Yes, I'll Marry You

Hana’s body froze as she reached the large stairway of the grand Carter mansion.

She had wished for many things in life, but meeting the man she was madly in love with just moments before getting engaged to his brother—was never on the list.

The scene before her moved in slow motion.

He was standing at the foot of the stairs, hands in his pockets. The same man she had seen a thousand times in her dreams, now real and breathing before her.

Messy hair. Dark eyes, and those lips that set fire to every inch of her skin.

He looked up, and their eyes met. It was as though the world stopped spinning. Her heart raced in her chest, louder than the music, louder than the distant voices from the party.

Then his voice echoed through the hallway.

“Did you miss me?”

Casual. Effortless. Like it meant nothing. Like they meant nothing. A smirk tugged at his lips. It took Hana a few seconds to find her balance again.

Did she miss him? Really?

Tears stung her eyes, her nails digging hard into her palms.

She studied him. He looked okay. A bit different than she remembered but he didn’t change much. His hair was longer, slightly curled at the ends.

Her stomach dropped.

She had convinced herself he had been in an accident. That he was in a coma somewhere. That’s why he never called. That’s why he never answered her messages.

But no. He hadn’t been sick. He hadn’t been lost. He had been fine all along.

And she had been the only fool waiting.

She gripped the railing tighter as her body trembled.

He didn’t even think she deserved a goodbye.

Hana swallowed the knot in her throat and took the stairs one step at a time, her heels clinking softly.

When she reached him, she stopped and forced a smile onto her lips.

“You look well,” she said, her voice surprisingly calm as she held his gaze.

He was silent for a moment. His smile faltered just slightly, then he chuckled. “Yeah. I’ve been good.”

She nodded, eyes flicking to the floor. “That’s good to know.” The quiet between them stretched, her hands trembling at her sides.

She had played this moment over and over in her head—crying in his arms, telling him how much she missed him, holding him so tightly he could never disappear again. She wanted to scream and ask why he left, why he never called. Why he let her suffer alone.

But none of that happened.

“I’m getting married,” she said, the words catching in her throat. Her voice cracked, eyes glistening with tears.

It took everything in Dante not to reach for her in that moment. She looked like she might fall apart, and he hated himself for being the reason.

He wanted to tell her everything. Where he had been. Why he left. How much he missed her. That not a single day passed without her in his mind. But the words stuck. His mouth opened, then closed again, but nothing came out, and then he looked away.

Before her tears could break him.

“Yes, I heard…’’ he inhaled, trying to sound as calm as possible.  ‘’…To Elijah,” he said with a forced smile. “Congratulations.”

Hana bit down on her lip, hard enough to draw blood. She looked away.

God, she hated him. She hated him so much.

“Did you come back for the engagement party?” she asked, her voice soft.

Dante nodded. “Yeah. Elijah invited me.”

“Oh.” She smiled weakly.

So it wasn’t for her. He hadn’t come back because he missed her. Her messages, her voicemails—none of them had reached him. He came because his brother asked. That was all.

The silence between them stretched, so loud she could hear the ticking of a nearby clock in her head. She inhaled deeply, steeling herself.

“I have to go now… everyone’s waiting.”

Her voice was a whisper by the time she finished.

Dante nodded slowly, and she turned, walking away quickly, before the tears gave her away.

He stood there, frozen, staring at her until the doors swallowed her whole. The chill in his chest spread until it reached his fingertips.

He wanted to run after her. To stop her. But his legs didn’t move. There was nothing left to say. He was too late. If he had come a day earlier—hell, even an hour earlier—maybe he could’ve changed everything.

But now?

Now it was too late.

The pressure in his chest tightened, tears threatening to spill, but he blinked them away, staring blankly at the ceiling. Then he turned and walked back into the main hall.

Just as he stepped through the door, thunderous applause erupted around him.

He looked up—and he saw her.

Elijah had his arm around her, beaming. She was smiling. A soft chuckle escaped her lips as Elijah leaned in and kissed her chin, then slowly dropped to one knee.

The world around Dante blurred.

Everyone was speaking around him, but Dante couldn’t hear a thing.

His mind spiraled back. A memory flooded in. Hana, standing in his shirt by the kitchen counter, sleeves rolled up and casserole burnt to hell, laughing sheepishly as she asked if he’d still marry her now he knew she didn’t know how to cook.

She had that same smile now. But it wasn’t for him.

Dante’s chest caved in, his breath shallow.

“Will you marry me?”

The words rang through the air, and his world stopped again.

Hana stared down at Elijah, blinking through the tears clouding her vision.

This was the moment she’d dreamed of—the man she loved on one knee, asking for forever. But the man she loved...

Her gaze drifted, scanning the crowd until she found him.

Their eyes met and she stopped breathing.

Stop me. Please. Just say something. Anything. I’ll say no. Just… please, Dante...

She waited. And waited.

But he didn’t move. He just stood there, silent.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

And she smiled. Then her eyes fell to the man in front of her.

“Yes, Elijah. I will marry you.”