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The room starts to spin. I went through all of this with Norah. Her engagement ring sits in my jewelry box. I would never give it to someone else. “Aye.”
“And I have an opening with my personal shopper for next week.” My sister is on a roll, and it makes me wonder if this operation has been planned for years, and she’s just now breaking the seal to read the instructions like a soldier with nuclear codes. “She’ll have plenty of clothes for you to choose from for business dinners and parties.”
“I need a wedding dress,” Isabella says quietly. “My mother wanted me to wear my Nana’s gown. But that was in our attic.”
I don’t know much about women’s hopes and dreams, but I know weddings are important. The dress even more so.
I close my eyes and swallow. “Shea…”
My sister bites her lower lip, and Iknowwhat she’s thinking.Shite. I close my eyes and give a soft nod.
“My ma’s dress is available if you want to wear a family heirloom.” Shea takes out her phone. “I keep a photo of it to share with designers when a client wants a very traditional dress.”
Isabella gasps. I remember my mother’s dress was nothing short of a white explosion.
“That’s… That’s utterly beautiful.” Her eyes lift to me. “Are you sure?”
“So long as Shea is okay with it. She’s my only sister.”
“This is too much for me.” My sister shakes her head. “I’d rather wear something slinky with an open back.” Shea winks at me, knowing that gets my ire up—thinking of men looking at my little sister’s bare back.
“Then, yes. I’d love to wear this. Thank you.” Restrained excitement punctuates Isabella’s voice.
“Isabella, whatever you want for this wedding is fine with me. Why don’t you exchange numbers with Shea?”
“Where will we have it?” she asks, looking from me to Shea.
“The Orchid,” Shea answers and I can tell I’m being pushed out of the plans. “I had a wedding cancel on me.”
“The Orchid? Oh my God.” Isabella sounds breathless again and stares at me. Her energy hits me in the chest, and I feel the excitement thrumming off of her.
No. No. This is fake, as far as our feelings. I’m not sure my heart can take losing someone I love again.
“Can I ask my friend Samantha to be my maid of honor?” Isabella glances at me.
My sister smirks at me as if to say,You wanted to marry an Italian princess to get more power. Now what?Shea is now neck-deep in this scheme. I hope she understands this marriage is for the benefit of our family. Her trust fund depends on our wealth.
“Work with Shea on your guest list, and if Balor clears her, then yes.”
“Thank you.” Isabella smiles, brushing past me. “I need to change, Shea, and then we’ll talk more about the wedding. I’ll be back down in a few minutes.” The swell of her ass cheeks peeking out of those shorts hardens my cock to the point of pain.
Fuck.
Shea grips my tie. “Tell Ma immediately. If she finds out from me that her future daughter-in-law, who she doesn’t know about, is wearing her wedding dress at a wedding she has no idea is happening, she’ll blowyouup.”
“I’ll tell her when they get back.” I just have to figure out which brother I like the least that week to go with me.
Shea pokes me in the chest. “Be nice.” Then she walks off.
Keeping my little princess upstairs happy is vital to making everyone understand she is mine, and anyone who fucks with that drags me into the war. Something no one wants. That means I’m playing the devoted fiancé for the next month.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Isabella
Patriciacookedusawonderful dinner, and I let Shea, who’s quite lovely and sophisticated, do most of the talking while I worked out the plan in my head. Play along. Submit. Give Kieran what he wants so he’ll trust me. Then, as soon as I get the first taste of freedom, I’m taking off.
Thirty days gives me that window of time to figure out the weak link in the chain of this Irish operation.
