“Your fiancée is here to see you, sir,” Nadia announces.
I nod once, gesturing for her to let Abigail in. “Thank you, Nadia.”
Abigail steps inside, graceful as ever, draped in something pastel and perfectly composed, even for an unplanned visit.
“Of course, sir,” Nadia replies, closing the door behind her.
Before Abigail can speak, I raise a hand, signaling her to wait while I finish my call with Matthew.
“And make sure they understand this isn’t a suggestion.”
“Yes, sir.”
The line clicks off. I set the phone down and refocus on the screen, fingers returning to the keyboard, until a quiet throat-clear breaks through the silence. I grit my teeth before looking up. Abigail’s standing there with her head cocked, that pointed little look that saysReally? Did you forget I’m here?
It’s not that I forgot. I just have a deadline to meet, and whatever wedding crisis she’s here to unload, I don’t have the time or patience for it.
“Can I help you, Abigail?”
It’s only been two days since that damn dinner with Abigail and Blair, but it feels like an eternity. It’s odd. Never in my life have I felt such intrigue toward someone, yet Blair inspires it so effortlessly. For the most part, I keep myself busy to ensure my thoughts remain away from that forbidden territory, but somehow, I always seem to fail in doing so.
“Calvin?”
The sharp sound of Abigail’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts, and I jerk my head up to find her glaring at me from across my office.
“Did you hear me?” she asks, arms crossed, her foot tapping in irritation.
“What is it, Abigail? I really don’t have time for this today.”
“Well, whendoyou have time?” she says, irritated. “I feel like I’m the only one putting in any effort here. I’m the one handling all the wedding details, dealing with my parents, managing the press, and you’re just… here. Present in body but absent in spirit. I know this is just a business arrangement, but you still need to put in some effort, so you don’t appear so… disinterested.”
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose to stave off the growing tension. “I know. I’ve been distracted with work.”And your little sister.
“I get it. I do.” She continues, “But you’re not even trying. We agreed on this. You promised we’d both make an effort to make this look real, and right now, you’re making me look like a fool. I look like I’m constantly chasing after you while you’re only invested in your business.” That’s not entirely true. I do put in the effort, but again, I am a busy man running a multi-million dollar empire, I don’t have time to go wedding shopping or whatever she’s upset about right now. “Ineed a little more effort on your end. I need you to try. To give me something… anything.”
She’s being a tad bit dramatic again, but she’s also right. Abigail has taken on most of the responsibility for this charade, managing the wedding preparations, fielding questions from her parents, and handling the public appearance of our so-called engagement. I finance it, but I can’t be bothered with any of the technicalities.
“You’re right. I’ll do better,” I say, softening my voice to ease the tension between us. “What do you need from me?”
Abigail leans forward, her eyes narrowing. “Well, for starters, you can stop avoiding my sister. Blair thinks she upset you somehow. She’s mentioned it to me a couple of times. So, can you please take care of that?”
My brow furrows. Blair thinks she upset me? How? We’ve barely had a handful of interactions, and none of them were confrontational. Then it hits me.
The kitchen, a few days ago.
“I didn’t know she felt that way,” I admit. The kitchen encounter didn’t upset me in any way. On the contrary, it made me realize how dangerous it is to be so close to her. “She hasn’t done anything wrong. I’ve just been…”
“Distracted, I know, but please try to get along with her. She’s young, but she’s not stupid. She picks up on things, and I don’t want her feeling uncomfortable. She means the world to me,” she says softly. I can tell Abigail cares about her sister, which only makes this whole situation worse. Abigail and I aren’t in love, but I am aware of the fact that she’s doing me a favor. The last thing I want to do is to hurt her.
“I’ll deal with it,” I reply. “Is that all?”
She eyes me carefully as if weighing whether to press further. She knows better than to push her luck. After a tense pause, she simply nods, her expression softening slightly. “That’s all. Just… make sure we’re both putting in the effort, Calvin. We can’t afford for this to fall apart,” she says, smoothing out the front of her designer dress before heading toward the door. As she leaves, she murmurs, “Don’t forget we are having dinner with my parents on Sunday.”
I grimace. “I haven’t forgotten.” It’s the last thing I want to do, but it’s my responsibility nonetheless. I want her to know I’m taking this seriously.
“And,” she adds, pausing at the door, “I have an appointment earlier that day, so I won’t be able to pick up Blair. Would you please just give her a ride? And I’ll meet you guys at my parents’ place later.”
An undoubtedly bad idea, but what choice do I have, aside from saying yes? “Sure, I can do that.”
