Chapter 53: Chapter 53

“You’re lying!” My voice cracked as the shock sent a jolt through me. My eyes desperately scanned his to see if he was serious or not.

Not a single hint of mischief was found.

He was serious.

“We haven’t found her, but we have a lead. A significant lead. We believe we found Henry, who disappeared with her, and that he’s still alive.”

I looked at him in disbelief, at a loss for words.

Stefano continued. “He’s living under a new identity, but we don’t think he’s doing well. One of my men snuck into his last known location, only to find it empty.”

I slumped in my chair. “So you have nothing.”

“Not true. The walls were covered in photographs of different men, all who hold positions of power. And in the center was a photo of your aunt. I think your aunt is alive, and I think Henry knows what happened and is trying to find her.”

My heart thumped against my chest as I leaned closer to him, my palms pressed against the table. “Have you made contact with him? I want to speak with him.”

He sighed and shook his head. “He must have noticed he was being tracked, because he set his apartment on fire and disappeared. It’s not much, but I thought you’d like to know.”

I shook my head and blew out a heavy breath. “No. This is a start. This is hope.”

Knowing that Henry was out there looking for my aunt made me happy. He’d been a part of our lives since I was twelve years old, and seeing the way he loved my aunt always made me wish for something similar.

I couldn’t help the laugh of relief that bubbled up my throat, and I covered my eyes with a hand to hide my tears.

“You really know how to win a girl’s heart,” I couldn’t help but mutter.

“Only yours,” he replied.

I dabbed my tears with my napkin and sniffled. “So, what’s the third piece of good news?”

“Are you done eating?”

I nodded. “I am.”

“Let’s take a walk in the garden, then. I have a surprise for you there.” He stood and offered me his hand.

I quickly pulled myself together and downed the rest of my champagne before taking his hand.

He led us toward the candlelit garden, the soft orange glow illuminating the paths through the foliage.

The garden was surprisingly empty, but the man standing guard at the gate seemed to have been expecting us.

He handed Stefano a white cardboard box that was perfectly cut into the shape of a vase. It was a shape I instantly recognized.

“What’s this?” I asked with a laugh.

Stefano shrugged and as he handed me the cardboard. “It’s my gift to you. To make tonight special.”

My heart fluttered as my smile widened. Throughout the ups and downs of this year, Stefano had been a lifeline, one that I wanted to keep holding onto. He was amazing in every sense of the word.

I took the cardboard vase and linked our arms, thanking the guard as we made our way into the garden.

“Do you remember the first time we did this?” he asked. “You were really excited.”

I nodded and smiled at the memory. “I was. It was a silly trend I saw online, and you were the first man to ever indulge me.”

“And hopefully the last.” He unlinked our arms to wrap an arm around my waist instead.

“What should I pick first?” I asked, looking at all the pretty flowers.

“Hmm, how about that one?” He pointed ahead of us. I followed his eyes in confusion.

“What?”

“On the ground.”

I looked down to see that there was a single red rose in the middle of the path, obstructing our way forward. I stopped in front of it and couldn’t help my chuckle.

“Did you put this here?” I looked at him.

He smiled mischievously. “I might have.”

I laughed and bent to pick it up, filling the first spot in my vase. “That’s cheating. We’re supposed to pick them ourselves.”

“I wanted to try something different. To spell out our life in beautiful flowers.” His words carried a subtle intonation, and my mind worked quickly to figure out what he meant.

~Flowers.~

~Our life.~

~Meaning…~

It came to me suddenly, and my breath halted as I turned to look at him. The faint light in the garden cast shadows on his face, yet his eyes were clearer than they’d ever been before.

“Red roses stand for love and passion,” he said. “This signifies the beginning of our love story, the passion that brought us together. My heart is yours to take, amorina.”

I fought the urge to swoon as I stepped closer to him, standing on my toes to place a kiss on his cheek. “You’ve always had my heart,” I murmured, my voice thick with emotion.

His eyes churned, sucking me into their vast expanse. But before I could get ensnared, he broke eye contact and continued walking.

I quickly followed him, intertwining our fingers.

We took our time, talking about minor things and reminiscing about old times.

Every now and then, I’d find a flower waiting for me, and each time, Stefano would give me its meaning.

A sunflower.

~“It means loyalty and adoration. You are my light in this world that is dark.”~

A cherry blossom.

~“It means new beginnings. I want to keep exploring our love together, discovering new depths, and creating new memories. Every day will be a fresh start.”~

A pink tulip.

~“It means perfect love. I think that our love is the only perfect thing in this world. You complete me, and I will spend forever treasuring our perfect circle.”~

Lavender.

~“It means devotion and peace. You are the calm that I come home to on a stormy day.”~

Daisy.

~“It means innocence and joy. You taught me about the joys that could be found in the simplest of things. Like right now. With us collecting flowers, and your child-like innocence when you first suggested this idea.”~

Baby’s breath.

~“It means everlasting love. You are the only love I am willing to accept. No one has come before you; no one will come after you. You are forever.”~

Peony.

~“It means romance and prosperity. This is my hope for a future where our children can use us as an example to pave a path to their happy endings. Our love will help theirs prosper.”~

At this point, my face was wet with tears, and I couldn’t think beyond the next flower and filling up the vase.

Stefano chuckled behind me, his long strides keeping up with my hurried steps. “Don’t rush. We’re here to enjoy the view as well.”

I had a very strong feeling as to where this was leading, and I couldn’t help my excitement.

“You’re more romantic than I thought you’d be.” I couldn’t help but point it out. When we’d first met, he was so cynical about all the romantic moments I tried to infuse into our dates that I had almost dumped him.

And now…now he was the man who laid a trail of flowers, each full of meaning for our relationship, for me to fill a cardboard vase to remember our night together.

“For you, I learned the meaning of romance, and I also fell in love with it.”

I shot him a dubious glance. “Have you said this to someone before me? You’re a little too good at it.”

He laughed. “I may have had help from my mother.”

I smiled. “I’ll make sure to give Christina my thanks the next time I see her.”

“Wait,” he suddenly called out, halting our steps. I turned to look at him curiously. “The last piece of good news I have for you.”

“What is it?” I asked. My heart was already so full it was ready to burst—I doubted it could take any more excitement.

He smiled and spread his arms wide. “Congratulations on completing the Mafia Games in the number one position.”

I blinked at him, not understanding him. “What do you mean? The games are still ongoing.”

He shook his head. “You’ve completed all that needs to be completed. The courage game was the last game scheduled for the year. Now, we’re simply waiting for the other women to complete their tasks before hosting the closing ceremony.”

I got even more confused. “But there are five games.”

“What’s the remaining tenet?”

“It’s love.”

His smile widened, and I was suddenly struck dumb.

~It was…love?~

Was that why there were three months between each individual game, but the entire games spanned an entire year? Was the love game not in the form of an actual game? Was it…

I looked at Stefano in disbelief.

His eyes shifted from my face to look behind me. I turned around, my heart thumping as my eyes quickly sought what drew his attention.

In the distance, I could faintly make out something on the ground.

Stefano placed his hand on my lower back. “Go on,” he urged. “You have one spot left to fill.”

There was only one more hole in my cardboard vase. One more flower to take.

I slowly walked closer to it.

It was a white rose, but next to it sat a small, black velvet box. My breath hitched as I bent down to collect both items, my fingers shaking.

Was this really what I thought this was?

I turned to Stefano, and he was on one knee, patiently waiting for me. I gasped, my hands quickly stifling the sound.

He nodded toward the rose. “That’s a white rose. It means purity and commitment.”

I fitted the rose into the last slot, my vase complete.

He then nodded at the black box. “That’s an engagement ring. It means that I want to marry the woman holding it.”

I sniffled. “Oh my god.”

He offered his hand, and I quickly placed the box in it. He propped it open and revealed the beautifully crafted diamond ring inside.

Then he grabbed my wrist and looked up at me with a smile that I quickly engraved on my heart.

“Catalina, you are the blessing in my life that I hadn’t hoped for. If I could burn your name into my chest, I would. Because you are the heat of my heart’s obsession. With this vase that you’ve completed, I hope you can also complete my life by giving me the honor of becoming your husband. Will you marry me?”