𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚'𝐬 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭

Chapter 45

[ 3 Weeks Later ]

You're sweating," Ivan states the obvious, and I shoot him a lethal glare. "It's fucking hot," I snap. He bursts into laughter, the sound echoing around us. "Fuck, I never thought I'd live to see the day," he finally calms down, shaking his head.

I stare at the beautiful arrangement of roses and the massive "Will you marry me?" sign along the shore. The sound of the waves crashing against the beach pulls me back to the present. "Fuck," I mutter under my breath.

These past weeks with Valentina have been perfect. I've wanted her to marry me for a long time, but I didn't want to overwhelm her. I know she says everything feels right, but it's still all happening so fast. So, I kept this proposal a secret for as long as I could.

I've told her I wanted to marry her for business reasons before, but that was a lie. I was so deeply in love that it scares me. And I know she deserves to see it, the man who loves her more than anything else.

Thankfully, Ivan has been handling the mafia business while I focused on Valentina. She's been so understanding of my work, but she deserved all my attention these past weeks.

Ivan pats my back suddenly. "You got this. Don't worry. You're both head over heels for each other," he reassures me, and I hate to admit it, but it helps.

"And if she says no?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. He chuckles. "As if you'd give her a choice."

He's right, she doesn't have one.

She'll be here any minute. I told her my driver would pick her up and bring her here. She thinks we're having another date, but here I am, standing on the beach, ready to propose.

Valentina told me she wanted a simple proposal, preferably on a beach. And here we are, at the place where we had our first date. The big lit-up sign shines brightly against the beautiful sunset. A pathway lined with hundreds of roses and petals leads up to it. It may not be the best proposal, but it's the best I could do. I managed to arrange all of this in time, without her suspecting anything.

"She's here," Ivan mentions, patting my back one last time. "Good luck, bro. Congrats. I'll leave you guys to it." He gives me a warm smile, and I nod. "Thank you. I appreciate your help," I say, and he grins like an idiot.

"Aww, you thanked me," he wiggles his eyebrows, and I immediately roll my eyes. "Fuck off now," I say, and he raises his hands in mock surrender before leaving.

Ivan understands that we want this moment to be private. I see a black SUV in the distance, and Valentina steps out. She's in a gorgeous white knitted dress that I managed to get her to wear through Cassandra. She looks so fucking beautiful.

She's wearing brown flats, and the wind immediately blows against her skin, making her shiver. She looks around, frowning when she doesn't see anyone, but she starts walking down the little cliff. When she spots me, her eyes widen in surprise.

I stand there, anticipation eating me alive. She walks closer, slowly, as if she's trying to register everything happening. The only sound is the waves crashing against the shore.

"Oh my god, Adrian," she whispers, her eyes flicking to the huge sign. I extend my hand, urging her to take it, and she does. I pull her to me and can't resist giving her a quick kiss. "You look so beautiful, dorogaya," I tell her before kneeling down.

"Oh my god," she repeats, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. I smile up at her, pulling the box from my pocket and opening it to reveal the ring inside.

The ring I bought weeks ago because I couldn't wait to make her my wife.

"We've been dating for a while now, and every day I find myself falling more in love with you. You bring me a peace I've never known. I can't imagine my life without you by my side. Everything about you drives me insane—your voice, your touch, you're everything to me. I want to protect you for the rest of my life and love you until the day we die. Will you marry me, Valentina Russo?" I ask, my heart racing.

Her tears start falling as she looks down at me. "Adrian," she whispers. "Yes!" she exclaims, and I stand up to press my lips to hers, kissing her passionately. I pull back, take the ring from the box, and slide it onto her finger.

She looks at it, tears still streaming down her face. "It's beautiful," she mutters.

"Don't cry, dorogaya," I whisper, kissing the tears away.

"Tears of joy," she manages to say, and I chuckle.

"I love you, dorogaya," I tell her, and she finally breaks into that smile I'm addicted to. "I love you too," she replies.