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I scoffed. “I think your reputation is doing just fine.”
Sure, Adrian’s birth had upset the entire godly system. Maybe it had something to do with my age, that there were four years of recovery before I came into the world. Even longer before I could pay attention to what his birth did.
But Adrian was as well-loved as they came. It was hard not to respect him—admire him—when the god of the skies could also charm a wall.
Adrian grinned again. “For the most part, but there’s always a little something. Your father, for example.”
Ah, so that’s what he was getting at. “My father doesn’t hate you. He hates the fact that he doesn’t have power.”
“So he doubled your family's already formidable empire?” Adrian asked, cocking a brow.
“Complete with the crippling fear that it won’t survive him,” I answered.
Adrian’s body stilled, like that answer was exactly what he’d been looking for. “He wants you to take over?”
I nodded, letting out a heavy breath. “He feels that my skills are better aligned than my brother's. But to be honest, I don’t care about any of his businesses.”
The end of my sentence was cut off by a small gasp. I didn’t know why I was telling Adrian this. We didn’t know each other. And I didn’t air my family’s secrets to just anyone.
“He won’t let you out?” Adrian asked.
I shook my head. “It would take a lot for him to change his mind.” Or for my brother to finally get his head on straight and decide partying with our cousin no longer suited him. I’d hoped his wife would help, but no such luck.
Adrian’s eyes flashed with a spark of lightning. “How much does he hate me?”
“I told you—he doesn’t hate you.”
“Fine,” Adrian corrected. “How much would he resent you associating with the gods instead of him?”
I thought for a moment, breaking eye contact to look at the sea outside. “Probably a lot.”
“And you would do anything to make his businesses pass to anyone else?”
I was tempted to answer honestly. To tell him that it was a fair bit of doubt that my lack of passion would undermine the skills I had that would help me succeed in my job. But instead, I just kept it short. “I want to continue my work with my charities. I don’t need to make my family any more money.”
“And if I gave you a way to make that happen?” Adrian asked, stepping closer to me. Intimately close.
I looked up at him, forcing my voice steady as I asked, “What are you proposing?”
Adrian reached up and pushed a strand of hair out of my face. “I’m proposing that we begin a relationship. Well, a fake one, that is.”
