Larissa's POV
The elevator chimed softly as the doors slid open, revealing an empty car that felt like salvation. I stepped inside and immediately slumped against the cool metal wall, my knees threatening to buckle beneath me.
"What the hell just happened in there?" I whispered to myself, fingers tangling in my hair. "How am I supposed to explain this mess to my parents?"
Mom would be over the moon about a wedding announcement, right up until she realized the impossible timeline. Getting married in weeks? She'd interrogate me until I cracked under pressure.
Dad would be even more challenging. His old-school values meant he'd demand a full background check on Carson, complete with financial records and a detailed discussion about long-term goals.
My brothers would make everything worse. Joe had always been able to see straight through my lies, and Harlan would spend hours researching every scandal Carson had ever been connected to online.
