Chapter 15 — Lines Drawn, Lines Crossed

The next morning carried a strange calm.

Not peaceful—just quieter than the storm the sisters had survived the night before.

Maya made breakfast without her usual commentary.

Dianne moved around the kitchen with soft steps, trying not to disturb the fragile peace.

They weren’t angry anymore.

But the air still felt delicate.

Like one wrong word could break the truce.

When Dianne’s phone buzzed on the counter, both sisters looked at it.

Roy.

Good morning.

Are you okay?

Maya raised a brow. “Are you going to answer him?”

Dianne hesitated. “Do you want me not to?”

“I want you,” Maya said slowly, “to do what you want. Not what you think I want.”

It was progress.

Dianne breathed out, relieved.

She typed back:

Good morning. I’m fine.

Thank you for checking.

Almost immediately:

May I see you today?

Just for a few minutes.

Her heart tripped.

Maya’s eyes narrowed but she didn’t speak. She simply rinsed a plate, expression unreadable.

Dianne typed:

Maybe later. I’ll let you know.

Roy responded with a simple:

I’ll wait.

And that one line warmed her chest more than it should have.

Later that afternoon, Dianne decided to step out for fresh air. Maya stayed behind, claiming she needed to “fix something on her laptop,” though Dianne suspected she just wanted space.

Not even 10 minutes into her walk, she spotted a familiar tall silhouette leaning against a silver car across the street.

Roy.

Her breath caught.

He wasn’t looking at her—he was staring at the pavement, hands in his pockets, like he’d been waiting a long time and didn’t want her to know.

She approached slowly.

“Roy?”

His head snapped up—and the relief on his face was immediate.

“Dianne.” He stepped toward her, then paused, as if remembering he promised to go slow.

She smiled weakly. “How did you know I was out here?”

“I didn’t,” he confessed softly. “I was just… hoping.”

Her heart twisted.

They stood there in the cool afternoon breeze, close enough to feel each other but not quite touching.

“I’m glad you came,” Dianne admitted.

Roy’s expression softened. “I wasn’t sure you’d want to see me.”

“I do.”

Her voice was quiet but honest.

He exhaled, shoulders relaxing.

“How’s your sister?” he asked carefully.

A small laugh escaped her. “Recovering from yelling at me.”

Roy winced. “She hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you. She’s… protective.”

“I know.” Roy nodded slowly. “And I respect it.”

Dianne’s brows lifted. “You do?”

He met her gaze. “Anyone who loves you that fiercely deserves my respect.”

Something in her chest went warm and shaky.

“You’re different today,” she said softly.

Roy smiled faintly. “I had a long night thinking about how easily I could lose my chance with you.”

Her breath hitched.

“Roy…”

“I’m not here to pressure you.” His voice dropped to a gentle murmur. “I just want to be someone you feel safe around. Someone who helps you breathe—not someone who makes your life harder.”

Her eyes stung.

He wasn’t perfect.

He wasn’t healed.

But he was trying.

And that mattered.

Just as Dianne found the courage to speak, a voice cut through the air behind them—

“Well,” Maya said sharply, “isn’t this cozy?”

Dianne froze.

Roy stiffened.

Maya walked toward them with slow, measured steps, arms crossed, jaw tight. Dianne couldn’t tell if she was angry or resigned.

“Maya…” Dianne whispered.

“What?” Maya stopped beside her. “I said I wouldn’t interfere. I never said I wouldn’t observe.”

Roy cleared his throat softly. “Maya… I meant what I said the last time we spoke. I’m not going to hurt her.”

“We’ll see,” Maya replied bluntly.

“Maya,” Dianne warned.

But Maya wasn’t looking at her.

She was staring directly at Roy—evaluating him, dissecting him, searching for weakness.

Roy didn’t flinch.

After a long, uncomfortable stare, Maya finally sighed. “Look. I still don’t trust you. But… I also saw how fast my sister ran out of the house the moment she thought you might be nearby.”

Dianne blushed. “Maya!”

“I’m stating facts,” Maya said.

Roy hid a small smile.

Maya stepped closer to him. “So I’ll say one thing, and I want you to understand it clearly.”

Roy straightened.

“If you break her,” Maya said quietly, “you won’t get away with an apology next time.”

Roy swallowed, nodded. “I know.”

“And you’ll answer me.”

“I will,” he said without hesitation.

Something shifted in Maya’s eyes—not acceptance, not approval… but acknowledgment.

Barely.

Dianne exhaled, finally breathing again.

Maya turned to her. “I’m going back inside. Don’t stay out too long.”

And with that, she walked away.

Leaving Dianne and Roy suspended in the quiet aftermath.

Roy looked at her, gentle and unsure. “Does that mean she hates me a little less?”

Dianne chuckled softly. “Maybe one percent less.”

“I’ll take it,” Roy murmured.

They stood there, exchanging quiet smiles.

The distance between them is shrinking—slowly, carefully—exactly the way he promised.

Suddenly, Roy jolted back to reality. His phone buzzed sharply in his pocket, vibrating with an insistence he recognized all too well. A heavy sigh slipped from his lips as he glanced at the screen.

A message from Mum.

Followed immediately by an incoming call.

He closed his eyes briefly. “I need to… take this.”

Dianne nodded, puzzled by the sudden shift in his expression.

He moved a few steps away before answering. “Hey, Mum. How are you?”

His mother didn’t bother with greetings.

“Roy, what is wrong with you? You’ve been ignoring me for days!” Her voice was sharp, imperious — the tone of a woman used to being listened to. “Have you forgotten your grandfather’s memorial? It’s this weekend. Make sure you come home. I’ll ask Karen to—”

She didn’t finish.

Because Roy’s entire expression snapped with a sudden, unmistakable fury.

His back straightened. His jaw clenched. A muscle ticked near his temple.

“Mum,” he interrupted, voice low, controlled. “Forget about Karen.”

Dianne’s eyes widened.

Karen?

Who was Karen?

Mrs. Sinclair scoffed on the other end. “What are you saying? Don’t you dare dismiss that girl. She’s from a prestigious and wealthy home. Her family has built alliances with ours for decades. She is the perfect match for the Sinclair name. The benefits alone—”

“I don’t care about the benefits,” Roy cut in sharply.

Dianne’s breath caught. She’d never heard his voice like that — sharp enough to cut steel.

“I have someone now,” Roy continued, each word deliberate. “And I’ll bring her over.”

Dianne froze.

Her heart slammed into her ribs.

Me?

He was talking about me?

There was a stunned silence from his mother.

Then:

“Someone? Who? And you think I’ll just accept any random girl you pick up from—”

“Mum,” Roy warned.

But Mrs. Sinclair was relentless. “Do you have any idea what you stand to gain from marrying Karen? What we stand to gain? The Sinclair name needs strong alliances. Not… emotional distractions.”

Dianne felt like the ground was shifting under her feet.

Emotional… distractions?

Her stomach tightened.

Roy exhaled heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Mum, I don’t want her. I’ve never wanted her. So please, stop pushing Karen at me.”

Mrs. Sinclair huffed indignantly. “This is unbelievable. You’re choosing—choosing feelings?—over your heritage? Your legacy? Do you think your grandfather built this company on feelings?”

“Mum, I have to go now,” Roy said abruptly, clearly at his limit. “I’ll see you soon.”

Before she could argue again, he ended the call.

He stood there for a moment, shoulders tense, breathing hard — fighting the disappointment, the pressure, the weight of expectations that had been strangling him for years.

When he turned back to Dianne, she was staring at him with bewildered eyes.

“Roy… what was that?”

He swallowed, walked toward her slowly, guilt and frustration flickering in his gaze.

“My family,” he said bitterly. “They’ve been trying to match me with someone for years. Karen. A woman I don’t want. A life I don’t want.”

“And you told them… you told your mother… that you have someone?”

“Yes,” he murmured. His eyes locked onto hers, deep and impossibly earnest.

“I told her about you.”

Dianne’s heart thudded painfully. “But Roy… we’re not—”

“I know,” he said quickly. “I know we’re not anything official yet. I know I said we’d take things slow. I’m not trying to rush you. I just… I couldn’t stand hearing her talk about Karen again. Not when I…”

His voice broke just slightly.

“Not when I want you.”

Those four words undid something inside her.

She felt the warmth rush up her neck.

Her breath faltered.

Her chest tightened.

Still, she whispered, “Roy… your family won’t accept me.”

“They will,” he said softly, stepping closer. “Because I’m not giving anyone — not even my mother — the power to choose who I care about.”

“But your grandfather’s memorial…” she murmured.

“I’ll handle it,” he said with a soft sigh. “All I want is for you to come with me when you’re ready. Not for them. For me.”

Her lips parted in shock.

Everything was spiraling fast — emotions, expectations, promises she didn’t know she was ready for.

But the way he looked at her…

Like she was the only choice he’d ever wanted to make…

It terrified her.

And thrilled her.

All at once.

Roy gently reached for her hand but stopped himself halfway, remembering his vow to give her space.

Dianne watched his fingers hover near hers… trembling slightly.

He whispered, “You don’t have to decide anything now. Just… don’t pull away from me.”

Her chest ached.

“I’m not pulling away,” she said.

And it was the truth.

Roy let out a shaky breath — relief, fear, longing all tangled together.

“Good,” he murmured.

For a moment, they simply stood there, staring at each other, caught in a quiet storm neither knew how to escape.

But neither of them wanted to.

Dianne gasped. “Roy… I’ll have to tell Maya about it. I hope she’ll agree.”

Roy ran a hand through his hair, tension flickering across his face. “Please, just… talk to her. I don’t want to force anything. But I can come and plead with her myself if I have to.”

Dianne nodded. “No, it’s fine. She’ll listen to me.”

She hoped she was right.

They hurried back to the house, and the moment they stepped in, Maya looked up from the dining table. Her eyes narrowed immediately, sensing trouble.

“What now?” she asked sharply, folding her arms.

Dianne exchanged a quick glance with Roy before gently explaining everything—his mother’s expectations, Karen, the memorial, and the pressure Roy was under. The room grew colder with every word, and Maya’s expression hardened into a frosty mask.

“So you want Dianne to pretend to be your girlfriend?” she asked, voice low and clipped.

Roy swallowed. “Just for the memorial. To get them off my back for a while.”

Maya turned away, visibly conflicted. “Roy, this is complicated. It’s messy. And your family— they don’t like her.”

“They don’t know her,” he countered softly.

Silence stretched thin between them. After a long moment, Dianne stepped closer and touched Maya’s arm gently. “Please, Maya. Just this once. He really needs help.”

Maya exhaled sharply, still stiff with annoyance, but slowly her shoulders dropped. “Fine,” she muttered at last. “But only because I don’t want anyone forcing you into something you don’t want.”

Roy’s relief was instant—his breath leaving him in a rush.

“Thank you,” he said quietly.

Maya didn’t answer. She just turned away, her heart pounding, unsure if she had just agreed to something far more complicated than any of them realized.