She blows out a long breath, her eyes land on me, assessing. Probably wondering if it's safe to tell me anything. "I think I loved the idea of him."
It's probably the most honest answer my sister has ever given me.
"I liked what marrying him would do for me. My image. My place in the line of succession." She gestures to me. "But that's not the same thing as loving him, is it?"
I think about my own engagement, about the contract that brought Grace into my life. How it started as pure calculation and has become something I can't name. "No. It's not."
"Congratulations, by the way." Her smile is watery but genuine. "You've won. You'll be CEO now. Father can't very well promote a daughter who had a mental breakdown after being discarded on her wedding day."
The words should bring satisfaction, the culmination of everything I've worked toward. She's right. I'm now the clear successor. Instead, they feel hollow. "That's not why I'm here."
"Isn't it?" Dove studies my face with shrewd intelligence. "I'm a failure now, Ash. A cautionary tale. The perfect daughter who couldn't even manage to get married properly." She says the last part in a mocking voice.
"You're not a failure. You're just..." I search for the right words, but I've never been good at comforting anyone. "Human."
She barks out another laugh. "Humans don't get to run billion-dollar companies. Machines do. Perfect, emotionless machines who never crack under pressure."
Her words slice me straight to the bone.
"Is that what you think I am?"
Dove's gaze sharpens. "When's the last time you let yourself feel something real?"
When I'm with Grace.But I don't say that out loud.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Nash left me, Ash." It’s a flat and emotionless statement. "And I'm not even upset because he's gone. I'm upset because it hurtsmy image. God," she groans. "I'm just likeMom."
"You're not—" I start to deny, but Dove's sharp gaze turns to meet mine, silencing me.
"Don't."
"You could still fight for the CEO position," I say quietly. "This doesn't have to end your career."
Dove shakes her head. "Dad will never forgive this embarrassment. And honestly? Maybe that's for the best. Maybe it's time I figured out who Dove Caine actually is when she's not trying to be perfect."
She stands, moving to the mirror, where she begins removing the pins from her elaborate updo. Her reflection looks younger suddenly, more like the sister I remember from childhood before competition turned us into strangers.
"Can I ask you something?" she says, not turning around.
I nod. "Of course."
"Do you actually love Grace?"
The question makes my chest ache. I've spent my entire life refusing to let myself get close to anyone. Knowing that if I didn't love anything, it could never be taken away from me.
But Grace is a threat to my perfectly composed world.
I need to stick to the contract, get what I want, and then divorce her, just like we planned. Swallowing past a lump in my throat, I scrub a hand over my face.
"I… I don't know," I tell my sister, unsure if it’s another lie. "Maybe I just love the idea of her, too."
Dove turns to face me, her expression knowing. "That's the difference between us and other people, Ash. They have the capacity to truly love. We only want power."
Once again, my sister's words sting.
But they leave me wondering if she's right.
