Page 117 of A Simple Reminder

He smirks, his voice low and teasing, “You look incredible, by the way. I’m doing my best to focus on the task at hand but all I’m thinking about is finishing what we started this morning.”

My cheeks flush, and I roll my eyes, but a smile tugs at my lips despite myself. “You’re impossible.”

Lucas walks up to us, his precedence almighty. “Great. Now to the statement,” he says, handing a crisp piece of paper toward us. His movements are efficient, his tone all business.

I glance at Liam, who raises a brow but says nothing, his lips twitching like he’s already amused by what’s coming. I reach for the paper, my fingers brushing against it like it might explode in my hands.

The first line almost does:

“We fell in love at first sight…”

My eyes widen, and I look up at Lucas. “You’re kidding me.”

“Nope.” His expression is as straight as a steel beam.

I read on, my voice growing more incredulous with each line:

“Our connection was undeniable, and over time, our professional relationship blossomed into something deeper. We are thrilled to share this moment of joy and love with the world as we begin this new chapter together…”

I lower the paper, my fingers trembling slightly as I hold it up. “This sounds like the plot of a Hallmark movie,” I deadpan, my cheeks burning hotter by the second.

Lucas shrugs, his expression maddeningly smug. “It’s effective. People will eat it up.”

“Eat it up?” I echo, incredulous. “It sounds like something a lovesick poet would write on a napkin after three glasses of wine.”

Liam leans forward, his forearms resting casually on his knees as he watches me, his dark eyes dancing with barely concealed amusement. “I mean, it’s not that bad.”

I whip my head toward him. “Not that bad? Liam, it starts withwe fell in love at first sight.No one believes in that anymore.”

He tilts his head, his grin spreading slowly, deliberately. “Don’t they? Because I remember the first time I saw you outside that club in Barcelona. I was a goner from that moment.” His voice is low, smooth, carrying the kind of conviction that leaves no room for teasing.

My heart stumbles in my chest, his words hitting me harder than I expect. I swallow, trying to maintain some semblance of composure. “Ibelieve in it, but will others?” I manage, though my voice has softened.

Lucas sighs impatiently. “Look, it’s not about whether it’s sappy. It’s about optics. The narrative needs to change, and this statement does that. People will start seeing you as the new it-couple. Trust me.”

I re-read the whole statement, taking in every word. There’s something about the tone that feels familiar, like a voice I know too well. “Leora wrote this, didn’t she?”

Lucas shrugs, his expression smug and annoyingly self-satisfied. “She has a knack for these things.”

“Hey! I helped too,” Adeline pipes up from the corner chair she’s perched on. I glance at her and laugh because of coursethose twowould conspire on something like this.

Liam chuckles beside me, a low, warm sound that eases some of the tension in my chest. I glance at him, and the sight of his soft, slightly amused expression makes my heart ache in the best way. He’s watching me with a look so intense yet tender that it feels like he’s peeling back all my defenses without even trying. Like I’m the only thing in the room.

“Do you think this will work?” I ask, my voice quieter now, the question lingering in the air between us. It’s not directed at Lucas or Adeline—it’s for him.

Liam leans back slightly, his dark eyes steady as they meet mine. “I think this is the start of us taking back control. Together.”

There’s something in the way he says it—a mix of confidence and raw honesty—that makes my chest tighten. He’s not just saying this to fix the mess or salvage the situation. He’s saying it because he believes in us. In me. And that certainty is everything.

Lucas clears his throat, a sharp interruption that brings me back to reality. “So, are you signing off on it?”

I glance down at the paper again, my fingers brushing over the printed words. It’s overly dramatic, almost absurd in how it paints us as this perfect love story. But maybe that’s what we need right now—something big, something bold to fight the narrative being spun against us.

And the truth is, I want this. Not just the fake engagement for the cameras, but the promise of everything it could lead to. Liam. Us. A future. Because our story is anything but perfect. It’s messy. It’s long. It’s tangled with heartbreak and second chances. It’s written in mistakes, in stolen moments, in whispered promises. It’sours.It’s destined.

I nod, picking up the pen. “Okay,” I say softly, more to myself than anyone else. The single word feels like a quiet promise.

I sign my name at the bottom, the ink stark and permanent against the page. Liam takes the pen from me, his fingers brushing mine briefly before he signs his name next to mine.

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