But Vani had never been predictable.
“Ready?” I murmured.
She glanced up at me with that small, secret smile that had started appearing more and more often since our arrangement began.
“Always.”
I exhaled quietly.
God help everyone in this room.
We began making our way through the open space. A few heads turned almost immediately when people recognized me, and even more turned when they noticed the woman on my arm. My wife.
The introductions were quick and efficient—exactly the way I preferred them.
“Mr. Sterling,” one of the older investors greeted with a nod.
“This is my wife, Vani,” I said smoothly.
Vani smiled politely and offered a graceful handshake. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
His wife looked Vani up and down in that subtle, assessing way society women perfected before finally offering her own smile. “We weren't aware you got married. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Vani replied sweetly.
We moved through the room like that for several minutes—short introductions, polite greetings, brief conversations. Each time someone addressed her as my wife, I felt a warmth settle deeper in my chest.
When the final introduction was finished, I glanced across the room again. My family was still huddled together, only now they were definitely watching us.
“Well,” I muttered under my breath, “let's get this over with.”
I turned slightly, preparing to guide Vani toward them. But before I could take a step, she tugged gently on my arm. “Follow my lead,” she said quietly.
“What?”
But she was already walking. I barely had time to recover before I was moving with her. My mother noticed us approaching first. Her conversation with Emily stopped immediately, and her eyes sharpened with trepidation.
Theo noticed next.
His expression brightened instantly.
“Cal,” Theo hummed, diverting all attention to him. His gaze shifted to my left, and his smile widened. “Evania. It’s lovely to see you again.”
Vani returned his smile easily. “You too, Theo.”
I opened my mouth to say something that would hopefully steer this interaction before it turned into one of my mother’s usual interrogations, but Vani spoke first. What she said made the entire group go silent.
“Mrs. Sterling,” she said softly. “I'm so glad you're here. I actually wanted to apologize.”
Every single person in my circle froze, including me.
My mother paused, eyes darting between both of us. “I’m sorry?”
Vani clasped her hands lightly in front of her, looking genuinely contrite. "I apologize for the way I behaved when we first met. I’m afraid I may have come across… a little defensive.”
Emily’s brows lifted.
Theo’s eyes flicked toward me in pure curiosity.
