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“Whoops.” Fia grimaces, covering her mouth. “Gotta go. Bye!”

And with that, she dashes off with Adora, leaving us behind in a trail of giggles.

I turn to Cillian, popping a brow. “Did you actually pay them for this?”

He scratches the back of his neck, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips. “Well…”

I shake my head, laughing. “You planned this?”

Cillian shrugs nonchalantly, his gaze intense and unshifting. “Is that so bad? It got you to dance with me, didn’t it? You almost looked like you actually liked me again.” He smirks, and my stomach flutters.

I’ve always liked you…

Did he really do all this just to be close to me? The thought makes my heart ache in the best way. He steps closer, his arm winding around me, pulling me flush against him.

His voice drops to a low whisper, stirring something deep inside me. “I’d do anything to make you see me the way you once did, Dinara. Moy teli mir, v tvoikh glazakh.”

Air stalls in my lungs, and I almost can’t believe my ears. “You learned Russian for me?”

He nods, looking at me with a mix of affection and determination.

“Who taught you to say that?” I wrap my arms around his shoulders, impressed by his effort. “You’re not half bad.”

“Konstantin,” he admits, his lips curving into a half-grin.

“Are you two friends now?”

“Not even close,” he chuckles dryly. “But he’s…useful.”

I scoff. “I’m sure he’d love to hear that.”

“Are you gonna tell him?” he teases, dropping his lips close to mine.

“Of course not. I’m Switzerland.” My tone grows raspy, butterflies spreading in my stomach.

“That’s a good girl.” He draws me into a soft kiss.

And when he pulls back, I feel an emptiness lingering where his lips just were.

“Oh, by the way…” he adds. “I had my people look into your father. He wasn’t at the wedding. Not on any of the cameras, anyway.”

I should be relieved. Iwantto be relieved. But I’m not.

I just nod. “Thanks for looking into it.”

He notices the shift in me immediately.

Gently, he cups my face in his hands, his eyes soft with concern. “What did I tell you about thanking me for taking care of you? Don’t do that. Understand?”

I nod, leaning into his touch, surrendering to the comfort he offers. With every passing day, he chips away at the walls I’ve built around myself, and I can’t deny I feel that spark between us burning just as bright as it once did.

* * *

That evening, Cillian’s dining room is transformed into a romantic oasis.

Candles flicker across the long marble table, a beautiful white floral arrangement in the center. Candlelight casts shadows over the rich dishes Mary has laid out. Every single one of them is my favorite. How he knew, I have no idea.

But the biggest surprise is that he made all of it. From scratch. I still can’t wrap my head around that. When Amara asked to hang out after the tea party, I had no idea that she and Fionn were in on the surprise Cillian was planning.