Fated To Three, And I Broke Them All

Gigi:

”A few days ago, my mother’s phone broke. Oliver had another phone lying around, but she didn’t want to charge it, set it up, and deal with everything. So she asked to borrow his for a tea party. She was going to use his SIM too, just so she could stay in contact with my father.”

I paused.

”That’s when I think Oliver panicked. He was probably afraid that if my mother had full access to his phone, she might go through it and find the videos.”

Ragnar stayed quiet, letting me continue.

”That’s why I remembered him taking my phone. He stored the videos there temporarily. He hid them in different locked folders, thinking I wouldn’t notice.”

I got up and walked over to him before crouching down between his knees and taking his hands in mine.

”We used to be really close. We even had secret compartments in each other’s rooms. I never imagined my brother was doing any of that.”

My fingers tightened slightly around his.

”He kept the videos on my phone until my mother returned his. Once he got it back, he transferred everything over again and deleted the files from mine. That’s why traces of them were still left behind.”

Ragnar held my gaze for a moment before finally nodding.

”Yeah. Your mother explained all of that to me.”

A faint, broken smile crossed his face before he took my hands and gently pulled me to my feet.

”Don’t sit on your knees again,” he murmured.

A small laugh slipped out of me.

He was always strangely careful about that, never wanting me kneeling in front of him.

Ragnar guided me back to the bed, then began preparing my medicine.

”Tell me, how do I comfort you, Gigi?” he asked tiredly.

He held out the glass and mixed the ampule into it.

”I guess... I’m afraid,” I admitted, my voice coming out softer than I intended.

Ragnar sat down beside me immediately.

One hand braced against the mattress as he leaned closer, his full attention settling on my face.

”Afraid of what?” he asked after a brief pause.

”That I’m not pure for you anymore.”

The moment the words left my mouth, discomfort crossed his face.

I knew exactly why.

Ragnar had always hated the way people used a woman’s past against her, reducing her to something as meaningless as her body count and letting it define who she was.

”Some women came to see me today, and they asked my mother something that even shocked me,” I continued, wanting him to understand that this fear hadn’t come out of nowhere.

”What women? What did they ask?” His attention sharpened immediately.

”They asked my mother...” I hesitated, then forced out a faint, broken smile. ”What the fuck is Ragnar going to do about me now?”

I kept my voice soft, almost painfully gentle, even though repeating the question hurt more than I wanted to admit.

”Which woman? Tell me her name, and I’ll teach her a lesson.”

As expected, Ragnar’s first instinct was to confront whoever had said it.

That was something I couldn’t afford, considering the story wasn’t entirely true.

Not completely, anyway. My mother had been saying similar things to me for a while now.

”No, I don’t want that. They’re my mother’s friends, and I know you’re going to say it’s wrong, but that’s just how some people think.”

I pouted at him, frustrated that he didn’t seem to understand something so simple.

I didn’t want to make a scene or confront anyone simply because they were concerned about me.

Although, if someone ever had the nerve to say it to my face, I would give them a befitting response myself.

”Then tell me what you want me to do.” Ragnar leaned back slightly. ”Do you want me to hold a press conference and announce to the entire world that I still love you? Because I’ll do it.”

A small laugh slipped out of him, soft and almost innocent.

Until I said something that wiped the amusement straight off his face.

”You could.”

I pouted again, keeping my eyes on him.

Ragnar blinked, then gave his head a slight shake, as though trying to figure out whether I was serious.

”Well, then I’ll do it.”

”There are other ways to show the world you love someone,” I added quickly. ”You don’t always have to hold a press conference.”

His expression shifted.

”A simple engagement ceremony could be a pretty good response to everyone. And...” I hesitated before finally letting myself say what I truly wanted. ”It could also be a celebration of our love.”

There.

I had finally said it.

Ragnar went still.

A moment later, he pulled back slightly on the bed.

My confidence immediately crumbled.

”I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that. I’m not trying to force you. I just...”

I started rambling, but Ragnar cleared his throat and turned toward me.

Something about his expression made it obvious that answering me wasn’t easy.

That was what confused me.

I had genuinely believed he would be happy. Part of me had even expected him to suggest something like this himself one day.

Instead, I had been the one to bring it up, and now he looked so uncomfortable that his awkwardness began rubbing off on me.

”Ragnar, seriously, I was joking. Just forget it. Forget I said anything.”

Embarrassed, I lifted the glass to my lips and finished the medicine in one go.

Then I grabbed my blanket and tugged at it.

Since Ragnar was still sitting on part of it, the message was obvious.

Get up.

Let it go.

He seemed to understand.

Ragnar rose without arguing and pulled the blanket properly over me while I lay beneath it in silence.

For the first few moments, I felt awful.

My eyes burned, and I had to fight the urge to cry.

All this time, my pride had come from believing Ragnar and those alpha king brothers loved me deeply.

I had held onto that thought so tightly, almost treating it like a certainty.

But the first time I actually tested that belief, it felt as though all my dreams had fallen apart.

Maybe I had been wrong about everything.

Because if Ragnar truly loved me that much, why had such a simple suggestion left him struggling for an answer?

I clenched my jaw, refusing to cry.

I didn’t want my tears to pressure him into agreeing to something he didn’t genuinely want.

Then, from across the room, Ragnar’s voice broke through the silence.

”Let’s do it.”

I threw the blanket off and shot upright.

My eyes widened as I stared at him in disbelief.

Then a huge smile spread across my face, one so obvious that even Ragnar noticed.