[This Chapter is dedicated to Diavla! Thank you for your golden ticket, love.]
At first, Heather thought she had heard him wrong. It wasn’t until she saw the serious look on his face that she realized she hadn’t imagined it.
"Marry me," he repeated—slower this time, more deliberate.
Her eyes widened. She hadn’t expected that. Not from him or even after everything. Shock hit her first, followed by a tight wave of annoyance that crawled up her spine. Her stomach twisted.
Of all the things Caius could say, this was the last she would’ve guessed. She was still angry with him.
She hadn’t forgiven him. And now he was standing in front of her asking for something so... ridiculous?
"What?" she asked, her voice edged with disbelief.
He stepped closer, voice low and soft in a way that curled against her skin. "Marry me. For real."
Her breath caught. Her heart thudded—more from disbelief than anything else. What was he even saying? Was this some kind of joke? That had to be it.
She laughed. It came out sharp and cold. "You’re joking."
"Do I look like I’m joking?"
Her brows arched. "So you’re not?"
"I would never joke about something ."
She stared at him harder this time. He wasn’t smiling. His face held a strange mix of intensity and patience. He was serious.
She could tell. But that glint in his eyes—the part of him that always enjoyed throwing her off balance—was still there.
"Are you stupid?" she asked flatly.
Caius opened his mouth like he had something clever to say, but then shut it again. For once, he had no smart retort. He just watched her, waiting.
"Caius, my only reason for coming here today was to pretend we’re married—not to actually get married."
"It was bound to happen."
"Even if I ever wanted to get married—which I don’t—I would never want to marry you."
He didn’t even flinch. Instead, he leaned in again, close enough that she could feel the heat from his skin, his lips barely an inch from hers. "It’s the only way to save us both."
Heather exhaled sharply. "If it’s the only way, then maybe I should just tell them the truth. Come clean. Let them know we’re not married. I’ll take the fall."
He laughed under his breath, but there was nothing kind in the sound. It was laced with disbelief and amusement. "You’re serious?"
"You want to go to jail and have your entire career destroyed?"
"No," she said. "But I’d rather spend time in prison than marry you."
Caius leaned in again, his voice lowering like a dark promise. "You say that now, but you haven’t heard how prison echoes. Cold floors. Locked rooms. No mirrors."
Heather’s stomach churned. She knew she wouldn’t survive in a place like that—especially not without mirrors or her freedom.
But still... marrying Caius? After everything he’d done? After he’d broken her trust, walked away, and left pieces of her behind?
"I don’t want that for you," he said more softly now, "even if you think you deserve it."
"You can’t make me do anything," she whispered. "And I won’t marry you."
"I can’t believe I’m begging you to marry me," Caius muttered. "You know, the last time... it was you."
That stung. Heather winced. Of course, he’d bring that up. The old version of her—naive, in love, desperate for him to choose her—was someone she’d worked hard to forget.
She had changed. She had grown. And he had no right to remind her of the girl she used to be.
He watched her carefully now. "Think about the boy," he said, his voice more cautious. "Your son. If you go to jail, who’s going to take care of him?"
Heather’s breath caught. Alex. Her baby. He was the one person she couldn’t fail. But who could she trust with him? Penny wasn’t dependable.
She was always traveling, never settled. She’d already let Alex stumble upon the truth once by handing him her phone. She wasn’t fit to raise a child.
The only other person she could think of was her manager, Sheng. But he was married to his work.
He never talked about kids. Heather doubted he even liked them. He wouldn’t be able to give Alex what he needed.
She looked up slowly, her eyes meeting Caius’s. "Maybe you could help me raise him."
Caius blinked. "What are you saying? You’re not going to jail or abandoning your son, Heather. Do you even hear how insane that sounds? You’d rather give up your child than marry me?"
"Yes," she said, without a second of hesitation. Even though she wasn’t completely sure.
Caius stared at her, silent for a long time. His jaw clenched, and the muscles in his neck shifted as he swallowed whatever words he wanted to say first.
She could see that he was trying to stay calm, but she also saw the frustration in his eyes.
"You really hate me that much?" His voice was quiet, almost unreadable.
Heather didn’t answer.
He dragged a hand through his hair and looked away for a moment, then back at her. "You’d rather go behind bars, lose your career, and risk your child’s future... than stand beside me?"
The air between them thickened with silence. Caius didn’t move. He was hurt—she could see it—but he was trying not to show it. He had always worn arrogance like armor, but right now it was cracking.
Caius still hadn’t looked away. His stare was firm, intense, but beneath it was something quieter—something raw. He looked hurt.
And Heather wanted that. She wanted him to feel even a fraction of the pain he’d made her carry all these years.
But it didn’t feel satisfying. It felt... heavy.
"Heather," he said again, softer this time, stepping forward. "You say you’d rather go to jail. Abandon your son. For what? Just to prove you’re strong enough to hate me?"
"You don’t have to forgive me," he continued, his voice low, almost like a whisper meant only for her. "I don’t expect you to. Hell, I don’t even think I deserve it. But don’t punish yourself trying to punish me."
Heather’s arms folded, and her jaw clenched tight. He thought she was stupid and was only trying to deserve her.