Instantly, all the tightness of his features relaxed. He’d probably expected me to give the ring back because I’d changed my mind.

I didn’t just agree to marry him to save my sister. I did it because I couldn’t picture myself with anyone else but him. That made me feel guilty for my dishonesty. Made me feel disloyal. Made me feel like I didn’t deserve him. “When I came back to you…I did it to save her.” I dropped my gaze because I couldn’t look at him, not when I was admitting that the foundation of this relationship was a lie.

The silence lasted a long time.

When he said nothing, I looked at him again.

His expression hadn’t changed. “I know, chérie.”

I inhaled a breath in relief. Whenever he called me that, I knew we would be okay.

“I know that was why you told me you loved me too.”

Guilt flooded my heart then circulated into all my veins.

“But I didn’t care. Still don’t.”

My fingers played with my ring, spun it back and forth. The diamond was too big to spin all the way around my finger, so I had to turn it back and forth between the two fingers on either side.

“Do you love me now?”

The question caught me off guard because it hurt so much. It hurt that he had to ask that, because what we had was real. Even if it was wrong, it was true. I shouldn’t love a man like him, but I did anyway, and that told me it was undeniable. Tears burned my eyes, provoking emotions that hadn’t been there just a second ago. “With all my heart.”

His hard gaze continued for a while. Then his eyes lightened. His energy changed.

And he smiled.

Instead of working in his office, he chose to spend time with me.

Our mornings were spent in bed, making love like we hadn’t done that all night long. Then he would take me to Paris. We would get lunch, do some sight-seeing, go shopping, stuff that regular couples did.

With his hand in mine, he led the way.

Giving me a life I’d never thought I could have.

He bought me anything I wanted, whether it was a scarf or diamond earrings. Whenever a man came too close to me, he literally gave them the death stare until they scurried off. If a woman hit on him, he acted like she didn’t exist.

I was the only thing that mattered to him.

His head never turned.

And I knew it wasn’t for show.

We returned to the palace, and Fender carried my shopping bags into the foyer before he set them down for Gilbert to retrieve.