"Of course. You showed your sincerity with that gold jewelry—how could I possibly lie to you?"
My voice grew even softer, though my eyes remained ice-cold beneath the warmth:
"And that's not all. My father said he's giving you thirty percent of our family company's shares."
"As long as you treat me well, everything my family owns will be yours someday."
Brent couldn't hide his excitement. He grabbed my hand again, his tone eager and fawning:
"Baby, my leg is fine—really, it's nothing! The wedding can go ahead tomorrow as planned!"
I paused for a moment, then reached out to gently stroke his badly swollen cheek, my voice dripping with "concern":
"I know you want to marry me right away, and I want nothing more than to be your wife. But I can't ignore your condition."
"Tomorrow, when my parents come to visit, I'll coax them into handing over the million-dollar dowry to you first."
"As for the shares—we'll present those at the wedding, in front of all the guests. Think how impressive that will be."
Only then did Brent relax:
"Mira, you're so good to me! I swear I'll never let you down!"