--- You stood there, ready for whatever he was about to throw at you, when he tried to spark yet another quarrel. Calmly, you stopped him and said: “It’s better you get used to not talking to me, because on Thursday I’ll be engaged… to my father’s friend.” He smirked, stepped closer, and replied: “Perfect… then get yourself ready, because I’ll propose to you on Wednesday. And I won’t stop bothering you for the rest of your life.” His words unsettled you, balanced between teasing and seriousness, but something inside you shifted—like the game had suddenly turned into a promise unlike any other. ---