After a few minutes of silence, Mom speaks.“Chris, when are you leaving?”“Right after this meal,” he answers. He seems to enjoy our mother’s cooking; he must’ve missed it so much.“Already?” She sighs. “Is everything alright with your job?”“Everything is fine, mother. I have some important matters I need to attend to.” He eats his food delightfully.“And when are you coming back?” Mom asks.“Saturday, I guess. I already told Alayna I’m clearing my schedule so I can stay longer.”I nod, remembering I was supposed to announce Brandon and I’s engagement this weekend. “That’d be great timing, C.”He looks at me. “What is?”“Okay, um…” I wipe my mouth then look at everybody. “We also want to tell you we’re having a formal engagement party for both our families to meet. Brandon is inviting his grandfather and some close relatives from Greece. We can make it on Sunday. What do you think, Brandon?” I ask, holding his arm.“Sunday is fine, darling,” he approves.“Is everyone okay with Sunda

BRANDONThe girls and Alayna’s mother are already outside when I arrive at the spa. I’m just in time. We will meet a fashion designer for the ball on Sunday, and we basically have two days left. The preparation time is brief, but it’s much better than waiting for days. I can’t wait to be officially engaged to the love of my life.However, to my confusion, as I look from a distance, Alayna’s sister’s eyes and cheek are burning red. Cassius’s Aston Martin is parked in front of the building as well. My cousin gets off his and approaches Casey first. It’s as though she is explaining something to him, and Cassius seems furious by the look on his face.Suddenly, Cassius catches Alayna’s sister in his arms, cradling her as she cries. He then speaks to Alayna and Elizabeth and takes Arianna to his car. I cross the road, and my fiancée’s face meets my gaze.She just looks fucking incredible.“Hey,” she greets me with an affectionate embrace and kisses my cheek.I gaze at her gorgeous face. Her

“Monsieur Lucien!” Omar Taylor welcomes in slightly accented English. “I was expecting you.” The couturier leans forward, dabs his cheek with mine, and then extends his greetings to my fiancée. “And Mademoiselle.”“Merci, Omar. Comment allez-vous?”“Je vais bien. Merci.”“Ah, this is my fiancée, Alayna Hart.”He looks fondly at Alayna and smiles. “What a lovely bride! You‘re gorgeous.”Alayna smiles back. “Thank you, Mr. Taylor.”He lightly touches the tip of her hair. “Just call me Omar. Come, come. Monsieur Katrakis called me this morning. Luckily, I am here in town. When he told me you are coming today, I cleared my schedule to show you my newest design.” He takes us further inside as he talks, walking past the showroom and his employees. He snaps his finger in the air, and two attendants swiftly shadow him.After that, we head to another door leading to a spacious room that houses his designs and office.“I could’ve made something else for you, but I’m afraid a designer needs more

ALAYNAIn the last hour, we answered the press’s questions and interviews. We are live online, hosted by the Gardenia Event Hall. We spoke about our wedding date, introduced our families and friends to the people, and how grateful we were for their attendance and acceptance. Mostly, acceptance. I’m not a woman from any of the prominent families of Greece—but a chef with a compassionate mother and twelve siblings. We made sure they didn’t miss anything else about my family. However, Brandon is also right. They’ve asked me about my restaurant and about my plans as the wife of Grethe and Elga Enterprises’ chairman. It’s nerve-racking. I didn’t expect they would ask me on the spot about it. The engagement party turns out to be a press con too.The next hour, Brandon introduces me to his family. We sit now at a huge round table with our closest relatives, where we are now facing none other than Petros Katrakis. Brandon’s grandfather. He’s late, but he still came. It’s like answering anothe

ALAYNA“You did good back there. Like always,” Drake says calmly, breaking the silence I try to keep for the last few minutes. We’re now traveling to an airport while a piece of pop music is playing on the stereo. “That’s what I love about you. You’re always following directions.”“Fuck you.”His finger touches my cheek, and I instantly cringe. “You are breaking my heart, Laynie.”I shove his hand away. “You threatened to kill my family and fiancé, and you expect me to submit to you? You can do whatever you want with me, but my heart will never be yours.” I tighten my arms around my body and sink deep into the seat.He sighs. “Enough of your nonsense, and stop crying. In the future, you’ll forget all about him.”I finally look at him. “Why are you taking me to Kansas? You are a mayor here. So you’re just going to leave everything behind?”He clicks his tongue. He pulls out a napkin from the backseat and tosses it into my lap. “Wipe your face.”I draw out a wad of tissue and wipe my fa