Page 121 of Theirs to Possess: The Marriage Claim

I sink into one of the chairs and curl my fingers around the warm porcelain. The café au lait is perfect—smooth, rich, just a whisper of sweetness from the milk. As I sip, something catches my eye near the edge of a nearby display.

An opal.

It isn’t in a case like the others. Instead, it rests alone on a velvet tray on a marble pedestal, illuminated by a single downlight that makes its colors flicker like trapped fire.

I put down my drink and go toward it.

The surface is milky and translucent, but when I lean closer, it shimmers with violet and green and a deep, impossible gold.

Théo glances my direction, and a slow smile spreads across his face. “Ah. She sees you too.”

I blink. “The opal?”

“That stone,” he says, approaching it reverently, “was pulled from Lightning Ridge in New South Wales. Mined more than a century ago. It passed through the hands of a French courtesan, a British duchess, and a New Orleans voodoo priestess before disappearing for decades. It reappeared in a private estate sale, and I acquired it. The opal is a stone of truth, of passion, of transformation. It doesn’t just reflect light—it reveals it.”

He lifts it gently and places it between us on a velvet tray.

“There’s fire in it.”

“Indeed. There is.”

“This can’t be your engagement ring,” Dorian says flatly. “You need a diamond. Something unmistakable.”

“She will have a diamond,” Théo agrees smoothly.

Still, I can’t look away.

The stone has me mesmerized, which is odd since I’ve never been drawn to opals before, even though they’re my birthstone.

“Let’s explore your preferences,” Théo says a minute or so later, breaking into the trance that I’m in.

He moves to a tall case and opens its hidden clasp. Inside are six engagement rings—each dazzling in its own right. He brings the tray to me with gentle ceremony.

“Tell me what speaks to you. And what doesn’t.”

There’s a vintage Art Deco piece with filigree, a modern solitaire with a knife-edge band, a marquise cut with side stones, and a pear-shaped diamond fit for royalty.

I reach for a cushion-cut diamond in platinum. “This one’s beautiful. But maybe a little…too…” I search for the right word. “Perfect?”

“Too cold.” Théo nods. “You need something with soul.”

I slide on a round brilliant stone set in a slim band. It sparkles madly—but it’s not me.

Dorian shakes his head. “She needs something timeless.”

Brennan joins us. “Strong, elegant. A little unexpected.”

I continue to look, and my gaze lands on something unexpected—a square-cut diamond nestled in a rose-gold setting. It’s not as loud as the others, but there’s a warmth to it. A softness that draws me in.

“What about this one?” I ask.

Théo leans in. “Beautiful. And classic. But not quite…singular.”

Brennan joins me, eyes narrowed slightly. “She needs something that pushes boundaries, not something that plays by them.”

“Agreed,” Dorian says. His voice is firm. “Something rarer. Something that turns heads.”

Théo nods thoughtfully and brings out a small tray of loose stones, each nestled in its own velvet pocket. “Let’s see if the right diamond finds you.”