Chapter Five

Daniel's car was exactly what Mira had expected: sleek, expensive, and intimidating. The interior smelled of leather and something else, something subtle and clearly costly. She sat in the passenger seat, very aware that she was leaving finger smudges on surfaces that probably cost more than her entire month's salary.

"You're nervous," Daniel observed as he pulled into traffic.

"Wouldn't you be? I'm about to meet a dying woman and convince her that I'm desperately in love with her grandson. A grandson I met less than two hours ago."

"You don't have to convince her you're desperately in love. Just that we care for each other and decided not to wait." He glanced at her briefly before returning his attention to the road. "My grandmother is remarkably perceptive, but she's also practical. She'll understand a swift courtship."

"How did you two meet?" Mira asked. "What's our story?"

Daniel was quiet for a moment. "Let's keep it simple and close to the truth. We met a few months ago at a bookstore."

"You go to bookstores?"

"Occasionally." There was something almost defensive in his tone. "I read."

"I didn't mean to imply you don't. I'm just trying to build a picture of who you are." Mira studied his profile. "What else should I know about you?"

"I'm thirty-one. I took over as CEO of Chen Technologies when I was twenty-seven after my grandmother stepped down. I have no siblings. My parents are alive but we're not close. They live in Los Angeles and prefer it there." His tone was carefully neutral, but Mira heard the edge of something painful beneath.

"I'm twenty-six," she offered. "I've worked at the Riverside Library for five years. I have no siblings either. My parents died in a car accident when I was nineteen. I put myself through college with scholarships and night shifts at a diner."

Daniel's hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel. "I'm sorry. About your parents."

"It was a long time ago." Mira looked out the window at the passing city. "Your grandmother raised you?"

"Yes. My parents were more interested in their acting careers than parenting. They sent me to live with Eleanor when I was eight and visited maybe twice a year after that." He said it matter-of-factly, but Mira heard the childhood hurt underneath.

"That must have been difficult."

"It was what it was. Eleanor gave me stability. Structure. She built Chen Technologies from nothing and taught me everything about running it." His voice warmed when he spoke of his grandmother. "She's the most brilliant person I know."

They pulled into the hospital parking lot, and Daniel found a spot near the entrance. He turned off the engine but didn't move to get out.

"She's going to like you," he said suddenly.

"How can you possibly know that?"

"Because you're genuine. That's rare in my world." He met her eyes. "Just be yourself. Well, a version of yourself that's married to me."

Despite everything, Mira found herself smiling. "That's a contradiction."

"Welcome to my life." He got out of the car and came around to open her door, offering his hand.

Mira took it, noting how naturally the gesture came to him. This was clearly a man used to observing social niceties, even when they weren't strictly necessary.

They walked into the hospital together, and Mira noticed how people's eyes followed them. Or rather, followed Daniel. A few people nodded in recognition, and she realized that of course he would be known here. His grandmother had been a patient for months.

The elevator ride to the fourth floor was silent. Mira focused on her breathing, trying to calm the anxiety building in her chest. She was about to lie to a dying woman. It didn't matter that Daniel had explained the reasoning or that his grandmother's peace was at stake. It still felt wrong.

"She's in room 412," Daniel said as they stepped off the elevator. "Just remember, we're happy. We're married. Everything else will follow from that."

He pushed open the door to reveal a private room filled with flowers and afternoon light. In the bed, a small woman with silver hair and remarkably bright eyes looked up at their entrance.

"There's my boy," Eleanor Chen said, her voice weak but warm. Then her gaze shifted to Mira, and her eyes widened slightly. "And this must be the mysterious woman who finally captured your heart."