Emily jumped, nearly launching herself right out of the hospital bed. "What are you doing?"

Elizabeth and Rose recoiled in shock, staring at Tristan in utter disbelief.

Tristan held the ring box up like a sacred offering, looking at Emily with unwavering devotion. "Emily, will you marry me? Please?"

He knew he was rushing. He knew they had only been dating for a few months and that talking about marriage right now was incredibly premature. But he desperately wanted to lock this down. Even if they didn't go to the courthouse right away, he wanted a ring on her finger. He needed to cement her place as his partner, making their bond something tangible, something that couldn't be easily broken with a simple goodbye.

At the very least, if she wore his ring, she could never wear Andrew's.

At the very least, this diamond would prove that she belonged with him.

Emily stared at him, looking completely bewildered.

Tristan's heart was hammering so hard it felt like it might crack his ribs. He was exhilarated, terrified, and completely unmoored.

"I know this ring probably isn't good enough for you..." he started.

Elizabeth's mouth twitched. If her eyes weren't deceiving her, that diamond was easily worth seven figures. If a million-dollar ring wasn't 'good enough,' what the hell did he think Emily deserved?

Knowing Tristan's absolute obsession with Emily, Elizabeth figured he probably planned to drop eight or nine figures on the real deal.

"I didn't have time," Tristan babbled on, "so I just grabbed this from the boutique as

a placeholder. This is just temporary. I'm going to hire a designer to create a custom piece just for you. I promise I won't let you settle for less."

He paused, his eyes burning with intensity as he looked up at her. "Emily, will you marry me?"

Rose slapped her hands over her mouth, letting out a muffled squeal.

Emily blinked, her heart just as chaotic as her thoughts. Tristan's proposal had come entirely out of nowhere, but she could easily guess what ad triggered it was tonight's events. More specifically, it was Andrew.

Andrew's mere existence made Tristan profoundly insecure. He was rushing to push

their relationship to the next level just to tie them tighter together.

Taking a deep breath, Emily said softly, "Tristan, get up first..."

Tristan froze, The crushing disappointment that instantly flooded his eyes made him look like a puppy that had just been kicked out into the rain. He had

immediately interpreted her words as a rejection.

His grip on the velvet box tightened, and his voice dropped to a devastatingly quiet whisper. "Why?"

Emily's initial instinct had been to say no, simply because it was all too fast. Marriage was a massive milestone. It required careful consideration, not impulse. She

hadn't been dating Tristan Shel net'

for very

long, and with him acting so rashly shë genuinely worried he might wake up and regret it later.

And it wasn't just about him—if she agreed in the heat of the moment, she might regret it too. Logic dictated that she decline.

But seeing the raw, shattered look in his eyes made her heart ache violently. The refusal died in her throat. Her fingers even began to tremble slightly.

Tristan stared up at her like she was his entire world, gazing at her with the utter devotion of a true believer.

"Why?" he asked again, his voice breaking.

Emily had been reaching out to pull him to his feet, but at his desperate question, she slowly pulled her hand back.