Page 3 of Their Diamond Ring Ruse

That was another conversation Lily wanted to forget. She had confided in her mother about not wanting to marry Lincoln, but Victoria had urged her to do so regardless—because, as she had put it, ‘Your father loved you so much, and he only wanted the best for his children. You should obey his wishes.’

Maybe that had come from a place of grief, but all it had done was make Lily feel more alone.

And that had left her and Devan in this giant house with all the silence between them.

‘I wish you could see how unfair it is even to ask me that.’ She stared unflinchingly at him. ‘I’d never intentionally hurt you, but if you won’t help me I’ll find a way to fix things on my own.’

His expression became concerned. ‘Don’t do anything rash, please.’

She refused to respond to that. She would do whatever she needed to. All she wanted was a chance to live her life freely. Marry someone she chose—if she chose to marry at all.

‘And don’t forget we have that networking event tonight,’ Devan reminded her.

‘You have got to be joking!’ Lily snapped. ‘After everything I’ve said?’

Devan heaved a sigh. ‘Look, if you don’t want to go with Lincoln, you don’t have to. Just attend with me.’

Lily studied her brother, unsure if she could trust his invitation—and wasn’t that just a kick in the teeth? But it occurred to her that it could be an olive branch, so she would take it.

‘Fine.’

But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to work on a way out from this very moment...

CHAPTER TWO

SEATED BESIDE HER BROTHER, Lily toyed with her diamond bracelet as she looked out through the window of the limousine. She hadn’t said a word to Devan after their chat earlier, and the atmosphere between them was still tense.

They drove in utter silence through the tree-lined streets until the Bay came into view in utter silence save for the soft crooning Devan preferred lilting through the speakers. She had nothing more to say to her brother, but if she was being honest she was grateful that he hadn’t forced her to attend this event with Lincoln.

‘Can you pretend that you don’t hate me when we walk in there?’ Devan asked.

Lily glanced at him. His face was drawn into a frown. ‘I don’t hate you, Dev. I hate what everyone is making me do,’ she said softly, and then turned back to stare out of the window.

Tonight was important, she knew. It was the first big business event since their father had died and Devan had taken over his role. She wanted to offer her support.

‘You look nice, by the way,’ he said after a brief pause.

Lily looked down at the pale yellow fabric of her long, flowing designer dress, at her wrists cuffed in sparkling diamonds.

The event was being held at The Royal, a boutique hotel on The Presidio. Lily had always loved the place. It was beautiful in the day, but even more breathtaking at night, when the bridge was lit up. It was a small venue, close to the homes of those families with the most money.

As much as this was to be a business networking event, it was very clear who it was for. The tight-knit old money community that had begun this event many, many years ago. In fact, Lily knew only a few new people had ever made it in, and that was because their bank balances made them hard to ignore.

The limousine stopped under a portico. Instantly a young man in an impeccable uniform opened Lily’s door and helped her step out.

As soon as they entered the large function room, lit by bright crystal lamps, Lily spotted the view of the Golden Gate Bridge, lit up and glowing against the inky sky, the Bay a glittering dark blue void beneath.

She felt Devan’s hand between her shoulders, ushering her forward, and snapped her attention to all the formally dressed people in the room, dripping with wealth. Some held champagne or rich amber-coloured drinks in their hands. Others were gesturing animatedly with large smiles on their faces. The faint strains of classical music could be heard, though it was almost drowned out by the constant hum of voices.

Everywhere she looked there were groups of people, and in between, barely noticed, were black waistcoated waiters, circulating with trays of edible pieces of artistry.

She saw Devan scan the faces in the crowd before gesturing to her that they should head in one particular direction. Her stomach sank. She had hoped she would be able to spend the evening with her brother, despite their disagreement. Now she saw the impossibility of that. Felt hope die within her, only to be replaced by a burning anger she would have to cover up with a winning smile.

She turned to look at Devan and saw a flash of uncertainty in his eyes that quickly changed to a look of utter determination as he led her towards Lincoln Harrison. The bitter taste of betrayal coated her tongue. If it hadn’t been clear to her this afternoon, it certainly was now: Devan was not going to help her.

Lily stared ahead of her at Lincoln, who had a look of sheer possessiveness in his eyes. He watched her as if she was a trinket that belonged to him, and in that moment that was how she felt. This was a business transaction and she was the commodity. It hurt.

She shook off her brother’s touch. ‘Hello, Lincoln.’

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