Page 166 of Love Arranged

Jane’s hand is no longer raised because similarly, most of her friends and family moved out of their hometown once it began to change and the rent prices became unaffordable.

She told me as much during our double date, but I put all the pieces together once Lily and I witnessed it ourselves.

The silence in the room is deafening, but it says much more than I ever could on the subject, and I let the crowd sit with that discomfort before continuing.

“Lake Aurora faced the same predicament as us a decade ago, and their mayor decided to embrace change because they too were so very fortunate to have people interested in their town.” It’s poetic justice to use Trevor’s words against him, and I enjoy watching the emotions flicker across his face.

Fear. Surprise. Uncertainty.

And soon enough,defeat.

“The town’s council welcomed growth and expansion, and now Lake Aurora is struggling with an identity crisis. Mom-and-pop shops are having a tough time paying rent and keeping up with expenses with so much cheaper competition. Franchises are replacing family-run restaurants that were established fifty-plus years ago, turning their Main Street into a graveyard of boarded-up storefronts waiting for the next McDonald’s to open up. Their rental market is at a record high, their infrastructure is struggling to support the influx of people, and community staples like their rec center have suffered from funding cuts despite the town’s increased tax revenue.”

I pause and allow what I’m saying to sink in. “Locals can’t run away fast enough, and if we’re not careful, our town will be next. So I’ll throw the question back on you all and ask: How does one prevent Lake Wisteria from becoming another Lake Aurora?”

No one claps because of the event’s rules, but the looks of fear on everyone’s faces feel better than any round of applause I could receive. Not to mention the worried expression on Trevor’s face as his wide eyes dart to find his father in the crowd.

“Mr. Ludlow, you have one minute to respond.”

Trevor follows my lead and stands up, so I return to my stool and watch as he addresses everyone.

“My family has helped this town grow for a hundred years. I grew up hearing about how my grandfather led us through the strawberry boom, and I saw my father navigate the inflation crisis thatswept the nation a few decades later. I’ve studied their choices, not all of which I agreed with… Sorry, Dad, it was never a good idea to try to ban motor vehicles.”

People laugh, and Mayor Ludlow waves his son off with a smile, his eyes full of pride. It makes me sick to see the two of them happy together when they should both be behind bars for their crimes.

Trevor grins. “I’ve learned from them because I always knew that one day I would want to follow in my father’s footsteps.”

My molars grind. I prepared myself for him using his family’s legacy as a tactic, but stomaching it is a whole different issue, especially when the crowd is nodding along and eating up his words like they’re gospel.

Trevor practically glows as he takes us down memory lane. “The town has entrusted us to lead them through the good and the bad times, and we’ve done our best to encourage economic prosperity while retaining what makes Lake Wisteria special. We can see Lake Aurora as what it is—a cautionary tale rather than a prophecy waiting to be fulfilled—and we can use that knowledge to better guide our decisions. They don’t have the same history we do, and that’s a good thing.”

The energy in the room shifts, and the fear in everyone’s eyes dims, replaced by hopeful expressions and soft chatter. Lily must hear something she doesn’t like because she gnaws on her bottom lip, and Willow appears paler than usual as she looks back at a couple whispering behind her.

I can feel my victory slipping through my fingers. My gut instinct has gotten me this far, so I trust that if I don’t wintonight’s debate, I’ll lose the entire election, and that is not an option.

Not because I want to avenge my parents, although that will always be a reason, but because Lily needs me to win.

Somewhere along the way, winning became less about getting payback and more about saving Lily, her mother, and their flower shop. I want to protect the life Lily built in this town by fulfilling the future she so desperately wants.

A future that I couldn’t be a part of should Trevor become mayor. That much becomes painfully clear as I sit here, thinking of my past trauma that he caused.

I thought that maybe I could suffer through his time as mayor for Lily’s sake, but I can’t. I’d only end up driving myself crazy and push Lily away for good.

“Mr. Vittori, you have one minute to respond before we move on to the next question,” Mrs. Singer calls.

I try to calm myself down, but Trevor’s ability to charm the crowd and use their nostalgia as a weapon has rattled me.

Now is not the time to be nervous,I remind myself. Not when I have hundreds of people watching me, waiting to see how I can live up to the Ludlows’ legacy.

I want to surpass it, not only for myself and my parents but for the woman I love.

“Mr. Vittori?” Mrs. Singer prompts, not letting me process my feelings.

I rise, noting the uncomfortable pang in my chest as I hold the mic up to my mouth. With a deep breath, I begin. “Mr. Ludlow speaks fondly of his father’s legacy, and for good reason since the town has grown significantly. But I’m curiousabout one thing he said in particular.” I shift to the side so I can look at him out of the corner of my eye.

“When you talk about wanting to follow in your father’s footsteps, does that mean carrying on with his plan to destroy part of the Historic District? Because according to the architect at Morrison and Holmes, you paid them to draw up plans that require tearing down a lot more than five small businesses on Lavender Lane.”

I swore to Lily that I would protect everyone who signed an NDA, including her mother, and the only way I could do that was by flipping the Ludlows’ other source—the architecture firm. Maybe instead of manipulating the townspeople into signing NDAs, the Ludlows should’ve focused more on making sure the people they hired stayed quiet.