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Confidence oozes out of him. He’s not questioningifthere’s anything we can do, but he’s insisting that there must be a way to win them over.
“In our life, love isn’t an indicator that a relationship will work. Even after your father and I passed our course, there were still expectations we had to uphold as Greenes,” Mom insists.
Be brave.
I don’t want to live in a state of fear and anxiety.
I don’t want to be the perfect daughter, the perfect friend, the heiress to a legacy.
“Matthew is important to me, and if you take some time to see that, then you’ll understand that there is no difference between his world and ours,” I explain.
“To Molly’s point, I’d love to know the expectations you have of my role in her life, and in yours. I’m sure they’re aligned.”
“I don’t think so—”
“Let’s hear him out,” Dad interrupts. My mom’s face pales.
“I know you’re looking into a business expansion. I worked at a VC firm and started my own business. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s convince people to invest money.”
“Hmm.” Dad’s eyebrows yank down in thought. “What if they help plan the Winter Ball this year, Vivian? All of our investors, employees, and business connections will be there, along with new prospects. I suppose if there are leads, it wouldn’t hurt to exhaust another opportunity to help fund the Gold Coast expansion.”
“That event is nearly planned,” Mom snaps.
“On the jet over here, you mentioned that your list of tasks was miles long, Vivian.” My father glances at her over his wiry frames. “Why not enjoy a rest? Give these two something to do that can showcase Matthew’s commitment to our family. The kids can get reacquainted with our society, and then we can get the full picture.” Dad looks over at Matthew. “If you truly love my daughter, then this shouldn’t be an issue.”
“It’s not, sir.”
Something about Matthew’s enthusiasm sags a greater weight on my shoulders. Why does he actually want to keep trying and not cut his losses? Assisting with the Winter Ball would be exhausting and time consuming. Matthew already had to rearrange his life to come here. Does he have ulterior motives?
Maybe the past couple of days meant nothing to him.
The sex? The moment in the tub? All of our spontaneous dates?
It felt real. Like actual, real love.
But maybe itwasall an act, and Matthew is the greatest showman of all. I mean, he just said he wants to get the money. Twenty-five million dollars for EcoDrones.
My mother gasps. “Ray, you know the mess our daughter had me smoothing out for two weeks. Molly can’t possibly show up in society with a new man when she was just engaged to someone else.”
“I think you meant to say that Lance caused the mess when he was making out with the caterer at our wedding shower,” I deadpan.
The table simmers with silence.
My stomach flips inside out. Nausea burns my throat. Anger is pulsing in my blood like a runaway steam train.
“Doll, our approval isn’t off the table,” my father assures me. But I don’t believe him, and I hate that nickname.Doll.That’s all I am, aren’t I? A sweet puppet for them to play with. “Vivian, if Molly’s going to get married, the pair will have to show their face around town sooner rather than later. Our lot has seen worse things.”
“But we have a surefire investment from the Bradburys at our fingertips,” Mom insists, her voice unusually pleading. “You know what that could mean for us.”
“Yes, Vivian, I do.” My father swirls his drink, the ice clanging against the side of the glass. “But we also only have one daughter. Let’s see if they can manage this. Sure, people will talk; let them get it out of their system. It’s not like any of them are going to stop booking our resorts for their family vacations.”
“Fine. The Winter Ball is the first of December, at The Plaza.” My mother’s glare bores into Matthew and me. “There will be over a thousand people there.”
“That’s not quite two months away,” Matthew confirms, looking uneasy.
“Do you think you can handle something of that caliber?” Her eyes target us. She never acknowledges that I’ve put together galas and events of double that size for ORO.
“Molly and I are a great team.” He squeezes my hand beneath the table, but I barely feel it. “I’m sure we can complete whatever tasks you need us to do.” Matthew throws on his most confident business cadence.
