“What are our options?” I ask her, my voice low, careful.
She doesn’t look at me when she answers. “They can’t force us to marry. Not legally. But they can strip us of our titles. The trust funds. The land, the legacy.”
I let that sink in. It’s not news to me. I know how the old families play. Punishment disguised as tradition.
“I don’t care about the title,” I say. “They can have the damn name. But I know what your trust means to you. Your work. Your future.”
She turns her head to me now. “Nathan…”
“So here’s my offer,” I say, cutting gently through her protest. “We do it. We get married. For three months. Keep them quiet. Buy you time to plan your exit.”
She stares, stunned.
“You’ll be able to keep your title. Your dad won’t have the leverage. I’ll be deployed again soon. You’ll barely see me. No pressure. No obligations. Just a formality to keep the wolves at bay.” I rub my temples, “Playing their games but at our rules.”
“Then?” she asks softly.
“Then we part ways. Annul it. I walk out, you rebuild, and they lose their leverage.”
She doesn’t say anything for a long time.
Then—”You’d do that for me?”
I turn on my side, propping my head on my hand so I can see her clearly.
“For you?” I say, gently brushing her hair behind her ear. “I’d burn the whole damn estate down.”
“I can’t.” she swallows hard.
“Why?”
“Because I can't make you happy, and I can't pretend it either.” Her voice trembles.
“Then don't, just be yourself.” I shrug feeling so fucking selfish but I know if we go against them there’ll be some kind of repercussions and I’m sure this time I’ll lose it. “And who says you wouldn't make me happy?”
“I'm an empty shell, Nathan. I don't know what it means to be loved or to love someone,” her voice drops.
Lifting her chin, I force her to look at me. “You’re a wonderful woman, and anyone would be happy to have you by his side. I know for sure you're not empty.”
We look at each other for a few minutes. I'm dying to kiss her, but I don’t. Now that I know Isabel is my Izzy, the attraction I feel for her gets bigger. We talk a little more trying to figure out what to do and all the pros and cons of this insane plan.
“I'm going to take a shower, then sleep.” She gets up off the couch and stretches her back. “Thanks for bringing me here.”
“The master bedroom is yours,” I say without hesitation.
Her eyes snap open. “What?”
“You need to rest.”
“I can take the bedroom we used as kids.”
Chuckling, I shake my head, “No way, the king size bed suits you better.” Plus I’m not even sure if that room has been renovated or is still a bedroom.
Chapter 7
Nate
Whenever I get lost in the sea of her eyes, there’s this magnetic pull—raw and reckless—that makes me want to kiss her. Not just because she’s beautiful, though fuck, she is. It’s deeper than that. It’s like my soul recognizes something in her, like she’s always been mine in some unspoken, forgotten language.
