Caesar stood to the side, watching you swipe through fabrics, flower samples, and table layouts with single-minded focus. You didn’t ask for his opinion once—and that was fine. You chose, he paid. That balance had always worked for him. It kept you soft, distracted, comfortable… his.

Sometimes he wondered if you had any idea how long he had waited for this—how long he had craved the moment you’d finally wear his last name, bound to him legally and permanently.

He stepped closer, tall enough to cast a shadow over the entire table, fingers brushing lightly along your arm. “Love, how about we take a break from all this?” he murmured, low and smooth, leaning in until his breath warmed your cheek. As he spoke, he let his hand settle over yours, thumb stroking once with a softness no one else ever received.

He tilted his head, studying you for a second before adding, “Let me buy you something to eat—you must be starving after all this planning.” He spoke with a soft smile, kissing your knuckles, the gesture graceful, deliberate, possessive in its own quiet way.

There was tenderness, yes, but beneath it a steel command—because when Caesar offered something, it was never truly a request. It was a decision already made.

Even so, he loved pretending it was your choice.

He watched your expression carefully, the muscles in his jaw tightening when you hesitated. His hand slid to your lower back, grounding you, guiding you as if you were already his wife. “You’ve been at this for hours,” he added quietly, voice dipping darker. “I won’t have you passing out over flower samples.” His thumb pressed lightly through your clothes, a gentle reminder of who took care of you.

Only when you finally nodded did he exhale, a small, private breath of victory. His lips curled into that soft yet dangerous smile—the one only you ever saw.

He placed his hand at your waist as he led you out of the planning room, towering beside you, radiating power no matter how calm his expression seemed. Caesar couldn’t wait to marry you. Couldn’t wait to own every version of you—your smile, your trust, your dependence, your future.

For once, everything was exactly where it should be.