Page 16 of Arranged with Twins
Three days later,I’m sitting in the back of a town car with Mother, listening to her complain about my engagement ring for what feels like the hundredth time this week.
“It’s simply too flashy, darling. Orange diamonds are so vulgar and unconventional. What will people think?” She adjusts her pearls with the precise movements of someone deeply frustrated. “A classic solitaire would have been so much more appropriate for a Cooper bride.”
“I like it,” I say firmly, twisting the ring around my finger. “It’s beautiful and unique, and Leo chose it specifically for me.”
“That’s exactly the problem. Engagement rings should be timeless, not trendy. This looks like something a nouveau riche socialite would wear to get attention.” She shakes her head, clearly appalled.
The insult stings more than I expected, partly because I know she’s deliberately trying to make me doubt Leo’s choice and my own taste. I grit my teeth to keep from responding.
Father clears his throat from the front seat. “Perhaps we could focus on tonight’s event. Sienna, remember to stay close to Leo. The photographers will want to capture your interactions. The ring is fine. It’s too late to change it now, anyway.”
“Thanks,” I grumble, already feeling tense about tonight’s charity board meeting.
“Stay close to him. Don’t cause a stir,” Mother says, as though he’s repeating it to Father instead of me.
"Yeah, I get it,” I reply.
“Do you? I sometimes wonder if you fully grasp how much depends on this marriage. You’re carrying our entire future, our reputation, and our ability to maintain our position in society with your actions and this arrangement.” Mother’s voice carries an edge of desperation that’s becoming more pronounced each week. “Your cooperation is the only thing keeping this family from collapsing.”
The word makes my jaw clench. I recognize her manipulation tactics, but that doesn’t keep them from working, dammit. “I won’t do anything to embarrass the family.”
“See that you don’t. Tonight is crucial for maintaining relationships with potential investors. Everyone will be watching how you and Leo interact, and we can’t afford any missteps.”
I swallow my anger, knowing she’s right even if I hate being reminded of it constantly. I can’t walk away from this arrangement, no matter how much I want to assert my independence. I’m chafing at their rules and requests more than I am the actual deal with Leo though.
The car pulls up to the building where the charity board meeting is being held, and Leo is waiting just inside the lobby when we arrive. He greets my parents appropriately before turning to me with what seems like a genuine smile. “You look lovely tonight,” he says, offering me his arm.
“Thank you.” I decided to placate my mother by wearing the black dress she sent over for my date with Leo earlier in the week. It’s fine, but it’s boring, making me feel boring in it—at least until I catch a glimpse of the orange diamonds sparkling on my fingers, which makes me a little happier.
We’re ushered into the conference room where the meeting will take place, and I take my seat beside Leo, acutely aware that we’re being observed from multiple angles. Halfway through the meeting, the lights flicker and then go out completely. Emergency lighting kicks in, and someone announces a storm has knocked out power to several blocks.
“For security reasons, the building will remain in lockdown until power is restored,” announces the building manager. “Please remain in your current locations.”
Leo stands and surveys the room by the light of his phone, augmenting the emergency lights. “There’s a smaller conference room down the hall. We could wait there instead of staying crowded in here.”
I nod, grateful for any excuse to escape the main room where I feel constantly watched. He guides me through the dim hallway to a much smaller space with just a conference table and chairs. The moment the door closes behind us, some of the tension in my shoulders eases. For the first time all evening, I’m not being observed and evaluated.
“Better?” he asks.
“Much. Thank you for suggesting this.” I lean back and close my eyes briefly. “Sometimes, I feel like I’m suffocating under all the scrutiny.”
“The pressure must be difficult, and your parents are… demanding.”
His observation makes me defensive despite his neutral tone. “My parents are just trying to protect the family. This engagement is important for all of us.”
“It is important, but that doesn’t mean you should have to disappear completely in the process.”
I open my eyes to look at him more carefully. “What do you mean?”
“If we’re going to make this work, we both need to be able to be ourselves sometimes. Not just the people your family and society wants us to be.” Leo leans forward slightly. “When we’re in public, we play our parts, but when it’s just us, maybe we could try being honest with each other.”
The suggestion is both appealing and terrifying. “Honest about what?”
“About what we actually want from this arrangement and if we can find ways to make it work for both of us instead of just for appearance.” I hear something that might be his genuine interest in finding common ground rather than just managing a business transaction.
It makes me panic for some reason, and I have to modulate my tone. “I don’t want to be treated like property,” I say quietly. “Ifyou expect me to play along in public, it needs to be on terms we both agree to.”
Leo studies my face in the red emergency lighting. “What would those terms look like?”
