Page 71 of Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

“No!” I answered quickly.

Aunt Ruby turned to look at Kaira. “Tell me, sweetie. What did he do? You tell me and I’ll set him straight.”

Poor Kaira had a deer in the headlights expression.

There was no point in denying the truth. Aunt Ruby would sniff it out eventually.

“What we aren’t saying is that our engagement is not real.”

She frowned. “Excuse me?”

“The engagement isn’t real. We’re faking it. It’s just for show.”

She looked at me like I was crazy.

“What do you mean it’s not real?” she shrieked, flinging herself backward onto the couch as if I’d just confessed to robbing a bank. “You’re engaged! You’re having a wedding! There’s supposed to be a cake! With layers, Roman! Layers! I want the little bride and groom on top of the cake!”

I rubbed the back of my neck, fighting a grin. She was eccentric, but she always managed to make me smile.

Kaira was holding her cup in front of her mouth, clearly trying to hide her own smile.

“Aunt Ruby,” I began, attempting to calm her, but she cut me off with a dramatic gasp.

“Does she know it’s not real?” she demanded, sitting upright and pointing an accusatory finger at Kaira, who was perched on the edge of her seat looking utterly bewildered.

“Yes,” I said, chuckling despite myself. “She knows.”

“Oh, thank God,” Ruby said, throwing a hand over her chest in mock relief. “I thought you’d tricked the poor girl into pretending to be your fiancée. Although honestly, that would’ve been less insane than both of you willingly going along with this madness!”

Kaira finally found her voice. “It’s just for six months. Roman needed help, and I… well, I agreed.”

“Six months?” Ruby repeated, her bracelets jangling as she gestured wildly. “This is lunacy! When it all implodes in your faces, don’t come crying to me. Playing with the media like this? With your reputation, Roman? Have you lost your mind? And Kaira.” Aunt Ruby put her teacup down. She turned to Kaira with a frown on her face. “Have you thought about how difficult it might be to go back to your normal life after this? The media doesn’t just let go once they’ve got their claws in you. Not when it comes to our family. Do you really know what it’s like to be associated with a man like Roman?”

Kaira stiffened. “I’m not sure I’ll miss any of this,” she said, gesturing to the grand sitting room. “I like my home. I might not be a Kelly and have a big mansion, but that’s not always a bad thing.”

Ruby’s expression softened. “I don’t mean the house or the lifestyle, darling. I mean the public eye. You think they’ll leave you alone just because the engagement ends? Think again. You’ll be ‘Roman Kelly’s former fiancée’ for years. Paparazzi, tabloid rumors, the works. Are you ready for that? Anytime you’re out getting a cup of coffee they’ll make a headline out of it. If it’s a slow news week, the sharks will circle.”

Kaira’s eyes widened as the realization sank in. It was clear neither of us had considered that angle. We had been so focused on now, we never thought about after.

Ruby stood, brushing imaginary dust from her skirt with an air of finality. “Well, it’s your lives. You can do whatever you want. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She winked at Kaira. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a charming gentleman who happens to own a vineyard in Napa. I’ve got a rich, handsome suitor in every corner of the world, you know. Keeps me young.”

With that, she sashayed out of the room, leaving us both sitting in stunned silence.

Kaira finally broke the quiet. “Your aunt is… a character.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “She’s always been like that. Larger than life. My mom was nothing like her.”

Kaira leaned forward. “Oh yeah, what was she like?”

“She was Ruby’s opposite in every way,” I said, my voice softening at the memory. “Soft spoken, conservative, gentle. Normal.”

“What was her name?”

I hesitated, caught off guard by the question. It had been so long since I’d spoken her name aloud. “Rowena,” I said finally, the name feeling foreign on my tongue.

“That’s a pretty name,” Kaira said, smiling. “Unique.”

I nodded, but the conversation was starting to make me uncomfortable. I got to my feet. “We have things to do today. I’ll have some clothes sent up to your room.”