92. Chapter 92

92

Dimitri

T he sun's starting to dip, casting a warm, golden glow over the water, and I'm watching Wren and Alex splash around, both laughing like there's not a care in the world.

"Momma, stop it!" Alex's giggles are loud, high-pitched, and infectious, and Wren's hair is sticking to her face from the salt water, but she's smiling in a way I don't get to see often enough. Pure, unguarded.

I shake my head, hands on my hips.

Now or never , I think. I've been planning this for weeks. Hell, I even roped Luka into helping me hide the damn ring in the sandcastle we built. I glance over at him, where he's chasing Niko and Natalya around, with Max barking and bounding through the surf. Luka's been smirking all day like he knows something I don't. Mudak .

Wren and Alex head back to the shore, Alex dripping wet and looking like a little version of me, except with Wren's fire. I grab Wren's arm as she reaches for a towel, pulling her toward the sandcastle we built earlier.

"Come here for a sec," I say, trying to keep my voice casual.

She looks at me, eyebrow raised, suspicion already on her face.

"What are you up to, D?"

"Nothing," I lie poorly.

Don't let this ruin everything. Keep it together, D.

We walk over to the sandcastle, the waves lapping at the edges of it. It's not some masterpiece, but Alex helped with the towers, and I even added a little moat. Wren stares at it, clearly waiting for me to say something, her arms crossed over her chest.

"So, I uh…" I clear my throat, rubbing the back of my neck.

Suka. Why is this so hard?

"I was thinking… you and Alex, you mean everything to me, you know that. I want to, uh… build something for us. Like this castle." I gesture to the mess of sand. "But, you know, not made of sand. A real one. Where we can be safe, where you can feel loved and protected. Every day."

Her face softens a little, but she's looking at me like I've grown three heads. "Dimitri…"

I open my mouth to continue, but before I can get another word out, Max comes barreling through the sand, Niko right behind him, both of them heading straight for the castle.

" Blyat !" I curse under my breath, but it's too late. Max, in all his excitement, dives headfirst into the sandcastle, sending sand flying in every direction. Niko's right behind him, laughing as Max digs furiously into the sand like he's on a mission.

"Max! Niko! No, no, no!" I shout, but neither of them listens.

Max's paws are a blur as he uncovers the hidden ring box. Before I can react, the damn dog grabs the box in his mouth and takes off running.

Wren blinks, stunned. "What the hell…?" She's staring at the destroyed sandcastle, completely oblivious to what's going on. She still doesn't know.

Luka's laughing so hard he's doubled over, tears running down his face. "This is… too good," he wheezes between gasps. "Max, suka , you're killing me!"

Blyat! I glare at him, but there's no stopping the chaos now. "Luka, not helping."

Wren looks from me to Max, who's now sprinting down the beach with Niko in tow, both of them covered in sand. "Wait… was there something important in there?" she asks, her voice half confused, half suspicious.

I rub my face, feeling the heat rise to my neck. This is not how it's supposed to go. "Yeah. There was."

"Wait," Wren's eyes widen, realization dawning, "don't tell me…"

Before she can finish her sentence, I'm already chasing after Max. "Max! Drop it! Suka , get back here!"

Sophia's holding onto Niko now, trying to calm him down, while Luka's still laughing like an idiot. Max, however, thinks this is the best game ever and just keeps running, the box dangling from his mouth.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, I catch up to him. "Give it here, boy," I say, panting as I reach for the box. Max gives me a proud little bark and drops it at my feet, tail wagging like he's just saved the day.

I grab the box, wipe off the sand, and turn back to Wren, who's standing there, arms crossed, watching the whole scene unfold. She's still got that look on her face, the one that says she's not sure whether to laugh or punch me.

I walk back toward her, my heart hammering in my chest. I can hear Luka chuckling in the background, and Alex is standing by Wren's side, his wide eyes bouncing between us.

"Papa has a supwise!"

Finally, I drop to one knee, holding the now slightly sandy ring box in front of her. "Wren Davis," I say, my voice a little rougher than I planned, "would you marry me?"

For a second, everything goes quiet. Even the waves seem to stop. Wren just stares at me, her mouth slightly open. I can't read her expression, but I can feel the tension building.

And then she shakes her head, taking a step back. "No."

"No?" I repeat, stunned, still kneeling there like an idiot.

She runs a hand through her wet hair, looking torn. "Dimitri… I… I can't. Not like this. Not now."

I'm still frozen, the ring box in my hand, Luka's laughter fading into the background. This is definitely not how I expected it to go.