They were busy chatting when Antonio's phone rang.
"Hello? yes, It's me," he said.
"Bad news sir, it's about the criminal named Mike Kristoff Murgoci." Antonio's partner said.
"OK, I got it," he said solemnly as he worriedly looked at Denise.
"Ahm, Uncle Jared, I'm sorry but I have to go first. We have something important to do but don't worry, I'll have some subordinates to guard Denise here until she is discharged," Antonio explained.
"OK, be careful," Denise said as Antonio exited her room.
~
Antonio hurriedly hopped into his car and drove as fast as he could to their office.
"Good evening, Sir," Juancho said to Antonio.
"Did you find him yet?" he asked as he entered his office.
"Yes, sir, we just need to hurry; I think they know we're trying to capture them now," Juancho explained.
"All right, get everything ready; we need to arrest them now," he said as he put on his NBI agent suit and slid his gun into his waistband.
"I'll make sure to catch you now, bastard; you'll pay for what you did to ma chérie," Antonio said quietly, his teeth clenched.
~
"F*ck they're here now, what are we going to do!" Ronnie exclaimed.
"Relax, they can't kill us that easily," Mike said as if nothing had happened.
"How sure are you about that?" Ronnie inquired, perplexed.
"Will I plant a bomb in this house so they're the ones caught in the trap?" Mike smirked.
"You're the epitome of evil," Ronnie chuckled.
"So, get ready, it's going to be a long war, we need to teach them a lesson before we leave," Mike said, laughing.
"Mike Kristoff Murgoci, surrender now! I'll make sure you don't get away this time!" Antonio yelled over the megaphone.
"And I need to kill that bastard as well, he's so bold to steal what's mine," Mike clenched his teeth.
~
"Sir, bad news, we detected that they planted some bomb in our location, we're in danger," Juancho exclaimed, gasping for air.
"F*ck! It's a trap, we'll retreat and tell everyone," Antonio said, but before he could get into his car, he heard a gunshot and saw Mike smirking at him.
"I'm going to kill that jerk!" he exclaimed, then drew his gun and fired a bullet at Mike while they were fighting, they heard a bomb explode, which coincided with Mike's escape. The bomb blast injured and killed many of Antonio's comrades.
~
"W-what happened?" Denise asks, noticing Antonio's injury.
"Nothing, don't worry, I'm fine," Antonio explained as he placed the fruits on the table.
Antonio doesn't want Denise to be concerned, especially since Mike hasn't been caught yet. Denise would be even more worried about it. Denise needed to heal first, and he wanted her to be happy. Antonio will go to any length to protect his chérie.
~
One year later...
It's been a year since Denise was shot. After that, Antonio and Denise grew closer as their feelings for each other grew stronger. Their relationship was still going strong.
Denise said yes when Antonio asked her out when she was about to be discharged from the hospital. When she said that Antonio felt so happy, and now it's been a year, he decided he didn't want her to leave and blew another opportunity. Antonio wants to marry her.
Denise and her father were talking. Antonio and his partner Juancho are discussing how Antonio should propose to Denise. "Hey, do you have a ring yet to give her, or do you need to get one?" Juancho asked.
"Don't worry, I got the ring; do you want to see it?" Antonio said as he reached into his drawer for it. "Wow, it's really beautiful; I'm sure she'll like it," Juancho said, which relieved Antonio. The ring has a medium-sized diamond in the center and a smaller one around the band, and it looks fantastic.
~Two hours later.
Antonio and Juancho finished talking when Denise walked through the door with her father. "Babe gets dressed now, I have a surprise for you," Antonio said, smiling at her. "Okay," she replied, she looks so excited as she ran up the stairs trying to find something good to wear. He went to the bathroom to get dressed while Denise was getting dressed in her room. He went down and waited for her when he was finished.
"Thank you, Antonio, for making my princess happy again," Uncle Jared said as he sat down on the sofa. "I'm the one who should be grateful to you, Uncle, for entrusting her to me," he says as they continue their conversation, they hear someone walking downstairs.
When Antonio looked up, he saw Denise walking downstairs in a purple dress that accentuated her curves, black heels that made her appear tall, and her hair pinned back.
When he looked at her, Antonio was brought back to reality when he heard her clear her throat. "You looked so beautiful, ma chérie," he said, smiling at her. Denise's face turned red as she flushed. "T-Thank you," she replied shyly. Antonio smiled as he witnessed her reaction. "Are you ready?" he asked, then nodded as he held her hand.
They arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later, and Antonio opened the door for her. "You look so beautiful, ma chérie," he said once more as they sat down. Denise appeared to be a tomato because she was blushing profusely. The waiter approached them both and asked as to what they liked. "Two beef sticks, spaghetti, and red wine," they ordered as the waiter nodded and walked away to prepare their meals.
Their food arrives a few minutes later, and they both eat quietly. "Do you want any dessert?" he asked. "Sure," she replied as Antonio called the waiter to order some cheesecake, her favorite. When the waiter left, he thought it would be the perfect time for his surprise for her, so he pulled the jewelry box from his pocket as he got down on one knee. He was really nervous as he looked at her with her shocked expression written all over her face. "Denise ma chérie, I don't know how to say it, but you are the most beautiful person I've ever known, and I love you more than my life, so will you make me the happiest man in the world, and will you marry me?" he asked, getting nervous as Denise broke out of her trance and looked at her.