𝕁𝔼𝕎𝔼𝕃𝕊

𝟛𝟛

- Juliette's POV -

"Under one condition, Valentin," I said, admiring the sparkling sizable diamond ring adorning my finger.

"Anything for you," He replied, his smile radiant as he remained on one knee in the sand.

"Never ever lie to me, I want to be involved," I insisted, fully aware of the weight of my request. Memories of discovering Valentin contemplating suicide flooded my mind, a ritual he came to practice in the plight of the things he was forced to do. It was a glimpse into the darkness that consumed him. I knew there were things that he carried that he couldn't share, burdens too heavy for anyone to bear alone. These things plagued him whether he said they did or not.

As he rose from his position of proposal, his expression shifted from joy to solemnity. He cupped my shoulders, drawing me close under our foreheads nearly touched.

"Sometimes the things that I do are just to protect you, I wouldn't want you staying up all night worrying, Juliette, leave the worrying to me," Valentin's kind words were only hiding the dark truth that sometimes he would have to do things that only God could judge him for.

"And there's no more Eva's that are going to come after me, correct?" I rolled my eyes reminiscing on that whole fiasco. Valentin chuckled at the thought of her and I was glad that we could laugh about it now. I was glad that it was over now.

"No more Eva's, no more Maxim's, and no more Aleksander's, just us," Valentin promised me, pressing a tender kiss to my neck.

I knew that he couldn't promise me any of those things, I knew that the future was still very unclear for us even in this moment of undying certainty but I was happy to be in this moment with him. I was happy that I pushed away the fears and the doubts because underneath the chaos that he's brought me into, the heartache that I have felt, and the pain that I've endured, I cherished the rarity in our love. It was a once-in-a-lifetime type of romance.

"I've always loved you, Juliette," I had heard him say it time and time again, but this time, for some reason, it was different. This time, it filled me with an urge to push the limit he had drawn previously. I couldn't hold back, so I didn't.

The thoughts raced through my mind as scenes of the car ride from the airport to the resort played through my head, the thrill of being so naughty in public. There weren't many people here, Valentin rented out the resort, but there were still the attendees walking around and that was just enough to get a rush coursing through me.

I wriggled out of his embrace, fumbling with the rope that tied the cabana curtains open so that it would fall closed leaving us with just enough privacy, it's better to be heard not seen.

As the moment came when I stood before Valentin, I thought I had been ready, ready to be kinky, confident, and sexy. Ready to be just as good for him as the countless other women he'd been with had for him. I started to second guess my plan of spontaneity. Would I really be as good as any of the women? Probably not. It was my first time and they had most likely had experience.

Then I realized that he had experience. He had a lot of experience. What if he doesn't like it?

"Is there something wrong, Juliette?" Valentin's voice broke my thoughts, drawing attention to my silence.

"Can we go back to the hotel room?" I asked him, feeling a pang of disappointment in myself.

On our way back to the hotel room, I found myself truly observing Valentin for the first time. His aura was palpable, commanding attention without uttering a single word. He possessed a magnetic presence that could instill fear in even the bravest man with just a glance. But beyond his handsome and intimidating presence, there was an undeniable sense of potential, a feeling that anything was achievable in his presence. It was as though he existed on a plane above mere mortals, a realm where limitations were merely obstacles waiting to be overcome. With Valentin, the realm of possibility stretched endlessly before me, beckoning me into a world where the impossible was within reach.