"He's irrelevant, and no. He must have gotten in last night. Gemma told me he wouldn't make it in time for the ceremony, but Luc has never been able to resist a party."
"Where was he?"
"He lives in L.A." Adrian throws back the covers, standing in just his boxers. My cheeks heat as I look at him. His body is insane, and even though I'm pissed at him, I'm still a woman, and he is still sexy. "Fine. Tell Mother we'll be down in twenty minutes."
Leo nods and leaves, closing the door behind him.
I stare at Adrian. "You have a brother, and you didn't think to tell me?"
"Luc doesn't matter." Adrian moves to his closet, pulling out clothes. "He's the second son. The backup. The one who gets to live however he wants because there's no pressure on him, and he does it by fucking around from city to city."
"And you resent that." It's not a question. It's clear in the way he talks.
"I don't resent anything." I lift my brow but remain quiet. "Get dressed," he says, sounding exhausted. I wonder at what time he came to bed, and I feel slightly bad for how hard I'm making this.
Most women would be ecstatic to be married to a man like Adrian Nero.
"What about our conversation? About the rules?"
"After breakfast." He pulls on pants, a shirt. "Get dressed, Seraphina. You have fifteen minutes."
It's not a request.
The moment I open the closet, and my mouth drops open.
"Holy shit."
Someone had time to fill it to the brim with clothes. Designer dresses, pants, even jeans. There are purses tomatch. Jackets and coats. And more shoes than one person should ever have.
I'm overwhelmed. Not just because of the clothes, but what they represent. These aren't mine.
They are a costume for my new role as Adrian's wife.
One I don't even know the requirements of, which feels even more overwhelming.
In forty-eight hours, my life has changed, and I've barely had time to process it.
It seems this morning isn't going to be the time.
Grabbing a beige and cream shift dress, I throw it on quickly, trying not to think about how this is my life now. How I'm standing in a mansion, wearing clothes someone else picked out, about to have breakfast with a family that terrifies me.
Adrian is waiting by the door when I emerge.
"You look beautiful," he says.
"I figured those clothes were for me."
"They are." He extends his arm. "Shall we?"
I hesitate. There's a part of me that wants to be a brat and just move past him. Instead, I loop mine through his and allow him to guide me through the house.
"Try to relax," Adrian says. "We're in this together."
I swallow and nod. As angry as Adrian makes me, he's right. We are partners in this.
The main dining room is exactly what I expect. Enormous. Elegant. A table that could seat twenty but currently only has four people around it.
Bianca sits at the head. Gemma to her right. And a young man I don't recognize to her left.
