"Everyone at the table thought Beatrice was asking for dinner, but the waitress understood her silent warning—and Gabriel had no idea what his mother was trying to expose.

The private beachfront villa in Nantucket was bathed in the soft, golden light of late afternoon. The Atlantic Ocean rolled gently against the white sand shore, whispering a continuous, rhythmic lullaby that filled the open windows of the coastal home.

Chloe stood on the wooden deck wrapped in a loose white linen shirt, holding a mug of coffee, watching the seagulls wheeling across the endless blue horizon.

Footsteps approached softly behind her.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind, and Gabriel rested his chin comfortably on her shoulder, breathing in the scent of salt air and jasmine in her hair.

“You’ve been staring at the ocean for twenty minutes,” Gabriel murmured, his voice warm and relaxed. “Are you planning to run away to sea, or are you just ignoring my morning coffee attempts?”

Chloe leaned back against his chest, smiling. “I was just thinking about how strange life is. Six months ago, I was scrubbing tables at Il Canto with seventy dollars to my name and rent past due. Now I live in a fortress in Westchester, I have a mother-in-law who threatens billionaires for fun, and I’m standing on a private beach in Nantucket with the most dangerous man in New York.”

Gabriel chuckled, a rich, deep sound that vibrated against her back.

“I told you before, Chloe. You’re not a prisoner. You’re my partner.”

He reached out and gently turned her around so she was facing him. His dark eyes were warm, stripped of all the paranoia, cynicism, and cold armor that had defined him when they first met.

“Speaking of my mother,” Gabriel added with a slight grin. “She sent a text message through the relay app this morning.”

Chloe arched an eyebrow. “Oh? What did she say?”

When are you two getting married? I’m tired of waiting for my grandson to learn how to propose properly.

Chloe laughed out loud, throwing her arms around Gabriel’s neck. “She’s incorrigible.”

Gabriel’s arms tightened around her waist, lifting her slightly off the wooden deck as the ocean breeze carried their laughter out across the endless water.

“She’s right about one thing, though,” Gabriel whispered against her ear.

Chloe pulled back slightly, looking up into his eyes. “What’s that?”

Gabriel reached into his pocket, pulled out a small velvet box, and opened it to reveal a magnificent, emerald-cut diamond ring that caught the dying sunlight like a drop of captured fire.

“I’m terrible with words, Chloe,” Gabriel said quietly, his voice thick with raw emotion. “And I don't know how to sign half the things I feel. But I know that with you, my silence is finally over.”

Chloe felt a tear slip down her cheek, but she was smiling so brightly her face hurt.