwegian,” Alisa said through tears, trying to laugh weakly. “Although it feels like my whole country has abandoned me…”

Tora smiled softly and slid the ring onto Alisa’s finger.

“You’re completely mine now.”

Alisa started crying again, though she wasn’t even sure anymore whether it was from happiness, exhaustion, grief, or relief. Everything inside her had become too tangled to separate.

Then she opened her eyes and looked toward Tora’s parents standing nearby. She recognized Tora’s mother immediately from photos, but she had never met her father before.