Snow’s Point of View:

“I think your girlfriend is having serious eye issues,” the doctor mumbled casually as he scribbled something on his clipboard.

My mouth opened, ready to correct him, but Kingston spoke first, his tone laced with a quiet authority.

“What can we do to help her eyes?” he asked, frowning. “I mean, they look perfectly fine.”

I blinked up at him, startled by his concern. Why does he care so much? I thought, distracted for a moment by how the soft crease in his brow made him look even... cuter.

Wait. What? Snow, stop it. This is your father’s rival. I shook my head slightly, trying to clear those thoughts, but it didn’t help much.

“Miss Snow,” the doctor called, pulling me back to reality. “Can you tell me the name of the eye condition, or have you been experiencing worsening vision for a while?”

I nodded slowly. “It’s been getting worse for weeks now. I—I thought it was just fatigue or something.”

The doctor sighed softly before standing up straight. “She just needs prescription glasses and a round of medication to manage the strain. Nothing too serious as long as she gets her eyes checked regularly.”

“Alright, get them ready,” Kingston said quickly, his voice sharp and impatient.

I sighed, narrowing my eyes at him—or at least trying to through my blurry vision. “Please,” I whispered to the doctor, who gave me an understanding smile and left the room.

Once he was gone, I turned to Kingston with a tired frown. “Don’t be rude.”

Kingston’s blue eyes flickered with confusion as he stepped closer to my bedside. “What?”

“Don’t be rude,” I repeated with a sigh. “It’s not nice.”

He tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into a soft smile as he stared at me. “Anything for my queen.”

My cheeks flamed, and I looked away quickly, my thoughts spiraling. Why does he say things like that? And why does he look so beautiful while saying them?

“Your phone’s buzzing,” Kingston said suddenly, breaking me out of my thoughts. His gaze shifted to the screen lighting up on the side table.

I rolled my eyes, already guessing who it was. “It’s probably my dad or one of my brothers.”

“Aren’t you going to answer?” Kingston asked, raising a brow.

“Nope,” I muttered. I wasn’t ready to face them. Where had they been? If Kingston hadn’t shown up, what would have happened to me? The thought made me shiver slightly, and I rubbed my arms for comfort.

“Don’t think too much, love,” Kingston said softly, his deep voice pulling me back to the present. Before I could react, he gently tilted my chin upward with his cold, ringed fingers. “Your little brain might faint.”

I giggled despite myself, the tension lifting just a little. “Funny,” I whispered, shaking my head.

His smile widened as if my reaction was exactly what he’d hoped for. But before I could pull away, I blurted out the question that had been sitting in the back of my mind. “Why are you helping me?”

Kingston’s expression grew serious as his blue eyes locked onto mine. “Because you’re mine,” he said simply.

My heart skipped a beat, and my eyes widened. “N-nope,” I stammered quickly, frowning.

“Nop?” he repeated, looking genuinely confused.

I sighed, gathering my thoughts before speaking softly. “You can’t just say that. I’m not an object. You—you have to ask me first, and I need to know you before you start claiming me.”

Kingston blinked, as if my words had genuinely caught him off guard. Then, slowly, his lips curved into a sly smile. “If I do all that—if I ask you properly and let you get to know me—then you’ll be mine?”

I stared at him, feeling a strange flutter in my chest. Letting out a breath, I nodded reluctantly. “Maybe.”

He grinned like he’d already won. “My wife.”

My face turned red, and I quickly looked away. “Oh my goodness,” I whispered under my breath, trying to ignore the heat spreading up to my ears.

Just then, the doctor returned, holding a small paper bag with my medication. “Here are the drugs, Miss Snow,” he said politely. “You’ll need to come back for a formal eye check-up soon.”

Kingston glanced at the doctor, then back at me. He nodded and stood up, extending a hand toward me. “Let’s go, baby.”

I hesitated, sliding off the bed and taking his hand reluctantly. “Thank you,” I said quietly to the doctor, who looked between Kingston and me with an expression of mild shock, as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Kingston seemed to catch his look and smiled, flashing his perfect teeth. “Was I good, baby?” he asked me playfully, his tone dripping with satisfaction.

I groaned softly, my face heating up again. “Yes, you did good,” I said, hoping it would end there.

“So you’re mine now?” he asked quickly, his smirk returning.

“Oh gosh,” I muttered, shaking my head as I followed him toward the door, his confident stride making it seem like he had the whole world under control.

And maybe, in that moment, I believed he did.