6

Livia POV


"So… what is he like?" Livyana asked, leaning forward on the edge of her bed the moment I stepped back into the room.


I locked the door behind me and glared at her. "If you know what is good for your life, Livy, cancel this marriage right now. The man in that garden is absolute bad news. He is insufferable, arrogant, and certainly not the Prince Charming you were praying to meet. Worst of all? He is petty. How can a whole Alpha King be so petty?"


Livyana frowned. "Petty? How?"


"He literally pointed out my mismatched slippers! Who does that?"


Livyana gasped, her eyes going wide as she looked down at my feet. "Oh, Moon Goddess, Livia! You actually wore two different left slippers out there?"


"That’s not even the main issue here!" I threw my hands up in the air. "The man is a stoic brick wall. He spent half the time staring at his phone, completely indifferent to everything. He isn't interested in this marriage at all. You would be doing yourself the biggest disservice of your life marrying Alpha Tarian."


Livyana let out a long, quiet sigh and looked down at her hands. "I already accepted the proposal, Liv. There’s nothing I can do about it now. Honestly, I’d rather be in a loveless marriage with a king than stay with someone like Nathan—someone who doesn't even have the boldness to stand up to his own parents for me. At least this marriage is the only reason Dad isn't being dragged through the mud, and the only reason we aren't out on the streets of May Town huddling in corners with rogues."


I squeezed my eyes shut, rubbing my temples. "If you’ve made up your mind to suffer, then fine. So be it."


Before she could respond, the door handle rattled, and Mum walked in. She looked tired, the deep lines around her eyes showing the weight of everything our family had been carrying. She looked back and forth between us.


"How are you two faring?" Mum asked softly.


I opened my mouth, fully tempted to tell her that Alpha Tarian was a condescending jerk who was going to make Livyana miserable, but Livyana reached out and pinched my thigh hard.


"We are fine, Mum," Livyana said quickly, flashing a sweet, flawless smile.


Mum stepped further into the room, smoothing down her apron. "What are you girls up to?"


"Nothing, Mum," we said in unison.


"Well," Mum continued, a faint smile touching her lips, "your father, Beta Wilson, has gone out to start making initial arrangements for the wedding ceremony. I came up to find out how Livyana’s private meeting with the Alpha went."


I opened my mouth to give an honest review, but Livyana pinched my arm again, cutting off my breath.


"Oh, it went wonderfully, Mum!" Livyana gushed, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "I really like him. I can't wait to be his bride. He is so gentle, so sweet... honestly, he’s the man of my dreams."


I stared at my twin in absolute, utter shock. Gentle?

Sweet? Man of your dreams? I called her a liar ten times over in my head.

Yet, looking at Mum, I could see a lingering sadness behind her smile, like she knew this whole thing was forced by our desperate circumstances, even if she wanted to believe Livyana's words.


"I am so glad to hear that, Livyana," Mum said, letting out a breath she seemed to be holding for hours. "At least my conscience is satisfied knowing I am not giving my daughter away to a man she despises. Which reminds me—you need to start getting ready. You are going shopping with the Alpha later this evening."


"Shopping with the Alpha?!" both Livyana and I squealed at the exact same time.


"Why all the rush?" I blurted out, unable to hold back. "Is the Alpha suffering from a terminal illness or something? What is going on?"


Mum gave me a stern look. "Livia, stop asking foolish questions and help your sister prepare! She needs to look presentable. I have to go downstairs and get dinner ready before your father gets back."
With that, Mum turned and bustled back out of the room, shutting the door behind her.


Livyana and I stood in silence, staring at each other for a long, heavy moment.


"I am not doing this," I declared, shaking my head violently. "No way. Absolutely not. I can't stand that man for five minutes in a garden, talk less of going on a whole shopping spree with him while pretending to be you! And Moon Goddess help me, Livy, you have a terrible fashion sense. You have awful taste in clothes! It will be a direct attack on my mental health if I am forced to shop for a bunch of boring, ugly clothes that I completely hate!"


Livyana grabbed my shoulders, her eyes pleading. "Livia, remember, you are not the one marrying Alpha Tarian! I am! So you have to act like me and dress like me! I like modest, simple clothes, so whatever you pick out today must be in line with what I would wear!"


I let out a dramatic groan, tossing my head back against the wall. "Ugh! Why is the Moon Goddess testing my life with such an insufferable task? She knows I can never say no to you!"


Livyana smiled weakly, squeezing my hands. "What are soul sisters for, if not for the massive inconveniences in between? Now, come on. Let’s get you ready to take my place. But listen to me carefully—I have five strict rules for you tonight."
I crossed my arms, rolling my eyes. "Oh, wonderful. Rules."


"Rule number one," Livyana said, raising a finger with absolute seriousness. "Do not speak unless you are spoken to. Rule number two: do not look the Alpha King directly in the eyes. I am very submissive, Livia, so you have to be completely submissive tonight. I don't want him going around thinking I am trying to measure up with him or challenge his authority the way you normally do with men."


I stood there, utterly gagged and speechless. Do not speak? Do not look him in the eyes? Be submissive?


Livyana kept talking, listing off the rest of her rules, but my mind was already racing in a completely different direction.

There was no way on earth I was going on a billionaire Alpha King's credit card spree and coming home with boring, grandmaternal clothes.

Submissive or not, I was definitely going to get myself some nice, jaw-dropping outfits out of this nightmare.