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“Isn’t it,Princess?”
The way he says it feels like barbed wire around my throat.
He says it like it’s a curse word.
Like I’m nothing but a spoiled child.
Even the hummingbird in my chest recoils farther behind her wings at his tone.
“It’s not about money.” I put as much force into my voice as I can.
“Really? Because as soon as your dad threatened to cut you off, it was suddenly important that we married for love.”
“It’s the business,” I try to explain. “I’m supposed to take over for him, but the people—” I untwine my fingers to gesture with my hands. “If the public views me as irresponsible, the board will put pressure on my dad to pick someone else as his successor.”
Luke nods. “So I’m a political ploy.”
“You’re not…”
Not to me.
You’re not a political ploy to me.
My head is spinning, my thoughts tangled, and I can’t figure out the right way to explain this. Not when Luke is looking at me with the samedisappointmentas my father.
“Why should I go along with this?” Luke slides his hands into his pockets. “What’s stopping me from walking down the hall and telling your dad everything?”
That barbed wire tightens.
He can’t.
Luke can’t do that.
If he tells my dad it was all an accident…
He just can’t.
“Well?” He lifts his brows and takes a step back like he’s going to do exactly what he threatened.
I swallow, dreading what’s coming next. But knowing I need to stop him before he makes this all so much worse.
“It would be bad for you too,” I say quietly. “The accidental marriage. The video. You’re the golden boy. Your team wouldn’t like it.”
The words taste like bile on my tongue, but we both know it’s true.
He’s even more of a public figure than I am.
More well known. More recognizable.
Luke scoffs. “Jackson’s the golden boy. I’m just the fool.”
“Luke…” My mouth is so dry I can hardly say his name.
“Don’t.” He pulls a small cloth bag out of his pocket. “I wore this here as a joke.” He tosses the bag onto my desk, and for the first time, I notice the bright pink band on his ring finger. “Guess I’m leaving it onasthe joke.”
“Please—”
I don’t finish the sentence.
