Page 25 of The Girlfriend Card (Vegas Sin #4)
“Shit. Sorry.” He lowered his voice. “And you said it’d be really obvious if I just stopped and thought about what you’d told me.” He grinned. “Well—I did .”
“Okay …?”
“After scrimmage today, I looked ‘Leo Lancaster’ up on the internet.”
“Oh?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“And that’s when I found out his dad is William Lancaster, the Senator. And your dad basically finances his entire campaign. And then I had this moment where everything all clicked into place.”
My body sank in the booth with the realization of what Dakota had uncovered. This is what I’d wanted —for Dakota to figure things out on his own—but now that he had, a shadow of unease lingered over me, and I felt afraid.
“W-what clicked into place?” I stammered.
Dakota leaned in, his eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and understanding. “The son of a prominent senator running for president, dating the daughter of his most generous benefactor. Seems pretty convenient, doesn’t it?”
For some reason, I found myself wanting to prop up the lie. “I mean … our dads are friends, and so Leo and I have known each other since we were kids … is it really that impossible to believe?”
“But you’re not actually dating him. Right? That’s what you were trying to tell me—that he’s not really your boyfriend.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Ottavia, are you stuck in some kind of weird political, arranged marriage thing with Leo?”
“I … I …” My breaths grew shallow. Again, I was conflicted—part of me was relieved he’d figured it out, but another part of me felt exposed and vulnerable and wanted to run.
But Dakota grabbed my hand and held it, his eyes on mine. “It’s okay, Ottavia. I’m not going to tell anyone.”
I swallowed hard, unable to meet Dakota’s penetrating gaze. The truth hung heavy in the air, and I knew I couldn’t deny it any longer. My lips moved, and the word came out in a hushed whisper, “ Yes .”
“Yes? Holy fuck!” His eyes bulged. “I mean, I thought I’d figured it out, sure, but I guess I still didn’t believe it’d actually be true, or that you’d admit it.”
“ Please don’t tell anyone—” I pleaded, my eyes wide with fear.
“I promise I won’t.” Dakota resolutely shook his head. “But can I ask … why? What’s the point? How’d it come about?”
“It’s complicated, and I don’t pretend to understand even half of it,” I began, my voice tinged with resignation. “But our dads have been allies for decades. They believe our marriage would strengthen their influence and secure both our families’ long-term interests.”
“Okay, but how ?”
“You know how sports gambling used to be really taboo and illegal in most states?”
“Yeah. Now it’s everywhere. When you watch a game on TV, there are like, fifty-thousand gambling ads. It’s crazy.” Dakota chuckled, but then the realization crossed his face. “Wait a minute—are you saying your dad and Leo’s dad had something to do with that?”
“All I know is that my dad has been lobbying for laxer gambling laws for decades. Because gambling is how he makes his money.”
Understanding flickered in Dakota’s eyes. “And your dad’s financial success benefits Lancaster, too.”
“Exactly. They’ve made each other a lot of money and power over the years.”
“Well, I can understand why your dads would be allies,” Dakota said, bobbing his head. “But why do they need their kids to marry? That’s the part that doesn’t make sense to me. Like, who cares what your kids do? It shouldn’t matter at all to them.”
“That’s because you’re not thinking about family like the rich do.”
“Explain it to me, then.”
“Our dads see their children as extensions of themselves. We are tools that further their own agendas. My dad desires power, and Leo’s dad desires wealth.
By merging the two families through marriage, each solidify their own position, and ensure their legacies will continue for generations to come. ”
Dakota’s brow furrowed as he tried to grasp the concept. “But … can’t they just achieve all that without forcing you into an arranged marriage?”
“You’d think so.” I let out a bitter laugh.
“But an arranged marriage is like the ultimate handshake between families. It guarantees both parties’ continued cooperation, control, and guards against potential loss of influence.
It’s the most effective way to secure their interests.
” I cleared my throat. “That’s what they think, anyway. ”
Dakota’s expression hardened, a hint of anger simmering beneath his surface. “And so they expect you and Leo to go along with it? To sacrifice your personal happiness for their ambition?”
“More than that, they believe it’s our duty to do so. To serve the greater good of the family.”
“That’s so fucked up and backwards,” he said, his fist tightening. “It’s like they think we’re living in the medieval ages or something. What the hell?”
Truth was, I could see the argument from both sides.
Dakota sensed my hesitation. His gaze bore into mine. “You know this is unfair, right, Ottavia?”
I hesitated, torn between the familiar burden of familial expectations and my own happiness. “Yes, but like my dad always says, life isn’t fair.” A heavy sigh escaped me. “Then again, who am I to complain about what’s fair or not? I’m so privileged, and—”
“No.” Dakota sternly shook his head, refusing to entertain any justification. “Just because you were born into a family with money doesn’t mean you have to settle for a life that isn’t truly yours. Don’t let anyone tell you that.”
His words resonated inside me, stirring that flicker of hope that always seemed to be snuffed out by others.
“You deserve more , Ottavia.” He squeezed my hand, his thumb caressing the back of my hand in a soothing gesture. “You deserve to live a life that’s yours. How you choose to live it, who you marry, and who you love.”
“For what it’s worth, I agree.” I paused. “But it doesn’t matter what I think.”
“Why are you talking like you’re actually going to go through with it?”
I frowned and averted my gaze. I couldn’t give him the answer he wanted to hear.
“Ottavia.” I could hear his hurt when he spoke my name. “ Why? ”
“Because I don’t have a choice.”
“Uh. Yeah, you do. Your dad can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do,” he insisted, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
“He can, though.”
“How?!”
“He has ways,” I whispered, the weight of the truth heavy on my shoulders.
“Like what?”
“Money. What else? It’s written into my trust fund.”
He leaned back, his face scrunching with surprise. “He can do that?! Trust funds work like that?”
I nodded. “He sure can, and they sure do.”
“ Damn. ” Dakota groaned with a mix of frustration and anger.
Our conversation came to a pause as the server approached with our food. I could see the shock still lingering on Dakota’s face as it slowly dawned on him that I wasn’t going to get out of this.
With nothing else to say, I gave Dakota a smile and said, “ Buon appetito. ”