010. Proposal Dinner...

AVA’S POV

“Ready to start the night?” he asked, flashing that too-easy smile of his.

I gave him a slow blink and lifted my wine glass. “You’re late.”

“Traffic,” he said smoothly. “You’d be amazed how many people think rush hour’s over by eight.”

I hummed. “How tragic.”

The waiter approached with a bottle of red. I nodded absently, barely listening to what he said after that. My arm throbbed beneath the sleeve of my dress, right where the bullet had grazed it. 

I shifted slightly, trying not to wince as I leaned forward. Alex didn’t seem to notice. Good.

The wine helped. A little.

The waiter returned to take our order. I went with something small—nothing too messy, nothing too heavy. I didn’t trust my hurried stitches to hold through a full course, not with the pulsing burn along my side.

Still, I forced myself to sit straight, mask perfect.

Dinner began with awkward silence, followed by the safe topics.

“So,” he said as the first course arrived, “it’s kind of cooler than it usually is in spring. Almost suspiciously nice weather.”

“You think the weather can be suspicious?”

“I think anything can be suspicious. If you’ve been in law enforcement long enough, you’ll know.”

I wanted to say if you’ve been leading a mafia syndicate long enough, you’ll know. Instead, I gave him a wry look. “Sounds exhausting.”

He shrugged. “Keeps me sharp. That, and food like this.” He took a bite of his duck, then added, “Not bad. You eat here often?”

“First time.”

“I’m honored to be your test subject.”

I didn’t answer, focusing instead on not groaning every time I shifted in my seat. My back felt like someone had slammed a chair into it. Twice. But I kept my posture straight, my face unreadable.

I bit back another wince as I took a bite of my food, reaching for the water and letting the glass cool my palm.

He leaned back slightly halfway through the second course, his eyes narrowing just enough to indicate that he was done with small talk.

“Not that I’m complaining,” he began, “but what made you ask me out tonight?”

Straight to the point.

I lifted a brow. “You say that like it’s a date.”

He gave a soft laugh and tilted his head. “Hmm. We’re both dressed up, eating in a fancy restaurant, talking about food, weather, and the current state of ducks. Pretty sure that checks most of the boxes.”

I scoffed lightly.

“And—” he added, eyes gleaming, “—Pearl also thinks it’s a date. Tell me, is it only a date if it ends with a kiss after I drop you off?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

He smirked. “Just clarifying expectations.”

I briefly regretted every decision that led to this moment. But I sucked it up. “I asked you out here because I realised I’ve been selfish.”

That wiped the grin from his face.

I continued. “Pearl deserves more than what I’ve been giving her. She’s wanted a father for a long time, and I’ve never… tried. I’ve been focused on my work, so focused on protecting her, I forgot to consider what she might be missing. 

“But if there’s a chance—if there’s someone she actually connects with—then maybe I should stop pretending I know what’s best and give it a try.”

He blinked, slowly but said nothing.

“And,” I said, meeting his eyes, “I ran a background check on you.”

He laughed—genuine this time. “Of course you did. And what did you find out?”

“That you’re not a bad candidate. You’re clean. Unreasonably clean, which makes me suspicious. It’s either you’re a closet neat freak or you’re hiding something.”

“And yet,” he said, grinning, “you still asked me here.”

I raised my glass. “I never said I trusted you.”

“You know your daughter ran a background check on me too, right?” he said casually. “I feel very… special.”

“I taught her well.”

He chuckled again. “But you know you can always ask me anything you want to know.”

“And what’s stopping you from lying?”

He held my gaze. “I don’t lie.”

“Really.”

“Especially not after 8PM,” he added with a wink.

“So I should never trust anything you say before 8?”

“Exactly. My pre-8 a.m. statements are all dreams. And pre-8 p.m.? Well... half of that’s sarcasm.”

I rolled my eyes, but my lips twitched slightly. “Are you always like this?”

“Only when I’m trying to figure out if someone’s asking me to marry them.”

My hand froze around my glass. “I am.”

He blinked. “Wow. Not even a little sugarcoating.”

“You’re not exactly the sugarcoating type either.”

He tilted his head, studying me. “Hmmm… I’m not sure about… this.”

“You were pretty sure a few days ago when you went on a blind date with my daughter.”

“That was a setup. Also, I feel like I should be the one asking you.”

“Why?” I raised a brow. “Is your ego bruised? Haven’t seen a woman go for something she wants before?”

His lips curved slowly. “Now that’s dangerous talk.”

I shrugged. “Take it or leave it.”

He leaned back, eyes glinting. “What’s in it for me?”

Ah.

I expected that.

I tapped a manicured nail against the stem of my wine glass. “You get a ready-made daughter who already adores you. You get me, however much of me you can handle; access to the kind of people only I can get you close to. 

“And… for now, you get to play the role of the man who stole the heart of the country’s best ER surgeon.”

Alex tilted his head. “Sounds like a trap.”

His smirk faded, just a little. “I don’t like being forced into anything.”

“Neither do I. And I’m not forcing you. But I think we both know that’s not always how life works.”

He studied me for a moment.

I didn’t flinch. Even when the pain in my shoulder screamed at me for sitting too long, I kept my chin up. 

My phone buzzed in my clutch again. I’d been checking every few minutes and waiting for Rafael’s update on the dock ambush, but I haven’t reached for it just yet.

Then the waiter came with the bill.

Alex reached for it at the same time I did, and his fingers brushed against mine.

I felt it. Heat. Friction. A moment I wasn’t prepared for.

I jerked my hand back before it could get worse.

“I’ll pay,” he said quietly.

“Fine.” I leaned back, just as my phone buzzed again.

I glanced down and unlocked it.

Rafael: Found out what went wrong at the deal. It wasn’t Prague. The Moretti gang was there.

My blood went cold.

The Moretti gang. Of course, they are always after La Rosa and any operation we're involved in.

I slid the phone back into my purse and stood. “I have to go.”

Alex looked up. “That sudden?”

I met his gaze evenly. “There’s something I need to take care of… an emergency.”

He nodded once. “Fair.”

I paused, then added, “But before I go… what’s your answer?”

He tilted his head. “To the proposal?”

“Yes.”

His smirk returned. “You don’t waste time.”

“I don’t have much of it,” I said.

He stared at me for a second longer.

“I’ll think about it,” he said.

“Think about it,” I said. “But not too long. I don’t like being left hanging.”

And with that, I walked away—limping just slightly, but head held high.