“Of course, every relationship has its moments.”
She scoops the pancakes out of the pan and slides them onto a plate before pouring more mix into the pan.
“You know, my brother always had a massive fear of commitment. I know his reputation—the playboy—and maybe it’s true, but in his heart, it’s not who he really is. He’s a softie, with a lot of love to give. I don’t think he’d found the right person though—until he met you.”
I bite my lip.
She doesn’t know our marriage is a business arrangement. His mom and his sister both think we were dating in secret before we got engaged. She doesn’t know the truth about us.
Guilt sweeps over me, and I sigh softly.
“I mean it, you know,” Belle says, turning to face me. “My brother has changed since he met you—well, since he decided totell us about you. I don’t know why he kept your relationship a secret before.” She rolls her eyes.
“How so, how do you think he’s changed?” I ask.
“He talks about you often when he calls to check in with me. You’re an important part of his life, Ulyana. These silly little fights don’t take away from that.”
She hands me a plate of pancakes along with the maple syrup and a bottle of white chocolate sauce in case I want to add that too.
“How was your brother with his other girlfriends?” I ask out of sheer curiosity.
“Pfft,” she huffs. “He never once brought a girl home. Why do you think my mother and I were so shocked when he came out of the blue, telling us he already had a fiancée?”
“You never met a single one of his girlfriends?” I say in disbelief.
“It’s not that I didn’t meet them. He literally never had any. He would tell me about a date here and there, but the next day when I called for an update he’d have some reason why she didn’t catch his attention enough. He never committed to anyone.”
She raises her brows, a cheeky smile on his lips. “Until you.”
“Was he overprotective of you, growing up?”
She snorts. “That’s an understatement. He drove me crazy.”
“Just like Nestor with me. Gosh, it’s like they’re trying to protect us fromliving,” I laugh.
She lifts herself up onto the counter next to me and picks up the white chocolate sauce, pouring so much of it over her plate that I can’t even see the flapjacks anymore.
“Do you want some flapjack with your sauce?” I ask.
She nudges my shoulder with hers. “You sound just like Ben.” She rolls her eyes.
After a moment of quiet, each of us enjoying the breakfast, she thoughtfully says, “I think I know why my brother was so against dating.”
“You do?”
“When you’re as rich as he is, people tend to use you for your money. Girls are obsessed with him. Who wouldn’t be. He’s rich, powerful and good-looking. I think he forced himself not to get attached because he was afraid that no one wanted him for who he was, but rather for what he had. It’s a horrible way to live, but what choice did he have.”
She looks at me. “But your brother is as powerful as he is. He never had to worry about you loving him for his money or status.” She smiles. “That’s why he’s free to love you without that fear.”
As she talks on, telling me about how he was as a kid, the things he used to do to drive her crazy when she was little, I’m struggling with the weight of my guilt, getting heavier by the second. She speaks as though our relationship is real.
I’m lying to her, I’m lying to his mother, I’m even lying to him with the secrets I’m keeping.
I’m a terrible person.
Even if he’s lying to them as well, I’ll have to deal with my own karma for what I’m doing.
I hate being this way. I wish there had been another option for me to reach Miron, but there wasn’t. This was the first real opportunity I had. I thought, because we were both benefiting from the arrangement, that it would work out—but now that I’m here, doing it, I feel bad.
