58: One way or another

VICTOR

Proposing to Madeline had not been part of my initial plan. In fact, I had been determined to push her away, believing that her life would always be filled with danger and hardships. Besides, I never saw myself as the marrying type. I chuckled softly to myself as I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. We were only a few miles away from her father's estate, and I had made a demanding request for an audience with Antonio, her father. Surprisingly, he didn't seem taken aback by my request, although I hadn't mentioned that Madeline would be accompanying me.

She was my weakness, but also an integral part of my being. The idea of marriage had never crossed my mind until I heard the fatal gunshot that ended the life of a man I once trusted. It was in that moment that I realized how fleeting life could be. The ring on Madeline's finger belonged to my mother, one of the few pieces of jewelry my father had given her that held sentimental value. Deep down, I knew my mother would have