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“That’s impressive.”
I smile tightly and turn onto my side to look at her, propping my head up on my elbow.
“How was your day?” she asks, her voice soft.
I turn to look at her. That smile of hers, no matter what happens, no matter what I say… it rarely wavers. I didn’t think she’d dare make small talk after the way I reprimanded her the first time, but she acts like my viciousness doesn’t affect her, like it amuses her.
“Tiring. Yours?”
Her smile widens, and my heart wrenches. “I went to see my mom this afternoon. I haven’t had a chance to say this to you, but her new room is perfect, the new facility is amazing.”
I nod. “I’m glad to hear it. I’m flying in a few renowned physicians that might be able to help her. Apparently, Carter Clarke’s wife convinced him to loan us one of the doctors his company employs. I don’t want to get your hopes up yet, but I want you to know I’ll do whatever I can to assist your mother’s recovery.”
The way she smiles at me, the trust and hope in her eyes, it guts me. When she married me, she had no choice. She’s not in this for selfish reasons, she married me to save her mother’s life. Can I really use someone with motivations that pure?
“Thank you,” she says, her eyes filled with genuine gratitude.
I nod at her. “Elena, we’ll need to stage our first few proper dates within the next few weeks. We’ll be portraying a whirlwind relationship and a lavish engagement and wedding. Are you ready?”
She nods, her expression turning serious. “Of course, Alexander.”
“I’ll take you to see my grandfather soon. By now he should’ve heard some rumors about us, and he’ll have heard that you’ve been seen with my mother in various places, so he’ll know I’m serious about you. There isn’t much that escapes him. He doesn’t like hearing about things relating to us through the press, so I’m going to introduce you to him as my girlfriend before photos of us reach the tabloids. He adored you when you were little, so there’s a good chance he’ll be happy for us.”
Elena nods, her expression serious. I hate how mechanical this all feels, but our marriage is a sham, and it always will be. It’s best that Elena gets used to it now.
Chapter 23
Alexander
“Are you ready?” I ask, glancing over Elena’s outfit. She’s wearing a formal classy dress today, looking like an executive of some sort—like a Kennedy. “You look perfect.”
Elena smiles at me, but the way she keeps touching her dress betrays her nerves. She follows me to my Aston Martin, her brows rising.
“Didn’t you say we were going to your grandpa’s?” she asks, looking around. “I thought all Kennedys live on the same estate.”
I smile and open the door for her. “We do, but the Kennedy estate is massive. This is just my mother’s mansion,” I say, tipping my head towards our house. It’s imposing all on its own.
“My grandfather had his estate built so that each of his siblings and all of their kids would have their own space. It’s essentially an entire private neighborhood, so while this is all still private property, it takes about eight minutes to drive to my grandfather’s house. There’s no way we’re walking that far.”
She looks around in awe and shakes her head. I forget that the only mansion she’s ever been to is ours.
“If we ever have children, we’d probably move to a mansion of our own. Traditionally we’d move into a new property on the estate when we get married, but I don’t like the idea of leaving my mother by herself. Lucian isn’t home often, and when he is, he prefers to stay in his room. My mother doesn’t do very well when she’s alone for long stretches of time.” I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “She’s fallen into depression a few times now, and it worries me. It doesn’t matter how much staff we have, how many people surround her—it doesn’t stave off the loneliness that she pretends not to feel.”
Elena nods, her expression pained. “I understand,” she says. “Besides, it does feel like we have our own apartment within her mansion, which I guess, we technically do. Your mother doesn’t ever even drop by when you’re home, so I don’t think moving out would make much of a difference. I actually enjoy having dinner with her whenever you have to work late. I think I’d miss that a lot.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. Jen always insisted on us moving out. She wanted an entire mansion of our own—just having one floor in my mother’s residence was never enough for her.
I glance at Elena, my heart stirring. She’s such an amazing woman, and here I am, driving to my grandfather in an effort to use her. I tighten my grip on my steering wheel, feeling conflicted.
My grandfather looks up when Elena and I walk in, and I frown at him. He’s on his knees on the floor, a large plant pot in front of him, his hands covered with soil.
“Come help me with this, Alec,” he barks out.
Elena and I walk over, and I sigh. My grandfather is always up to something. Why can’t the old man just rest every once in a while?
“Grandpa,” I say. “This is Elena Rousseau, my girlfriend. You’ve met her before, when she was much younger. Do you remember her?”
My grandfather barely glances up at Elena, and I tense. Jennifer always hated being rebuffed, but Elena merely smiles and drops to her knees. She sticks her hands into the soil and helps my grandfather repot his orchids.
