It wasn't until she was safely tucked into bed, the blankets pulled up, and her IV bag hung properly that Emily finally looked at Tristan. "Where did you run off to?"

Tristan froze. He lowered his eyes, pressing his lips tightly together. He actually looked... flushed?

Emily raised an eyebrow, finding this flustered version of him entirely fascinating. "What's wrong with you?"

Elizabeth and Rose were staring at him, too. Tristan's expression was a chaotic mix of excitement and absolute bashfulness—two emotions that rarely ever graced his usually composed face.

Elizabeth noticed that he was hiding both hands behind his back. Suddenly remembering the shopping bag she'd spotted earlier, she leaned over to peek.

"I think he went out to buy something," Elizabeth whispered to Emily before shuffling closer to Tristan, bending down to peer behind him. "What'd you get? Let us see. There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Tristan lifted his gaze. His eyes were bright, earnest, and completely locked onto Emily. He was so intensely focused on her that he didn't even notice Elizabeth trying to snoop on what he was holding.

"You ran out in such a hurry just to buy something?" Emily asked. "What is it?"

Elizabeth inched closer and finally made out the brand name on the shopping bag. The logo was written in elegant, twisting cursive. Before she could fully decipher it, Tristan pulled the bag around to his front.

Forced to straighten up, Elizabeth simply stood there and watched his hands, racking her brain. That font looked awfully familiar, but she just couldn't place it.

Tristan slowly pulled the item out of the bag. "I... got something for you."

While his hand was still inside the bag, Elizabeth frowned. Why did his voice sound so shaky? How far had he run that he was still this breathless? She assumed he was Just winded from an extreme sprint back to the hospital.

Emily thought the exact same thing.

But the moment Tristan pulled his hand out, revealing a tiny, black velvet box no

bigger than the palm of his hand, a stunned silence fell over the room.

In

After a brief moment of brain-fog, it hit Elizabeth. She knew exactly where she had seen that logo-one massive billboards in the luxury district. It was an internationally renowned bridal jeweler, the go-to brand for Alisters and high society when picking out engagement rings.

Realization dawned on her, and she stumbled back a few steps, her eyes widening

in disbelief as she stared between Tristan and Emily.

Rose was clearly still out of the loop. Still reeling from the shock, Elizabeth grabbed Rose by the arm and yanked her back, giving Tristan and Emily plenty of space.

Emily's gaze followed Tristan's

hands. When he popped the black velvet box open, revealing a blindingly large, flawless diamond, her breath hitched. Her mind went completely blank. She just sat there, frozen, unable to process what was happening.

Tristan held the box with both hands. His breathing grew shallow and rapid as he stared deeply into her eyes. The panic and helplessness written all over his face were undeniable.

"Emily, I... I..."

Emily's fingers slowly curled into her palms. "You... went out to buy a ring?"

Hearing her voice jolted Tristan out of his daze. He suddenly realized he was standing up, looking down at her while she sat in bed. That wasn't the proper way to propose.

In a complete panic, Tristan dropped straight to the floor. But instead of taking one knee, he slammed both knees onto the linoleum tiles. A loud, solid 'thud' echoed through the room.