Yuri's POV
I couldn't stay away from her anymore. For the past two weeks, ever since we brought Jay back from that living hell, I had forced myself to maintain a small distance to give the family room to breathe and heal.
But every single second spent away from Jane felt like absolute torture. During those dark days when Jay was missing, and especially on the terrifying night of the warehouse assault, I had watched Jane fall apart.
I saw the raw, agonizing pain in her beautiful eyes. Every single time she flinched, every time a silent tear rolled down her cheek, and every time her voice cracked with despair, my own heart shattered into a million jagged pieces.
Her pain was my pain. Her sorrow was my sorrow. Seeing the strongest, most comforting girl in our world look so broken had completely rewired something inside my soul. I loved her. I loved her more than life itself, and I couldn't spend another day pretending that we were just navigating a crisis. I needed her to know that no matter how dark the world became, I was going to be her permanent anchor.
Early this morning, I finally decided to put my plan into motion. I spent hours making sure every single detail was absolutely perfect. I personally selected a stunning dress that I knew would match her soft grace perfectly.
Along with the dress, I sent a small, elegant handwritten card to the mansion with a simple instruction: Meet me at our favourite restaurant today at 6:00 p.m. Don't say no.
By the time 5:30 p.m. arrived, I was already standing in the private room of the restaurant. I had customized my appearance with absolute care, wearing a tailored black three-piece suit, crisp white shirt, and a dark silk tie.
But the most important element of the evening wasn't the suit. It was the small, velvet box resting securely in my inner pocket. Inside that box was a custom ring I had personally designed for her months ago—a flawless, brilliant diamond nestled in a delicate band shaped like intertwining vines, symbolizing our shared growth and unbreakable bond.
I paced the floor, my hands occasionally adjusting my cuffs as the clock ticked closer to the hour. The feared, cold-eyed fighter of Section E was completely gone, replaced by a man whose heart was hammering against his ribs with nervous, desperate anticipation.
The restaurant was entirely quiet, the lighting dim and amber, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floorboards. I looked around, making sure the setup was exactly right. Every table had been moved out to create a grand, open space filled with rows of fresh white roses.
The scent of the flowers filled the air, mixing with the crisp, clean scent of the burning wax from the candles.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing pulse. I had faced down mercenary units, infiltrated secure buildings, and fought in the grittiest corners of the underworld without blinking an eye.
Yet, the simple thought of Jane walking through that door made my hands break out into a cold sweat.
I pulled the velvet box out of my pocket one more time, clicking it open. The diamond caught the flickering light of a nearby candle, casting tiny reflections against the dark fabric of my suit. It was perfect. It had to be.
She deserved nothing less than absolute perfection after the nightmare she had endured. I closed the box with a soft snap and slid it back into my breast pocket, right over my beating heart.
The minutes stretched like hours. I found myself checking my watch every thirty seconds, watching the golden hands move closer to the six o'clock mark.
Outside, the evening sky was shifting into a deep, velvety indigo, the first stars beginning to blink into existence over the city.
The noise of the distant traffic was completely cut off by the thick glass windows, leaving only the quiet instrumental music playing from the speakers. It was a sanctuary, a world built just for the two of us, completely insulated from the violence and lies that usually defined our lives.
Then, I heard the faint click of the front door opening down the hall. My posture went completely rigid, my shoulders squaring automatically. My heart did a violent flip in my chest. She was here.
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Jane's POV
When the large delivery box arrived at my bedroom door this afternoon, my heart instantly skipped a beat. Opening it revealed a breathtaking dress that felt like liquid magic beneath my fingertips.
Right on top of the fabric lay a small card with Yuri's precise, elegant handwriting. He was asking me to meet him at our favourite restaurant at 6:00 p.m. sharp.
The moment I read those words, my heart began to pound violently against my chest like a trapped bird. My rational mind instantly started throwing up flags, telling me that I shouldn't go.
My mind whispered that things were still too complicated, that my sister was still recovering from massive trauma, and that Section E hadn't been fully forgiven yet. But for the first time in my entire life, my heart drowned out the noise of my brain.
My heart was screaming something entirely different, a deep, unyielding longing that I couldn't ignore anymore. This time, I decided to stop being the logical caregiver. This time, I decided to listen purely to my heart.
I took a deep breath, stepped out of my comfort zone, and carefully slid the crimson dress over my shoulders. When I zipped it up and turned to face the full-length mirror, my jaw dropped in complete, unadulterated shock.
The dress fitted me with absolute, unbelievable perfection. There wasn't a single loose fold of fabric, and it wasn't tight in the slightest. It hugged my curves as if a master tailor had spent weeks measuring every single millimeter of my frame.
I smoothed my hands down the silk, a small, breathless laugh escaping my lips. How on earth did he manage this absolute perfection without me ever knowing? I quickly styled my hair into soft waves, applied a touch of rose lipstick, and left the mansion before anyone could question where the oldest cousin was heading.
The drive across the city felt completely surreal. The neon lights of the streets blurred past my window in a stream of vibrant colors, mirroring the chaotic mix of excitement and anxiety swirling inside my chest.
I kept adjusting the rearview mirror, checking my hair, my nerves completely on edge. Why was I so flustered? I had known Yuri for months. We had fought side by side, shared secrets, and faced life-threatening situations together. But tonight felt entirely different. It didn't feel like a tactical meeting or a quiet check-in. It felt like a threshold, a turning point from which there would be no going back.
By the time the clock struck 6:00 p.m., my car pulled up to the entrance of the restaurant. When I pushed the heavy glass doors open and stepped inside, the entire world seemed to fade into a dream.
The entire restaurant had been completely cleared out, reserved purely for us. The space was decorated so beautifully, so incredibly romantically, that it felt like stepping right into the pages of a classic fairy tale.
Thousands of tiny, warm fairy lights hung from the dark ceiling like a canopy of stars. Fresh white roses lined the pathways, and a soft, beautiful instrumental melody played quietly in the background.
My hands flew to my mouth as a sudden warmth flooded my chest. I couldn't believe it. It was exactly how I had once described my dream date to him during a casual conversation months ago, a random comment I thought he had completely forgotten. But he still remembered. He had remembered every single word.
The candlelight danced against the dark walls, creating an atmosphere that felt completely separated from reality. I walked forward slowly, my heels clicking softly against the polished floorboards, the hem of the crimson silk dress brushing against the fallen rose petals scattered along the path.
My breath felt short, my eyes searching the dim room for the one person I had come to see. The sheer effort he had put into this single evening left me completely overwhelmed.
Every single light, every flower, every note of the music was a testament to how deeply he listened to me, even when I thought I was just rambling to fill the silence between us.
"I hope it's the same as you said, Jane."
The deep, familiar voice made me spin around instantly.
Yuri was standing near the center of the room, stepping out from the soft glow of the candlelight. The moment my eyes landed on him, my breath completely trapped itself in my throat.
He looked so incredibly handsome in his tailored black suit. The crisp lines of the fabric accentuated his broad shoulders and commanding posture, making him look like a true prince who had stepped out of the dark just for me. I literally couldn't take my eyes off him.
I walked forward slowly, my heels clicking softly against the floor. As I approached, I looked up at him, meeting his dark, intense gaze. The way he was looking at me sent a sudden jolt of electricity straight down my spine. His eyes slowly, deliberately roamed down the length of my body, taking in the way the crimson silk hugged my waist and flowed around my legs.
My cheeks instantly flushed a bright, burning shade of rose. I could feel a massive swarm of butterflies exploding in my stomach, making it difficult to breathe normally under his intense appreciation.
"How..." I whispered, my voice trembling slightly as I tried to regain my composure. "How on earth do you know my exact size so perfectly, Yuri? It fits like it was made for me."
A smooth, devastating smirk formed on Yuri's lips. Before I could even blink, he stepped forward, closing the distance between us in a single stride. He reached out, his strong hands catching me securely by the waist and pulling my body flush against his broad, solid chest. The sudden warmth of his embrace made my knees go weak.
He leaned down, his lips brushing softly against the shell of my ear as he whispered in a low, husky register, "I know you and your body very well... anata (darling)."
My eyes went wide, and I instantly looked away, burying my burning face against his shoulder to hide the massive, shy smile that I couldn't control. Hearing that Japanese endearment slip from his lips in that deep tone completely destroyed whatever defenses I had left...
He let out a low, fond chuckle, his arms tightening around me for a long, beautiful moment before he gently guided me toward the beautifully set table in the center of the room.
The dinner started off with a wonderful warmth, the delicious food arriving in perfect intervals, but it wouldn't be a typical Section E dynamic without a little bit of our classic friction.
As I picked up a small piece of roasted vegetable, I looked across the table at him, my eyes narrowing playfully.
"Don't think this beautiful room completely gets you off the hook, Yuri," I said, pointing my fork at him with a strict expression. "You still lied to me about the timeline weeks ago. I had to cry all over your shirt because you kept me in the dark."
Yuri set his wine glass down, a small, amused smile playing on his lips as he leaned forward, resting his chin on his crossed hands. "Jane, I have told you a thousand times, that shirt was a designer piece from Tokyo. And I didn't lie to you. I simply managed the information to keep your stress levels down. There is a huge tactical difference."
"Managing information is just a fancy, term for lying, you stubborn man!" I shot back, trying hard to keep a straight face but failing as a small giggle escaped my lips. "If you do it again, I will personally ensure Percy locks you out of the mansion security grid."
"You wouldn't dare," Yuri laughed, his dark eyes sparkling with a beautiful, carefree happiness that I hadn't seen in weeks. "Percy likes me better . He'd never lock me out."
"Oh, really? Let's test that theory tomorrow," I teased, taking a sip of my water while smiling warmly at him.
The small, cute argument felt so normal, so incredibly grounding after the weeks of suffocating trauma we had all endured. It felt like we were finally finding our way back to the light.
The warmth of the food, the flickering candles, and the easy rhythm of our voices slowly washed away the lingering exhaustion that had settled into my bones over the past two weeks.
I looked across the table at him, tracing the sharp line of his jaw and the subtle way his shoulders relaxed when he laughed. For the first time in what felt like centuries, I wasn't the older sister . I wasn't the guardian checking the perimeter or the caregiver wiping away tears. I was just Jane, a girl sitting across from the man who made her feel completely safe, completely seen, and completely loved.
As the plates were cleared, the instrumental music shifted into a slower, deeper melody that seemed to wrap around the room like a warm velvet blanket. The lightheartedness of our argument slowly faded, leaving behind a profound, electric stillness that made my heart restart its rapid thumping.
Yuri's gaze darkened, his eyes fixing on mine with an intensity that made the air in my lungs feel completely thin. He reached across the table, his thumb gently tracing the back of my knuckles, his touch sending a soft wave of warmth directly up my arm.
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Yuri's POV
The playful banter was comforting, but as the dinner wound down to a close, the lighthearted atmosphere shifted into something far more profound.
I watched the candlelight flicker across Jane's face, illuminating the soft grace of her features. The time for hiding behind jokes and clever deflections was completely over. I needed to seal this promise.
I pushed my chair back quietly, standing up from the table. Jane looked up, her soft eyes blinking in confusion as I walked around the mahogany table and stopped right beside her chair.
Without a single word, I slowly lowered myself, sinking down until one knee was resting firmly on the rose-lined floorboards right in front of her
Jane's breath hitched completely, her eyes widening in absolute, stunned silence. Her hands flew to her mouth as she stared down at me, her entire frame going perfectly still.
"Jane," I began, my voice thick with an intense, unvarnished emotion that I had buried for far too long. I reached out, gently taking both of her trembling hands into my large palms. "First, I need to apologize to you. I am so incredibly sorry for every single tear you had to shed over the past few weeks. I am sorry for keeping secrets, for leaving you in the dark, and for not being strong enough to prevent the pain . Seeing you break down in front of me absolutely destroyed me, and I swore to myself that I would spend the rest of my days ensuring you never feel that kind of helplessness again."
I paused, my fingers tightening securely around hers as I looked straight into the depth of her beautiful, tear-filled eyes. The candlelight caught the damp sheen in her gaze, and my own throat tightened with the sheer weight of what I was about to say.
There was no armor here, no tactical advantage, no strategy. It was just me, stripped bare, offering her everything I was.
"I love you, Jane," I confessed, the words pouring straight from my soul with absolute certainty. "I have loved you from the very moment you entered my chaotic life, and that love has only grown into an endless, unbreakable force. You are my peace, my light, and the only reason I bother trying to be a better man. Without you, the world is just a dark, meaningless battlefield. I don't want to just be the guy who stands beside you in a crisis. I want to be the man who guards your happiness forever."
I reached into my inner jacket pocket with one hand, pulling out the small velvet box. I clicked it open, revealing the brilliant, custom vine-shaped diamond ring glistening under the fairy lights.
"Jane... will you do me the absolute honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?"
The diamond sat perfectly in its velvet cradle, catching every single drop of amber light from the candles surrounding us. I held my breath, my eyes locked entirely on her face, watching the emotions chase each other across her features.
The silence in the room stretched out, heavy and sweet, filled only by the soft, distant hum of the music. I could feel the slight tremor in her hands where they rested in mine, a physical echo of the rapid pace of her heart.
Every single mission I had ever executed, every victory I had ever claimed in my life, paled in comparison to the desperate hope I felt in this exact fraction of a second.
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Jane's POV
The moment Yuri dropped to his knee right in front of my chair, my entire universe completely ground to a halt. The beautiful music playing in the background seemed to fade into a distant hum, leaving nothing but the sound of his deep, steady voice echoing through my soul.
Listening to his raw, beautiful apology and his endless confession of love made a sudden, massive wall of emotion crash over my defenses.
The tears that I had tried so hard to keep back for the past two weeks finally broke free. But this time, they weren't tears of grief, terror, or trauma. They were pure, unadulterated tears of absolute happiness.
They tracked hot lines down my flushed cheeks as I looked at the brilliant diamond ring glistening in his hand, and then back at the beautiful, honest face of the man who had stood by me through every nightmare.
"I love you too, Yuri!" I burst out, my voice cracking completely through my happy tears as I nodded my head frantically. "Yes! Yes, of course I will marry you, you stubborn asshole!"
Before he could even slide the ring onto my finger, I threw myself forward out of the chair, collapsing directly onto his chest. The force of my movement sent us both tumbling onto the rose-carpeted floor, but neither of us cared in the slightest.
I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, burying my face against his broad shoulder as I sobbed with pure joy, my body shaking with the immense relief of finally letting myself be completely happy.
The scent of his cologne, mixed with the white roses on the floor, wrapped around me like a protective shield. I held onto him as if he were the only solid thing left in the world, my fingers digging into the heavy fabric of his black suit jacket.
The past two weeks of constant worry, the phantom sounds of the hospital monitors, and the terrifying images of Jay in that bunker—all of it seemed to burn away in the heat of his embrace. I wasn't alone anymore.
I didn't have to be the unbreakable shield for everyone else. I could just let go, resting entirely in the certainty that he had me, that he would always catch me when I fell.
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Yuri's POV
The moment her beautiful, teary voice echoed the word yes, a massive weight that I hadn't realized I was carrying completely lifted from my chest.
An overwhelming surge of pure, unfiltered joy flooded my veins as she launched herself directly into my arms, sending us both spilling onto the floorboards in a tangle of crimson silk and black wool.
I held her tightly against my heart, my strong arms wrapping around her waist as she wept tears of absolute happiness against my neck.
I buried my face in the soft waves of her hair, a bright, genuine laugh escaping my lips as I rocked her gently on the floor.
The sterile nightmare of the hospital, the bloody violence of the warehouse, and the suffocating guilt of the past completely dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind nothing but the perfect, beautiful warmth of her presence.
Slowly, gently, I pulled back just enough to look at her beautiful, tear-stained face. Her eyes were bright, wide, and filled with a radiant, deep love that took my breath away entirely. I reached into my pocket, found the velvet box, and carefully took the custom ring out.
I took her trembling left hand in mine and smoothly slid the vine-shaped diamond ring onto her ring finger. It fitted with the exact same absolute perfection as the crimson dress, the diamond reflecting the thousands of warm fairy lights above us like a constellation of stars.
"It belongs to you now, Jane," I whispered softly, my voice dripping with an intense, endless devotion. "Just like my entire soul."
Jane looked down at the ring, a fresh wave of happy tears spilling over her lashes, before she looked back up at me with a stunning smile that completely lit up the dark room. She didn't say a word; instead, she reached up, her soft hands framing my jawline, and pulled my face down to hers.
Our lips met in a sweet, lingering, and profoundly deep kiss that sealed our promise forever. It was a beautiful, lovely moment of absolute peace, a quiet sanctuary built in the middle of our dangerous underworld reality.
I held my beautiful fiancée close against my chest, the crimson silk soft against my suit, knowing with absolute certainty that no matter what storms came knocking on our doors tomorrow, we were going to conquer them together.
The princess had her guard, and the guard had finally claimed his queen.
We stayed on the floor for a long time, the scattered white rose petals cushioning us as the music continued to play its soft, endless tune. I kept my arms locked around her waist, resting my chin against the top of her head as her breathing slowly synchronized with mine.
The diamond on her finger flashed with every tiny shift of the candlelight, a permanent mark of the boundary we had just drawn against the chaos of our lives.
Let the world plot, let the enemies gather at the gates—this woman belonged to me, and I belonged to her, and that was a tactical reality no one would ever be strong enough to change.
Jane let out a soft, contented sigh, her fingers idly tracing the lapel of my jacket. "We have to go back eventually, you know," she murmured, a gentle smile evident in her tone. "Percy and Cin are probably trying to smuggle ice cream into Jay's room using a blueprint by now."
I chuckled, tightening my grip on her slightly before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Let them try. If they get caught by Angelo, it'll buy us another hour of peace. But for now... just stay here with me a little longer."
Jane leaned up, her eyes bright with a beautiful, carefree happiness as she pressed her lips against mine once more. "Always, Yuri. Always."
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🎬Author's Note
Hey my lovely readers! 👋✨😭
Oh my goodness, I am literally screaming and crying while writing this! FINALLY! After such a long time, so many tears, and so many close calls, our beautiful Jane and Yuri are officially together and engaged! 💍💖
My heart is so incredibly full seeing them find their peace in the middle of all this underworld chaos. They deserve the absolute universe! 😭🫶
Now, I already know what you are all thinking... "Author, what about Jay and Keifer? When are they going to patch up?!" 👀💔
I know you are all desperately hoping for our main couple to finally break down their walls and hold each other again. But honestly, sweethearts... they still need some time before that happens. Jay's scars run deep, and the ghost of her past isn't done with them yet. 🥀🥺
I need you all to do me a massive favor: please make your hearts completely ready. Gather your strength, lock your doors, and get those tissues fully prepared, because the next chapter is not going to be a happy one for you. And most importantly... it is going to be absolutely heartbreaking for our Jayfer fans. 😭💔🔪🩸
Our last target wasn't quite completed, but let's absolutely smash it this time! Let's hit a firm goal of 60+ comments on this beautiful chapter—tell me your absolute favorite part of Yuri's proposal! Can we do it? Ready, set, comment your thoughts below! 👇🔥✨
See you soon 💕