Thunder rumbled across the Roman skyline as Evelyn stood at the library window, watching lightning illuminate the manor's sprawling gardens. The storm mirrored her turbulent thoughts, each flash revealing glimpses of the roses she and Ben had tended together just days ago. Victoria's visit had left her rattled, but not for the reasons her sister intended. Instead of fear, she felt a strange sense of liberation – as if sharing her past with Ben had broken the last chains binding her to her old life.
The library door creaked open behind her, and she caught Ben's reflection in the rain-streaked glass. He moved with that predatory grace that still made her breath catch, even after weeks of marriage. His suit jacket was gone, sleeves rolled up to reveal the strong forearms marked with scars that told stories of his rise from nothing.
"I thought I'd find you here," he said, his voice carrying that rough edge that sent shivers down her spine. "You always seek refuge among the books when something's troubling you."
Evelyn turned, taking in the way his white shirt stretched across broad shoulders, the way his grey eyes seemed to glow in the dim light. "Not seeking refuge," she corrected softly. "Just... thinking."
Ben closed the distance between them, his hands settling on her waist with familiar possessiveness. "About Victoria?"
"About us." She leaned into his warmth, drawing strength from his solid presence. "About how different this is from what I expected when we made our arrangement. I thought I was agreeing to a business partnership, a way to escape my family's shadow. Instead..."
"Instead?" His thumb traced circles on her hip, a gesture that had become as natural as breathing.
"Instead, I found home." The words came straight from her heart, unplanned but undeniably true. "Not just in this house or these gardens, but in you. In the way you look at me like I'm something precious instead of someone's leftover dreams."
Lightning flashed again, illuminating the raw emotion that crossed Ben's face. He pulled her closer, one hand sliding up to cradle the back of her head. "You've never been anyone's leftover anything," he growled softly. "From the moment you walked into my office with your chin held high and fire in your eyes, you've been exactly what I never knew I needed."
The thunder that followed seemed to shake the very foundations of the manor, but Evelyn barely noticed. She was lost in the way Ben's eyes darkened as he studied her face, in the gentle way his fingers tangled in her hair despite the intensity radiating from him.
"I used to think I needed to be cold to be strong," he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper that she felt more than heard. "That letting anyone close would be a weakness my enemies could exploit. But you... you make me stronger by making me vulnerable. You make me want to be worthy of the trust you place in me."
Evelyn reached up to trace the scar that ran along his jaw – a reminder of his fighting days that she'd come to love as much as every other part of him. "You've always been worthy," she murmured. "You just needed someone to see past the devil's mask to the man beneath."
His kiss was both tender and fierce, a contradiction that perfectly embodied everything they'd become to each other. When they finally parted, both breathing heavily, the storm outside had begun to fade. But the electricity between them only grew stronger.
"Come with me," Ben said suddenly, taking her hand. "There's something I want to show you."
He led her through the manor's shadowy corridors, past sleeping servants and ticking clocks, until they reached his private study. Inside, the usual imposing space had been transformed. Dozens of candles cast a warm glow over the antique desk where they'd first signed their marriage contract, now cleared except for a single velvet box.
"I had this made weeks ago," Ben explained, lifting the box with uncharacteristic hesitation. "But I've been waiting for the right moment. After today, after seeing you stand strong in the face of Victoria's threats, after watching you choose truth over fear... I realized there would never be a more perfect time."
Inside the box lay a ring that took Evelyn's breath away. Unlike the ostentatious diamond he'd given her for their arranged marriage, this was a delicate piece of art – a rose gold band set with black diamonds and tiny rubies, forming a pattern that looked like flames cradling a blooming rose.
"Ben..." she whispered, understanding the significance. Their original rings had been chosen for show, to convince the world of their love story. This was different. This was real.
"Marry me again," he said softly, taking the ring from its velvet nest. "Not for business or convenience or any other reason except that I love you. Marry me because somewhere between our careful arrangement and this moment, you became as essential to me as breathing."
Tears blurred Evelyn's vision as she nodded, watching him slide the ring onto her finger next to its more traditional companion. The flames seemed to dance in the candlelight, just like the fire that had forged their unexpected love story.
"I suppose this means we'll have to break the news to Mrs. Hughes," she said with a watery laugh. "She's been planning our first anniversary party for weeks."
Ben pulled her close, his chest rumbling with quiet laughter. "Let her plan. We'll have two anniversaries to celebrate – the day we made our arrangement, and the day we chose each other for real."
As they stood there in the candlelit study, the storm finally fading to a gentle rain outside, Evelyn realized that some arrangements were meant to be broken. Sometimes the most beautiful things grew from careful plans shattered by unexpected love, like flowers pushing through cracks in carefully laid stone.
And sometimes, just sometimes, the devil's greatest trick wasn't making the world fear him – it was letting one person love him enough to make him believe in heaven.