Chapter 45: Dahlia

He paused. “The Montclair family has maintained ties with the Caldwells for generations. They are acting as intermediaries in the negotiation.”

I knew where this was going before he said the next sentence.

“For the acquisition to succeed, the Hawthorne and Montclair families must appear publicly aligned.”

My fingers curled around my napkin.

“Which is why Sebastian and Arabella have been seen together recently.”

There it was.

Alastair met my eyes. “This arrangement will last until the