The Valentine’s Day risk

Chapter 2: The Stranger's Proposal

I sit in silence, staring at Axel, the words I just uttered still hanging in the air between us like a fragile thread. My mind is racing. I can’t believe I’m actually considering this, but there's something strangely freeing about it. For the first time in a long while, I feel like I’m taking control, making a decision for myself, not influenced by anyone else—least of all, Oliver.

Axel leans back in his chair, watching me carefully, as if waiting for me to change my mind. His eyes gleam with something I can’t quite place. Curiosity? Amusement? Maybe it's just the adrenaline in the air. Either way, I know I’ve said something that will change everything.

“So,” he says, breaking the silence, his voice smooth and confident. “We’re really doing this?”

I hesitate, my fingers running along the rim of my glass. I glance down at the empty seat beside me—the seat I had reserved for Oliver earlier today. I feel a sharp pang in my chest, but I push it away. "I don’t know," I admit. "This is insane, right?"

Axel grins, the expression both reassuring and dangerously mischievous. "Well, maybe a little bit. But sometimes insane is the only way to get what you want."

I stare at him, searching his face for some sign of insincerity, but there’s none. His gaze is steady, unflinching. There’s no mockery in his eyes, no judgment—just a quiet understanding.

“Okay,” I say, my voice firmer now, more certain. “Let’s do it. But I need to make it clear—I’m not looking for anything long-term here. I just want to get away from all this, even if it's just for a while.”

Axel leans forward, a glimmer of amusement flashing in his eyes. “Don’t worry, Bianca. This is your escape. No strings attached. I’m just a guy helping a girl get out of her mess. Simple as that.”

I nod, my heart pounding in my chest as the reality of what I’m about to do starts to settle in. I glance down at my phone—still no messages from Oliver. It’s almost as if he’s trying to pretend nothing happened. But I can’t pretend. Not anymore.

“So, how do we go about this?" I ask, my voice suddenly quieter. "What’s the plan?”

Axel takes a deep breath, as if weighing his next words carefully. "Well, we need to make it look real. Like a real engagement. You don’t want your fiancé showing up and figuring out what’s going on, right?”

I laugh bitterly. "Oliver? He can show up all he wants. But honestly, I doubt he’ll care. He’s probably too busy with his assistant to even notice I’m gone.”

Axel raises an eyebrow, studying me closely. "That bad, huh?"

I nod, feeling the sting of betrayal once again. “Worse. But I don’t want to talk about him anymore. Let’s focus on this. How do we make it work?”

Axel leans back in his chair, his fingers tapping thoughtfully on the bar. “Okay. First thing’s first. We need to get a ring. Something that’ll stand out but won’t scream ‘I just bought this yesterday.’”

I raise an eyebrow. “You’re really planning this out, aren’t you?”

“Absolutely,” he says with a grin. “You can’t pull off a fake engagement without a plan, Bianca.”

I shake my head, feeling like I’m caught in some whirlwind I have no control over. "So, a ring first. What next?”

"Next," Axel says, his tone suddenly serious, "we need to figure out the story. Why you’re getting engaged to me. People are going to ask questions, and we need a solid explanation."

I think for a moment. “I guess we could say we met on a business trip, and it was… instant. Like a whirlwind romance.”

Axel chuckles. “Whirlwind romance. Classic. That works.” He then stands up and walks over to the bartender. “Hey, Steve. You still got that private shopping service? I need to grab a ring, and I want it done fast.”

Steve, the bartender, nods and pulls out his phone. “Got you, Axel. I’ll make a few calls.”

I watch Axel as he talks to Steve. There’s something about the way he carries himself that exudes confidence, something I haven’t seen in a long time. It’s strange how comfortable I am with him, even though we’ve just met. In some ways, it feels like he’s offering me an escape—a fresh start, even if it’s just temporary.

“So, when do we leave for this ‘whirlwind romance’?” I ask, leaning forward as I start to feel the first stirrings of excitement.

Axel turns back to me with a raised eyebrow. “How about tomorrow?”

I blink, surprised by his sudden urgency. “Tomorrow? You’re serious?”

“Absolutely.” He shrugs casually. “The sooner we get this show on the road, the better. You want a new life, don’t you?”

I don’t answer right away. The idea of leaving everything behind, of just walking away from all the hurt and betrayal, is tempting. More than tempting. It feels like the only way out.

“Okay,” I say finally, my voice quiet but resolute. “Tomorrow it is.”

---

The next day feels like a blur. I spend most of it getting ready, making sure I have everything packed for the trip to the Maldives—because, of course, that’s where we’re going. Axel insisted it be a luxury destination, somewhere no one would question our impromptu engagement. A private island, no less.

As I stare at myself in the mirror, I try to picture this new life I’m about to step into. The woman staring back at me is still me, but somehow different. Stronger, more determined, but also fragile in a way. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I can’t help but feel like I’m on the edge of something that could either make or break me.

My phone buzzes, pulling me out of my thoughts. It’s a message from Lydia, my best friend.

Lydia: So... you’re really going through with this? You know it’s insane, right?

I stare at the message for a moment, unsure how to respond. Lydia’s always been the practical one. She’d never condone something like this. But then again, she doesn’t know what Oliver did to me. No one does.

Me:

I don’t know. But I need to get away. I’ll explain when I can.

Lydia:

Just don’t do something you’ll regret. Please.

I put the phone down and sigh. She’s right, of course. But right now, I need to focus on the escape, not the consequences.

---

By late afternoon, I meet Axel at the small boutique where he insisted we get the ring. The jeweler is an old friend of his, and it doesn’t take long for us to find the perfect one. It’s elegant but understated—nothing too flashy, but enough to make a statement. Axel makes sure everything is arranged quickly, as if he’s done this before.

“We’re set,” Axel says, the ring box slipping into his pocket. “Now we just need to make sure everything is ready for tonight.”

I glance at him. “What do you mean by tonight?”

Axel grins, his eyes glinting with mischief. “We’re going to announce the engagement to the world. There’s no turning back now.”

---

That night, Axel and I find ourselves at a swanky dinner party—one that I was invited to months ago but had planned to skip. It’s a fundraiser for some charity, but all I can focus on is how surreal this whole situation feels. The rich, powerful guests are all in attendance, wearing smiles that hide just as much as they reveal. No one knows that I’m about to make a dramatic declaration.

Axel takes my hand as we walk into the ballroom, the chatter and laughter around us a sharp contrast to the tightness in my chest. The moment we enter, Axel pulls me close, his hand resting possessively on my back.

“You ready?” he asks, his voice low enough only for me to hear.

I nod, suddenly nervous. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

He smiles, the expression both reassuring and dangerous. “Good. Just follow my lead.”

We walk up to the center of the room, and Axel raises his glass to get everyone’s attention. The room quiets instantly, all eyes on us.

“I’d like to introduce you all to my fiancée,” Axel says, his voice confident, smooth. “Bianca and I are thrilled to announce our engagement.”

The room erupts in applause, but I barely hear it. All I can hear is the pounding of my own heartbeat, my mind racing with the weight of what I’ve just done.

Axel turns to me, his smile widening. “What do you think?” he whispers, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

I look up at him, still processing everything. “I think,” I say, my voice steady despite the chaos in my head, “I think I’ve just made the biggest mistake of my life.”