Rain began as a whisper—soft drizzles rolling down the lake’s edge—just as Julia stared at the velvet box in Brandon’s trembling hands. Her heartbeat surged, loud enough she wondered if he could hear it. His knees pressed into the damp grass, but he looked up at her like she was the only steady thing left in his unraveling world.
“Julia…” His voice cracked. “Will you still choose me? After everything?”
The question wasn’t simple. It carried smoke from the past months—the headlines, the lies, the threats—and yet something in her steadied as she reached for his shaking fingers.
“Yes,” she breathed. “But only if we do this our way.”
His eyes widened, hope flaring like the first spark before a flame. “Our way?”
“No silk. No spectacle. No cameras waiting to tear us apart.” She lowered hers
