Chapter 10
* * *
Josephine stepped out of the elevator and immediately slowed, one hand still resting on the cool metal of the door frame as if she needed something solid to hold onto. Viktor stood a few feet away near the entrance of his penthouse, watching her reaction as she took in the room around them.
Soft candlelight glowed throughout the space.
Fresh flowers sat on nearly every surface — none of the arrangements random, every bouquet built from flowers she loved.
A familiar scent lingered in the air, and even the music playing quietly in the background was made up of songs she actually listened to, the kind she hummed without realizing while folding laundry or stretching before class.
He’d noticed that too, apparently. Of course he had.
The whole space felt warmer than usual — not just from the candles, but from the sheer deliberateness of it, the sense that every detail had been chosen and placed by someone who’d spent real time thinking about what would make her feel exactly this way.
“You did all this?”
His mouth curved slightly. “Yes.”
Her gaze moved from the flowers to the candles and back. “You remembered all of it.”
“I remember everything about you.”
The answer made her chest tighten. She looked away briefly before returning her attention to him. The expression on his face seemed different tonight — composed, but with something beneath that control that felt exposed.
She stepped farther in. “This is beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
She stopped beside one of the arrangements and touched a bloom with her fingertips — her favorite flowers, arranged exactly the way she preferred. She’d mentioned it once, months ago, in a conversation she barely remembered. “You asked Avery, didn’t you?”
A faint smile. “I did.”
She laughed softly. “Of course you did.”
“I wanted to get it right.”
The simple honesty in his voice made her look at him again. Viktor never seemed uncomfortable making decisions; he never hesitated. Yet tonight there was a tension around him she rarely saw, and the realization made her pulse quicken.
She approached him slowly. “What’s going on?”
He released a slow breath. For several seconds he said nothing. Then he reached for her hand. “Come with me.”
She let him lead her through the penthouse toward the large living area overlooking the city. More flowers waited there. More candles. Everything looked intentional. Everything looked personal.
He stopped near the windows, the city lights stretching beyond the glass. She turned toward him. Now she knew — not exactly what was about to happen, but enough. Her heart began beating harder.
Viktor held both of her hands. For perhaps the first time since she’d met him, he seemed completely vulnerable — his jaw tight, his breathing slightly uneven, none of the usual armor of calm certainty in place — and the realization stole her breath.
She’d seen him controlled in boardrooms, controlled in arguments, controlled even in bed when restraint cost him visibly. She had never seen him like this.
“Josephine.” His voice came out rougher than usual.
She squeezed his hands. “I’m here.”
He looked at her for several moments before he spoke. “I chose this place because I always wanted it to be ours.” His grip on her hands stayed steady. “When I bought this penthouse, it was just a place to live.” He paused. “Then I met you.”
Emotion flickered across his face. “I started imagining you here.” Her eyes began to burn.
“I imagined you filling the bookshelves with things I wouldn’t understand.
” A small smile touched his mouth. “I imagined hearing you moving through this place. I imagined you laughing at me when I became too controlling.”
A shaky breath escaped her, the city lights blurring slightly. “I imagined building a family here.”
His words settled between them. Heavy. Real.
He swallowed once. “I know you’re not someone who wanted an audience for something like this.
” She stared at him — he knew, of course he knew, the way he always seemed to know exactly which version of a moment she could actually stand to live through.
“I know you’d rather have something private.
” His gaze never left hers. “I know you always wanted something that felt real.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. He brushed it away immediately.
“I love you.” The words came quietly, without hesitation, without reservation. “I’ve loved you for longer than I should probably admit.”
She laughed through the tears. His expression softened. “I love your studio. I love the way you care about your students. I love the way you argue with me when I’m being impossible.”
“You are impossible.”
“I know.” That earned another watery laugh, before his expression turned serious again. “I love you, Josephine.”
Before she could respond, he released one of her hands and lowered himself to one knee.
Her breath caught completely. The room disappeared — the candles, the flowers, the city beyond the windows, everything vanishing except Viktor. His gaze never wavered.
“I want a future with you.” Tears spilled freely now. “I want a family with you.” She covered her mouth. “I want every part of my life to include you.”
He opened the small box in his hand. The ring caught the candlelight. His voice stayed steady despite the emotion in his eyes.
“Will you marry me?”
For a second she couldn’t speak. She stared at him — at the man who’d spent a year building his life around her, who loved her openly, who had never once hidden what he wanted. A sob escaped her.
Then she did the last thing Viktor expected. Josephine dropped to her knees in front of him.
His eyes widened. She laughed through her tears and grabbed his face with both hands. “I love you too.” The words rushed out, fast, certain, honest. “I love you so much.”
He closed his eyes briefly. She pressed her forehead against his. “I want a future with you.” Her voice trembled. “I want a family with you.”
His hands settled against her waist, emotion filling his expression. “I want all of it.”
She smiled through tears. “Then yes.”
He stared at her. She laughed again. “Yes, Viktor.” His breath left him roughly. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
The ring box nearly slipped from his hand as he pulled her closer.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on, the fabric of his shirt damp against her cheek, his heartbeat slamming hard enough that she could feel it through her own chest. Both of them stayed kneeling on the floor while the candles flickered around them, neither interested in standing, neither interested in letting go.
For several long moments they simply held each other while the city lights glowed beyond the windows, the flowers filled the air with that same familiar scent, and the future they both wanted — the one she’d spent years running from and he’d spent a year quietly building toward — finally belonged to them both.
* * *
Josephine squeezed Viktor’s hand as they walked up the front path toward Avery and Julian’s house. The ring on her finger caught the morning sunlight every time she moved. She’d looked at it at least twenty times during the drive over, her stomach fluttering all over again each time.
Viktor noticed. “You’ve been staring at it since we left.”
She glanced down at it again. “I know.”
A smile tugged at his mouth. “You like it.”
“I love it.”
The simple answer softened something in his expression. He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles before they reached the door. “You make that look dangerous.”
“I’m not trying to.”
“You are.”
His eyes moved to the ring. “No. That is.”
She laughed. The front door opened before either of them could knock. Julian stood there with a look of complete satisfaction. “There they are.”
Josephine narrowed her eyes. “You know something.”
He stepped aside. “I know many things.” The amusement in his voice answered the question before he said another word.
Viktor groaned. “You told him.”
“I didn’t tell him anything,” Josephine said.
Julian’s gaze dropped to her left hand, his grin widening. “I didn’t need anyone to tell me.”
She shook her head, walking inside. The living room smelled like coffee and the candle Avery still swore wasn’t making her nauseous.
Avery sat already occupied on the couch, one hand resting on her pregnant stomach, a smile that looked suspiciously like her husband’s.
The second she saw the ring, she pointed. “There it is.”
Josephine stopped. “You knew too?”
Avery laughed. “Please.”
Josephine looked between them, then toward Viktor. “This feels unfair.”
Julian threw an arm around Viktor’s shoulders. “It wasn’t exactly difficult.”
Viktor looked completely unbothered. “It really wasn’t.”
Josephine groaned. Avery pushed herself up off the couch and crossed to her sister, grabbing her hand to examine the ring. “Oh, that’s beautiful.”
“It is.”
Avery’s eyes lifted. “You said yes.”
“I said yes.” Josephine felt herself smiling again, and Avery pulled her into a hug that lasted several seconds before she stepped back.
“I’m happy for you.”
“I’m happy too.” Josephine’s throat tightened slightly.
Nearby, Julian extended a hand toward Viktor, who accepted it — the handshake lasting only a moment before Julian pulled him into a quick embrace. “About time.”
Viktor’s expression stayed calm. “I agree.”
Julian laughed. “I’ve never met anyone more determined.”
“That’s because you’ve never met me.”
The answer earned another laugh. Josephine watched the two men together and felt something warm settle in her chest. Both of them looked happy — genuinely happy. Not surprised. Not concerned. Happy.
Everyone eventually settled into the living room. Coffee appeared. Conversation followed naturally, the proposal mixed with teasing from Julian and observations from Avery that made Josephine roll her eyes repeatedly. After nearly an hour, the conversation finally shifted.
Avery looked directly at her. “So when’s the wedding?”
“Not anytime soon.”
Julian blinked. “What?”