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Chapter 11: Proposal
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2024-10-03 09:00:14A second passed and then blinked. I gave nothing away in my expression to reveal my brief wonder. In my head, however, gears whirred as all this weighed through my mind. Marriage? Playing the power play? Was he really infatuated with the Amethyst Amadeus image I've built? Does he really believe I would roll over and just fall into his arms like some kind of trophy to be won?
I leaned back in my chair, fingers drumming lazily around the rim of the glass. Studying him very, very carefully, before I'd ever open my mouth and say a word.
"Mr. Montero," I said, my voice steady and cold, "you and I both know that I don't need a man in my life to secure my position, further my success, or define my power. I've built everything I have from the ashes of betrayal, and I've done it alone."
He furrowed his brow slightly, but he remained composed, waiting for me to continue.
"Call me no longer Mr. Montero, Nicolai, please" he said softly.
"Marriage isn't somethi
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Those words settled heavy, each one like a stone, sliding into the silence of the room. My heart pounded faster, and I felt the weight of her look settling on me, as if challenging me to contradict her. My grandmother was a wise one, always saying things that got her point across without seeming to; these three words, however, shook me off center."Use him?" I repeated, stumped as to what exactly that meant. Was that some kind of test? Some game I wasn't yet seeing clear? The idea of manipulating Nicolai made my blood run cold, even for me. He was strong, rich, and far more than equipped to play his own games. So was I. And Eleanor knew this world better than most. She'd come up from nothing, just as I had.She saw things I often failed to catch at once.She placed her knitting down on her lap, never raising her eyes from mine. "Yes, my darling. Use him to your advantage. Nicolai Montero is more than simply a man of power-he has something much more valua
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