Then Jared strode in, golden boy grin firmly in place, with Miranda clinging to his arm like an expensive accessory. He greeted our parents, then his eyes swept the room, landing briefly on me before zeroing in on Mia.
“Well, well,” he drawled, his smile sharpening at the edges as he approached. “The prodigal brother returns. And with a fiancée! Will wonders never cease?”
The room seemed to hold its collective breath as my brother navigated the space like he owned it, his gaze locked on us. Miranda floated beside him in a cloud of expensive perfume, her diamond engagement ring catching the firelight with every calculated movement of her hand.
Jared’s eyes traveled over Mia, starting at her face and moving downward with deliberate slowness. The appreciative gleam in his expression made my jaw clench. I felt Mia tense slightly beside me, though her face remained pleasantly neutral.
Instinctively, I slid my arm around her waist, drawing her closer to my side. The protective gesture wasn’t lost on my brother, whose smile widened fractionally.
“Jared, Miranda,” I said, keeping my voice carefully even. “This is Mia, my fiancée.”
Miranda stepped forward first, extending one perfectly manicured hand. Her smile was practiced, her eyes calculating as they assessed every inch of Mia, from her sensible heels to her curves to her makeup.
“How lovely to meet you.” Her voice was syrupy sweet. “What a surprise this all is. We had no idea Jack was even seeing anyone, and then suddenly... engaged!” She gave a tinkling laugh that contained no actual humor.
“Life is full of surprises,” Mia replied, her handshake firm and confident. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
Jared moved in next, his eyes never leaving Mia’s face as he took her hand. Instead of a simple shake, he enveloped herhand in both of his, holding it for several seconds longer than necessary.
“The pleasure is all mine,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a lower, intimate note. “My brother’s been keeping you quite the secret. I can’t imagine why he’d hide someone so... enchanting.”
The compliment was heavy with implication and I felt my free hand curl into a fist at my side.
“Perhaps he just wanted me all to himself,” Mia answered smoothly, extracting her hand from his grip.
Once they moved on, gliding toward where my parents were standing, I noticed Mia discreetly wipe her palm against the side of her navy dress. The small gesture of distaste made me smile.
“So, Jared’s definitely going to make a move on me this weekend, isn’t he?” Mia asked quietly, her tone conversational, as if she were discussing dinner options.
“Yes.” I couldn’t manage more than that single word, watching as my brother worked the room. The anger rising inside me felt like a physical thing, hot and dangerous, as I observed the practiced way he charmed Aunt Patricia, his hand settling on the small of Miranda’s back in a display of possession that I knew meant nothing to him.
“Do you trust me?” Mia asked.
I barely registered her question, my attention fixed on Jared as he threw his head back in laughter at something Uncle Robert said. My father stood nearby, practically glowing with paternal pride.
“Jack?” Mia’s voice grew more insistent, her hand squeezing mine until I turned to look at her.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I said, do you trust me?” Her gray eyes were steady, serious as they searched mine.
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation.
“Excellent. I need you to do something for me, then.” Her voice was low, for my ears only.
I frowned, my eyes drifting back to Jared, who was now watching us with undisguised interest from across the room. “Okay.”
“I’ve been dealing with men like your brother my whole professional life,” Mia continued, angling her body slightly to block our conversation from view. “I’m pretty sure I know what to do to put him back in his box. I just need you to give me the space to do it. Okay?”
I studied her face, seeing the quiet confidence there, the competence I’d admired since our first meeting. This was the Mia who commanded boardrooms and outmaneuvered corporate sharks without breaking a sweat. Still, the idea of Jared trying his usual games made something primitive and protective rear up inside me.
“Please, Jack.”
“You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“I’m pretty sure I do. Does it help if I promise not to be alone with him? Believe me when I say that is not a hard promise to keep.”
The seconds stretched between us as I weighed my options, my gaze drifting back to Jared.
