Chapter 6: The Proposal

By Sunday afternoon, I was running on caffeine and adrenaline. The family reunion had been a whirlwind of nosy questions, "accidental" matchmaking attempts from relatives who hadn't gotten the memo I was already taken, and one too many rounds of the Newlywed Quiz.

I should have been relieved it was over. Instead, I felt an odd twinge in my chest as I stood on the porch, watching my parents hug Liam like he was already part of the family.

"Don't be a stranger," Mom said, patting his arm. "And we'll see you both at the wedding, of course."

I froze. "The wedding?"

Mom smiled brightly, like she'd just told me the weather was nice. "You two clearly aren't wasting time. Aunt Carol already offered to bake the cake."

I shot Liam a warning glare, but he only smiled politely and promised to "keep them posted."

Once we were back in the car, I turned on him. "Why didn't you correct her?"

He started the engine. "Because you were standing right there, and you didn't either."

"That's because I was too busy choking on my own disbelief!"

He smirked. "Relax, Cross. It's not like we're actually" He stopped, glancing at me in the rearview mirror with that calculating look I'd learned to dread. "Although..."

My stomach dropped. "No. Absolutely not."

"Hear me out," he said, shifting gears. "Friday's investor dinner is the most important night of my career. My biggest competitor is already whispering about my 'unstable bachelor lifestyle.'"

"Which is none of their business."

"In a perfect world, sure. But the board loves optics. And nothing says stable like a man who's not only engaged, but married."

I blinked at him. "You're suggesting we...?"

"Make it official," he said smoothly. "Just for now. Long enough for me to secure the deal, and for you to get your family completely off your back."

I laughed sharp and humorless. "Do you hear yourself?"

"Yes. And I'm hearing opportunity." His eyes met mine, steady and unreadable. "Think about it. We set terms. We file the paperwork. We play the part for as long as we need, then walk away. Clean break."

I stared at him, torn between outrage and... something else I didn't want to name.

The road stretched ahead of us in long, quiet ribbons of asphalt, trees flashing by outside the windows. Liam drove like he did everything else controlled, calm, as if he'd already mapped out every possible outcome.

"This is insane," I said finally.

"Maybe. But it solves both our problems." He leaned back, like he already knew I was halfway convinced. "Unless you'd rather explain to your mom why your fake fiancé vanished before the wedding invitations went out."

I groaned, pressing my hands to my face. "I hate that you're making sense."

He didn't answer right away. I could practically feel his satisfaction filling the car.

"Is that a yes?"

"It's a maybe."

He grinned, slow and victorious. "I can work with maybe."

The rest of the drive was quiet, but my mind wasn't.

I watched the passing scenery without really seeing it, my thoughts spinning faster than the tires on the road. A fake engagement had been one thing. That had rules, distance, an easy exit. Marriage felt different heavier somehow, like stepping onto a bridge that might not lead back to the same place.

I kept replaying his words, imagining the headlines, the family reactions... and the fact that somewhere along the line, pretending to be Liam Wolfe's fiancée had stopped feeling entirely like an act.