Chapter 4

Nate's Pov

She froze when I mentioned the coast. Recognition flickered across her face, but she shook her head.

“What coast? What are you talking about?”

I stepped closer. “Ten years ago. Stormy night. You pulled me out of the water when my boat capsized. Then you disappeared before I could even thank you properly.”

Serena’s mouth opened, closed. “That was… you?”

“Yes.”

She backed up a step, bumping into the couch. “You’ve been looking for me all this time and your solution is to blackmail me into a fake engagement? That’s messed up, Nate.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be blackmail,” I said quietly. “The debt just… happened. When I saw your name on the file, I knew it was my chance.”

“Chance for what?” Her voice rose. “To own me for two months because I saved your life once? Do you realize how crazy that sounds? You could’ve just said thank you like a normal person!”

The words stung more than I expected. “To get to know the girl who’s stayed in my head for a decade. To help you in return. I looked for you for years, Serena. Private investigators, missing persons reports, everything. You vanished.”

She laughed bitterly. “Help? This doesn’t feel like help. It feels like a trap. You had ten years to find me and your big idea is to trap me with my father’s medical debt? That’s not romantic, Nate. That’s controlling.”

My phone buzzed again. The lawyer. The dinner. Time was running out.

“Look,” I said. “We can fight about this later. Right now we have to sell this. There’s a stylist coming up in twenty minutes with dresses. Pick one. We’ll go to dinner, smile, hold hands, and come home. Then you can yell at me all you want.”

Serena crossed her arms, eyes shiny with unshed tears. “I hate this. I hate feeling like I have no choice. One minute I’m trying to keep my family afloat, the next I’m playing dress-up and pretending to be in love with a man I barely know. How am I supposed to act like I’m crazy about you when I’m still processing all of this?”

“I know.” I reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face before I could stop myself. She didn’t pull away. “But your dad gets to keep his house and his medicine. That’s real. The relief you’ll see on his face when those bills stop coming, that part isn’t fake. Think about him every time it gets hard tonight.”

She was quiet for a long moment. Then, softly, “Fine. But after tonight, you tell me everything. No more secrets. I want to know how long you’ve known who I was, how you found my loan file, all of it. No holding back anymore. Promise me, Nate.”

“Deal.”

The stylist arrived right on time. I waited in the living room while Serena changed. When she stepped out in a deep green dress that matched her eyes, my breath caught.

She looked at me nervously. “Too much? I feel ridiculous. This dress costs more than my car. What if I spill something on it? Or trip in these heels? I’m going to make a fool of myself in front of all those people.”

“You look…” I searched for the word. “Perfect. The color suits you. You’ll fit right in tonight. Just remember to keep your hand in mine when the cameras are around. I’ve got you.”

She smoothed the fabric, still frowning. “I don’t know how to walk in these shoes. Or how to act at a place where they probably charge fifty dollars for a glass of water. What if they ask me questions about your family or the company? I don’t know anything about that world. I’ve never even heard of half the names you probably deal with every day.”

“We’ll keep answers short,” I reassured her. “Smile, say you’re still adjusting to all the attention, and look at me like you’re in love. You did well with the reporters earlier. You can do this. If you get stuck, just squeeze my hand and I’ll take over.”

Serena sighed. “This feels like a performance. I’m scared I’ll forget my lines. And what about Victoria? You mentioned an ex before. Is she going to be there? What should I do if she tries to talk to you?”

I paused. “She might be. She goes to these places. But she’s not part of our story. Ignore her if she shows up. Stay close to me and we’ll handle it together. You’re my fiancée now. That’s what matters.”

We made it through the first half of dinner without incident. Cameras outside the restaurant. My hand on hers across the table. Fake smiles that almost felt real when she laughed at something I said.

“You’re actually good at this,” I told her quietly between courses. “That laugh sounded real. What did you think of the food? Be honest.”

“It’s amazing,” she admitted, keeping her voice low. “I’ve never tasted anything like this. But I keep thinking about how much it costs and how many of my dad’s medications I could buy instead. It feels wrong to enjoy it when I know what we’re really doing here.”

“Try not to think about that tonight,” I whispered, squeezing her hand. “For the cameras. Tell me something real about you. What’s your favorite memory with your father? Something that always makes you smile when you think about it.”

She smiled softly, almost genuine. “The nights he used to read to me before everything fell apart. Simple stuff. But it felt safe. He’d do all the voices, even when he was tired from work. Those are the moments I miss the most.”

I nodded, genuinely interested. “He sounds like a good man. I’m glad the debt relief will give him some peace. We’ll make sure he never has to worry about bills again after this.”

“Yeah… I guess that’s the only reason I’m sitting here in this dress,” she murmured, then forced a small laugh for appearance’s sake. “So, what’s your go-to story if someone asks how you proposed?”

Then my ex, Victoria, appeared at our table.

“Nate,” she purred, ignoring Serena completely. “I heard a ridiculous rumor. Tell me it’s not true.”

Serena’s hand tightened in mine.

I kept my voice even. “Victoria. This is my fiancée, Serena. Serena, this is…”

“I know who she is,” Serena said, surprisingly calm. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interrupt our dinner.”

Victoria’s eyes narrowed. “Fiancée? Really? After you told me last month that you’d never settle down?”