Page 190 of Love Arranged

Nicole glances back and forth at us before asking, “Your shop is on Lavender Lane, right?”

“Yes,” Lily replies, her voice dejected.

“That’s quite the coincidence that the Ludlows chose that street, then.” Nicole jots more notes down with a frown.

I scoff. “I don’t believe in those.”

“Neither do I,” she replies, and I like her even more.

“Will you tell me more about this architect firm they hired?”

I go into detail about the firm, and then Nicole asks me about Trevor’s biggest sticking point: Vittori Holdings.

“Do you still keep in contact with your family?”

“No. It’s not a subject I like to talk about,” I add. “While I care for my cousins, it’s no secret that my uncle and I parted ways on bad terms, so I’ve had to cut myself off from everyone to protect my peace, and anyone with complex family dynamics can probably relate to that.”

The reporter writes down a few more notes before asking, “Is that why you sold your Vittori Holdings shares, or were there other factors at play?”

“Yes to both of your questions. No one wakes up one day and leaves a billion-dollar company without justifiable cause, so my decision was a long time coming, and my uncle’s choice to tear down my father’s legacy was the final straw. All those rumors about me selling my shares because the investors weren’t happy with me were false. The company’s value didn’t tank solely because of business choices I played a part in making, although people were quick to make me the scapegoat.

“Long story short: My values didn’t align with that of the company’s CEO, who unfortunately is my uncle. Of course he took my departure personally. He expected me to fall in line with the other board members, but I refused to be part of a company that prioritizes greed over morals. I’d rather stay true to myself than become a sellout, so I left.”

Lily’s eyes soften at the corners. I wish I could read her thoughts, if only to know what brought out that look from her.

Nicole’s pen flies across her notepad. “It’s a different kind of loyalty.”

“Exactly,” I reply.

Trevor let the town assume I wasn’t loyal, and I’m correctingthe narrative. By the time Nicole is done, he will look like the ass while I keep coming out on top, hopefully with Lily by my side.

Nicole glances up. “If you don’t mind me asking, what brought your parents to Lake Wisteria originally?”

I explain my mom’s childhood briefly and my parents meeting in Vegas before saying, “After my parents got married, my mom wanted to leave Vegas, and since my dad’s biggest priority was to make her happy, they ended up moving.”

She nods. “And then you followed in their footsteps.”

“It felt like the right path to take.”

“Imagine if you hadn’t.” She glances back and forth between Lily and me.

“I don’t like to think about it.” I kiss the back of Lily’s hand, not for show but for comfort.

Nicole raises her brow. “I’m curious—you could’ve moved anywhere in the world after selling your Vittori Holdings shares, but you chose to come back here. Why is that?”

“There was something about Lake Wisteria that felt…right. So, I took a chance and moved back, and soon enough, it started to feel likehome. Not only because of the town and the people in it but because of one specific person.”

I look at Lily while I say the last part so she knows I’m speaking to her as her boyfriend rather than a fake fiancé. “Lily showed me what my life could look like, and it’s that vision that keeps me motivated. It holds me accountable and pushes me to want the best for this town, both for her and the future family we want to raise here.”

“That’s beautiful.” Nicole clears her throat, but I don’t take my eyes off Lily.

I watch the way her eyes water as what I said sinks in, and I know that I can’t go another day without telling her how I feel because doing so in front of strangers feels wrong.

She deserves all my words, even the ones she doesn’t want to hear, and tonight she’s going to hear them. Whether she decides to reciprocate them is up to her.

“I’m proud of you for meeting with the reporter,” Lily says once I return to the living room after seeing Nicole out.

“Really?”