Arranged love

EMILEE

I STAND IN front of Titan’s bathroom mirror, wringing my hair out with my towel. He messaged me earlier that he wanted to have dinner tonight. After everything went down with my father in the conference room last week, he took a couple of days off. We spent them in bed with room service. It was nice. But things quickly went back to normal, and he had to return to Kingdom. I’ve spent every day with the girls, trying to get back to our routine and let go of everything else.

I want to move on. I want to be happy with Titan and let go of my father and everything that has happened since I returned from Chicago. I’m going to enjoy every second I have with this man. I saw him at his worst. He killed not only one, but two men. In brutal fashion. But he did so for me. He protected me. He cared about my well-being. Who else can I say has done that lately? No one.

I haven’t heard from my father. Honestly, I don’t want to see him. I feel betrayed. I was excited and caught up when I realized he was truly alive to see how much he had lied to me. He should have come to me. Told me. I would have kept his secret. Now I just want to forget his betrayal. What I did when I thought I had no way to help my mother other than fuck his business partner.

I exit the bathroom and enter Titan’s bedroom. The sun set an hour ago. The dark curtains that cover the floor-to-ceiling windows are pulled back and open, showcasing the lit-up city.

My eyes fall to his king-size bed and see a box sitting on it. “Titan?” I call out but get nothing in return. His bedroom door is shut, and he had told me earlier that he had to work late tonight.

Walking over to it, I look over the black box. It has a yellow ribbon wrapped around that ties into a bow in the middle. A card is sitting on top.

My Em,

You deserved something special. Get ready and meet me upstairs.

I place the card on the white comforter and read GUCCI in white letters across the box. I pull the lid off and push back the yellow tissue paper. I gasp when I see the black sequin dress. It’s one shoulder, ankle length with a slit up the side to the thigh. I hold it up to my body and run back into the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror.

He’s up to something, and I can’t wait to see what it is.

TITAN

I sit at my desk in my office when Bones enters. I look at the clock, and say, “Make it quick. I have plans tonight.”

He smirks, falling down into his seat. “I know. You’ve reminded me ten times today.”

I’m taking Emilee to dinner on the rooftop of Kingdom. I’ve had staff members up there for the past three hours getting it ready. A table for two, champagne, twinkling lights, and a rolled-out black carpet. The works. And not to mention, the fireworks show that is set to go off after I get down on one knee and propose.

Emilee has never needed an audience. She would prefer a quiet proposal-just us one on one in an intimate moment over a huge show in front of hundreds of strangers. And I want to give her that. I want to give her everything. But I’m going to start with offering her my life. I just pray that she accepts it.

“Stop worrying.” He waves me off as if he can read my mind.

I hold up my hand, ignoring him. “What did you want?”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“I just wanted to let you know that Nick has been taken care of.”

Bones had reminded me that we had an agreement when I wanted to fucking kill Nick in the conference room. Earlier before the meeting, we had decided that Bones was going to get rid of him, and I wasn’t going to ask any questions.

I know Emilee is hurt over what her father had done, but Bones thought it would be best if he took care of him on his own. Keep my hands clean, sort of thing. She can’t hate me for something that I didn’t take part in. I nod. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” He smiles, letting me know that he enjoyed whatever he did to the fucker. “Oh, and I wanted to let you know that I’m taking some days off.” He looks at his watch as though he has somewhere to be.

I frown. That’s unlike him. “Everything okay?”

“Yep.” He slaps his hands on his jeans-clad thighs before standing from his seat. He makes his way over to my office door and stops, turning back to face me. “Congratulations, Titan. You deserve to get what you’ve always wanted.”

I run a hand over my hair nervously. “She hasn’t said yes, yet.”

“She will,” he assures me before he exits.