Chapter 2

I sucked in a deep breath. Of course I had forgotten to tighten my corset back in place after loosening it up.

The tension in my body dissipated as he helped me tighten it, but not as tight as my mom had done it earlier. I wouldn’t struggle to breathe while sitting down now.

“Th-thank you,” I mumbled, finally turning to face him.

He analyzed my face for a moment, my self-consciousness suddenly hitting an all-time high. Being stared at by an insanely attractive man would do that to you.

Booming applause pulled us apart as his mother, Marie Sinclair stepped on to the podium.

I found my way back to my parents, quelling the rising unease in my stomach. I could slap myself for reacting like a teenager to her high school crush.

Adrian Sinclair was the son of the Sinclairs. I was Alexandra Bennett. Everybody knew our families had a long-running feud, even though they never openly acknowledged it.

“Good evening to every single person present this evening…”

“Alexandra,” my mom called, drawing my attention. She placed her hands on mine, the worry now raw and unhidden. “I need you to play along with this for us.”

The unease made a rough transition from a teenage girl seeing her high school crush to a twenty-three-year-old about to be hit with a devastating news in the middle of a dinner party appreciation speech.

“Play along with what?” My eyes flicked through her face and my father’s. “What are you two not telling me?”

“Tonight, you’ll be engaged to Adrian Sinclair.”

I would have laughed. Hell, a small chuckle escaped my throat. They were taking quote a little too literally.

“I don’t understand.” I shook my head. I didn’t want to understand.

You’ll be getting married to him in a month, but—”

“Wait,” I cut my father off, blinking repeatedly. “I’ll be getting married to who in what?”

“Please, Alexandra. We just need you to go along with it for tonight. We’ll tell you everything when we get back home,” Mom begged.

“Is this about the company?” They shared looks. “Did you get into a financial trouble of some sort?”

“We’ll explain later. Tonight’s the engagement ceremony—”

“Jesus, Mom.” I pulled my hand away from hers. “I’m twenty-three! You can’t go around making decisions like this for me. You of all people should know that marriage is a big deal for me and I’m not really interested in it. I’m not a child—”

“We’re desperate right now, Alexandra. Please understand that this is also hard for us,” Dad tried to explain, like that would make thing any better.

“And this was the only option?” They nodded in response.

“I am going to play along with this charade tonight for your sake. You better give me something credible when we get home. If it’s not worth it, I’m never walking down the aisle with that man.” I gave them my word, giving my attention back to Marie’s neverending speech.

“…that some people may think SC and Liss Real Estate agencies have always gone head-to-head, but that’s not the case at all. We see each other as partners, and that’s why we’re gathered here today.” I fought back the urge to roll my eyes.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is with much pleasure that I announce the union between us, the Sinclairs and the Bennetts, as our children will be getting married next month. I officially welcome you to the engagement ceremony between Adrian Sinclair and Alexandra Bennett.”

The shocked whispers came in waves. Judging by the look on Marie’s face, I could tell she was enjoying it. She loved holding the element of surprise and shoving it down people’s throats at her own time.

Something was officially wrong. My gut had been right the whole time.

A man in an all-black tuxedo came into focus as he pushed a cart of a triple-layered cake onto the podium.

Cameras flashed in my face as my mom encouraged me to go up the podium with Adrian, who was calmly making his way up the podium. Of course he knew about it the whole time. I started to wonder who had initiated that outrageous idea.

I was now standing in front of Adrian Sinclair as his fiancée. Utterly impossible, yet absolutely happening.

My father soon joined us, holding two cases with rings in them. My heart was going to fall out of my mouth any time soon.

“I guess I’ll go first.” Adrian smiled at me, picking one of the rings out and carefully sliding it onto my ring finger. It has the tiniest band, it almost looked invisible if it wasn’t for the teardrop-shaped diamond in the middle of it. Somehow, it fit perfectly. How long had they been plotting it? What exactly was it that they had all agreed on?

I took the second ring, which had a wider band with diamonds encrusted around it, and swiftly slipped it onto his own finger, almost having a meltdown. His eyes never left my face. I was no longer self-conscious. I was annoyed. I was in the dark and he knew something—if not everything—about this. His face was looking punchable now.

“Can we talk?” I asked him as people stood up and clapped and cheered.

“What about?” He didn’t do a good job at hiding the smirk on his face. It was obvious that he knew. He was toying with me.

“What exactly is going on?” I asked as we turned to the camera, faking smiles. I was faking mine, at least.

“We’re getting married, in case you missed it.” God, it would be nice to just wrap my hands around his neck and just—

“I got the memo on that one. Why are we getting married?” I said through my smile, making it seem like we were engaging in an average lovey-dovey conversation.

“I don’t have the full details, either. I was informed about this yesterday.”

“And you’re not freaking out?” I questioned.

“You are? It’s the world of business. Things like this happen every random Tuesday.” He shrugged.

“You don’t even know anything about me.”

“I guess I have forever to learn.”

I scoffed. He was on something to think I would get married to him. And if I ever did, it would only last so long.

“Yeah. Forever.” I nodded as we walked towards the cake and cut it together. Red velvet. How fitting. “Cheers to forever.”

“By the way, there’s no room for a divorce. So, yes, love. Cheers to forever.” He smiled. A shiver went down my spine.

What had my parents gotten me into?