In the quiet intimacy of the backyard, Francisco’s words landed like a stone.

“He told me to marry you,” he said, his voice calm and direct.

Lilith froze. A flush rose to her cheeks as the air shifted. She hadn’t expected such blunt honesty. The light playfulness of the evening vanished in an instant.

“Really?” she stammered, her voice shaky with surprise and vulnerability.

Francisco didn’t flinch. He casually wiped his lips with a tissue, then delivered another blow—this ...