I stared at him, still frozen from the words that had just left his mouth. I blinked in confusion. It didn’t feel real, my fingers twitched by my side. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
Then his voice changed, cold and detached, “that’s perfect for the media.”
I blinked, “what?”
“This,” he said, motioning toward me, “is exactly what my father wants. To make this announcement believable. Hart and Sterling, two legacies bound together but for that to sell, people need to believe I’d actually want something to do with you.”
The blow landed harder than I expected. I swallowed the knot rising in my throat and looked away.
I didn’t know what hurt more, his words or how easily they came out of him. I was supposed to be used to it by now, the distance, the walls, the cold glances but a part of me couldn’t stop seeing him as the man who used to show up at my restaurant just to hear me talk.
He turned away and called for the car.
We didn’t speak as we walked to the entrance. The driver opened the door without a word.
Rick slid into the backseat first, sitting on the far side, his arm against the window. I got in after him and stayed close to the door on my side and the ride was immediately filled with silence.
I stared ahead, my hands resting in my lap. Every now and then I could feel him glance my way, but he said nothing.
The only sound was the soft hum of the engine and the occasional buzz of his phone. He didn’t look at me once after that.
I wanted to ask him what this event was. Why it mattered so much, why two grown men would agree to tie their families together through something as personal as marriage but I knew I wouldn’t get the answers, especially not from him.
The city blurred past the windows, until finally the car slowed in front of a wide event center glowing under massive white lights. It was stunning, grand, too over the top. Huge glass doors, fountains at the entrance, black carpets rolled out instead of red. A crowd was already forming.
I sat up straighter, eyes widening. “There’s media here?”
Rick didn’t answer. He just stepped out first. The second the door opened, camera flashes went off. People swarmed toward the ropes, shouting his name, holding up phones and microphones. I hesitated for half a second before the driver opened my side.
I was shocked by the fame he possessed, I had spent too much time focusing on my personal growth in those times to even know any information about him.
I stepped out and was hit with a wall of light. Flash after flash, people yelling questions I couldn’t even hear clearly. I froze, my eyes scanning the chaos. My chest tightened. I wasn’t ready for this, I wasn’t ready to be
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Chapter 12
seen like this, next to him, like I belonged here.
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Rick noticed. His arm slipped around my waist like it was second nature, his other hand reached for mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. It didn’t feel like affection, it felt like instruction, like he was telling me to breathe, to hold it together.
We started walking.
The noise got louder as we neared the main stage. Photographers followed us, someone called out about the wedding, another about how fast it all happened.
Rick kept one hand firm on my waist and the other casually adjusting his cuff. He looked composed and confident, not one crack on the surface.
When we reached the front, a mic was handed to him. I stood slightly behind, unsure if I should step forward or not.
He didn’t hesitate.
“I want to thank everyone for being here today,” Rick said, voice smooth, public, practiced. “As many of you know, the Sterling and Hart families have had a long history of collaboration and today we take that a step further. I’m proud to officially introduce my wife, Fiona Sterling.”
The applause was immediate. Camera lights flickered even harder now. I stood stiff, offering a tight smile. Every second under those lights felt like hours. All I could think about was how none of this was real. It was just a performance, one I had offered myself up for.
The venue inside was just as loud as the outside, grand chandeliers, live classical music, glass walls with views of the skyline, and tables filled with rich people in tailored suits and glittering gowns. Everyone held champagne flutes, they all looked important.
We were stopped every few steps, more congratulations, more questions, people commented on how well we matched, how elegant we looked together. I smiled through all of it, letting Rick lead.
Then I heard it.
“They look too polished,” someone whispered behind us. “It’s like… there’s no chemistry.”
“They’re probably just business,” another voice added, “this looks more arranged than anything else.”
They didn’t know I could hear them, but I did. And worse, they were right. There was no chemistry, no affection, just Rick’s cold hold on my waist and my fake smile. If people caught on, if this event failed, whatever deal his father had forced him into might collapse. I didn’t know what it was, but it clearly meant everything to Rick if he was willing to marry someone he claimed to hate just to make it happen.
He moved away for a moment, cornered by a few older men in suits, business friends. They shook hands and laughed and patted him on the back.
I watched him for a second too long, then my mind clicked.
I didn’t think. I just walked forward, my heels hit the floor hard. I reached him, wrapped my hands around
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Chapter 12
the back of his neck, and tilted my head.
He looked down, confused.
And I kissed him.
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His lips caught mine with more warmth than I expected. His hands went to my waist again, firmer this time. The cameras flashed louder than before as everything faded but that moment.
AD
