Alexander stood frozen on the balcony, the small key warm in his palm, waiting for Emily to take it.
He'd planned this moment for months. Had the key specially crafted by the same Swiss jeweler who'd made the bracelet—platinum to match, designed with precision to unlock the mechanism he'd engineered to be permanent. He'd rehearsed what he'd say, how he'd offer her freedom without making it feel like he wanted her to leave.
But Emily wasn't taking the key.
Instead, she was looking at him with an expression he couldn't quite read—something between amusement and determination, with an undercurrent of fierce certainty that made his breath catch.
"Emily?" He offered the key again, more insistently. "It's yours. The choice is yours. I need you to have it. To know you can—"
"I know what it means." Emily's hand came up to cup his, closing his fingers around the key. Her palm warm against his knuckles, her touch gentle but firm. "And my answer is no."
