Page 46 of Broken Princess

The former is probably with Lorenzo, which I try not to think about, while the latter is... well, probably in a tanning bed or out spending Dad's money on more clothes, like she doesn't already have a small department store's worth of them.

"Yes, it's good to see you, too," I reply, trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice.

We all take our seats, and Stefan is seated next to me. He's trying not to touch me, but his thigh keeps brushing against mine under the table. I'm sure it's accidental, but it still makes my skin crawl.

I can feel Dad's eyes on me, but I refuse to meet his gaze. Instead, I take a sip of my water, since I feel like I'm in danger of being sick.

"Will Mrs. Carillo be joining us tonight?" Stefan asks politely. I know he isn't actually hoping she shows up, considering she spends all night gawking at him and making awkward flirtatious conversation that has to make him uncomfortable.

"She should be here any time now," Dad says, glancing at his watch. He's clearly irritated by her lateness, but trophy wives aren't known for their punctuality. "And Amelia, stop fussing with your napkin. You're going to make everyone nervous."

I drop my hands to my lap and clasp them together tightly. "Sorry, Dad," I say, not sorry at all.

"So, Stefan, what have you been up to lately?" Dad asks, pointedly not looking at me.

He really is intent on pretending like there's nothing extremely messed up about this whole situation. I have to hand it to him, he manages truly impressive levels of cognitive dissonance.

"Not much, just making some final arrangements for the transfer," Stefan replies. I can tell he's uncomfortable, but he's doing a good job of hiding it. "You know how it is."

"I certainly do," Dad says, chuckling knowingly. "I'm sure it's uncommon to transfer in so late, but I had a discussion with the Dean, so they shouldn't be giving you any trouble."

"I appreciate that, sir," Stefan says stiffly.

It's clear he doesn't. But he's the one who agreed to this charade to become a part of my family, and he's going to learn just how much control that means Miceli Carillo gets over his life.

Dad pauses, as if there's something else on his mind. It's just the three of us, for now, so I'm sure there's plenty he has to say, assuming he and Stefan haven't been having any more secret discussions where they plan out the course of my life without consulting me first.

I haven't had the chance to talk to Stefan one on one since that day in Dad's study, but to be fair, I've been avoiding him.

Tonight, though, I'm waiting for a chance. And considering he's my fake fiancé, I figure Dad and Natalie will be eager to allow it.

"I don't suppose you've spoken with your parents yet?" Dad asks.

It's clear enough what he means. I still have no idea why Stefan is going along with all this nonsense, but I can't help but wonder what his parents are going to think. At first, I assumed they were in on it, too, but judging from the look on his face as he takes a sip of his wine, as if to buy himself time to think, that's not actually the case.

"I haven't yet, no," he says carefully. "They're on board with my transfer, but I thought it best to wait until things have settled down after the move."

"That's probably wise," Dad agrees. "Just tell me when you do. I'd like to have a talk with your father man to man. I'm sure he's going to have some... trepidations, being as traditional as he is."

"Indeed," Stefan says with a small smile. "He's going to expect a wedding, so I thought it would be best to make sure we're all on the same page first," he says, casting a nervous glance my way. "And I wasn't sure you'd had the chance to speak with the rest of your family yet."

I take another sip of water. I'm really looking forward to being able to drink something stronger. I never have been a drinker, but if this all keeps going, I'm going to have a pretty good reason to start.

"That's a fair point," says Dad. "And no, I haven't yet. But I think tonight's the night. Since we're all here."

Since I actually showed up, he means. He was smart to give it time rather than trying to force me to fall in line right away, I'll give him that. But then, he is a mob boss with a fleet of soldiers to command, so it's no surprise he's good at managing people.

Or manipulating them.

"I'm not sure this is the best time," I say, trying to keep my voice as level as possible. "I'm not feeling very well."

It's not a lie. I really am starting to feel nauseous, but I know it has more to do with the stress of the situation than anything else.

I was hoping I could talk to Stefan first, and at least figure out what he knows if not try to talk him out of this. If Dad comes clean to Natalie and Kayleigh—or rather, the opposite of coming clean, considering it's all a farce—that's going to make it even harder to go back on all this.

Dad shoots me a withering look across the table. "You're staying here now. Your stepmother and sister deserve to know."

He makes it sound like they're actually my family in any meaningful sense of the word. Natalie isn't even a blood relative, and she's never been interested in being motherly toward me in any capacity.

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