Chapter 84
Engagement Party (Part 4)
(Axel’s POV)
The sound of murmurs and whispers filled the room again as Peyton’s heels disappeared through the ballroom doors. The cameras had stopped flashing, but the weight of a hundred eyes still burned into me.
I turned toward Maya. She looked pale, trembling slightly, but she didn’t move when I reached for her hand. My chest ached, but I pushed it down.
I took the engagement ring from my pocket, the one I chose for Maya this morning.
Before Maya could react, I took her hand and slid the ring onto her finger. She gasped softly, eyes wide, but I tightened my grip before she could pull away.
“There,” I said quietly. “Now it’s official.”
Her lips parted in shock. “What are you doing?”
“What I should have done five years ago,” I said.
I loo
