Marcus was waiting outside my apartment when I got back from the coffee shop.
My younger brother looked like he hadn't slept, his tie was crooked, the hair not neatly kept and he was pacing the hallway like a caged animal. When he saw me, his face went from relieved to furious in half a second.
"What the hell is going on?" He grabbed the coffee cup from my hand and set it on the floor. "You're engaged? To Damien Cross? Since when?"
"Marcus, I can explain…"
"Explain? Dad called me at six this morning, crying. Sophia I've never heard him cry, he said you're saving the family.
That you're marrying some billionaire we've never met." He grabbed my shoulders. "Tell me he's lying, this is some kind of mistake."
I unlocked my apartment door, pulling him inside before the neighbors heard. "It's not a mistake."
"Then what is it? Some kind of arranged marriage? This is madnessl."
"It's necessary."
Marcus stared at me like I'd grown a second head. "Necessary? Sophia, you don't even date, the last relationship you had ended two years ago because you said you needed to focus on your career. And now suddenly you're engaged to a man I've never even heard you mention?"
I moved to the kitchen, needing something to do with my hands. "I've been seeing Damien privately, we didn't want the attention."
"That's bullshit and you know it." Marcus followed me, his voice rising. "You tell me everything, when you got that promotion at work, when you were thinking about moving to Boston, even when mom was driving you crazy about setting you up with the Thompson kid. You tell me everything, but this? This you kept secret?"
The lies tasted like ash, Marcus was right, we told each other everything, he was my best friend, not just my brother. We'd been a team since we were kids, protecting each other from dad's impossible expectations and mom's social climbing.
"I couldn't tell you."
"Why not?"
"Because it's complicated."
"Then uncomplicate it." He leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "Start from the beginning, how did you meet him?"
I thought fast, pulling together the story Elena had given me. "At a charity event six months ago, we met and started talking, and he asked for my number. We've been seeing each other since then."
"Six months ago you were complaining about how boring charity events were. You said you'd rather die than attend another one."
Damn, he was right. "Well, this one was different."
"Because you met your future husband?" His tone was acidic. "Sophia, I know you, don't fall in love in one conversation. You barely trust people enough to let them buy you coffee."
"People change."
"Not that fast." Marcus moved closer, his expression softening. "What did Dad do? What kind of pressure did he put on you?"
"This isn't about dad."
"Then what is it about? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're sacrificing yourself for a family that's never appreciated you."
His words hit too close to home, I turned away, gripping the counter. "You don't understand."
"Then help me understand, please." His voice cracked. "You're my sister and my best friend.
"No one's forcing me."
"Liar."
I spun around. "Marcus, stop."
"I won't stop,not until you tell me the truth." He pulled out his phone. "I've been researching Damien Cross since dad's call. You know what I found?
Nothing, no dating history, no personal information, just business deals and rumors about people who crossed him ending up destroyed. This is the man you're going to marry?"
"You said yourself you don't know him."
"And neither do you!" Marcus's hands were shaking. "Six months isn't long enough to know someone well enough to marry them, especially not someone like Cross. He's dangerous, Sophia, everyone in my industry knows it, he crushes people for sport."
"He's not like that."
"How would you know? What do you really know about him?"
The question hung in the air between us. The truth was, I didn't know Damien at all. I knew he was ruthless, he'd manipulated me into a corner where I had no choice, but to accept his proposal.
But I couldn't tell Marcus any of that.
"I know enough," I said quietly.
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one I have."
Marcus stared at me for a long moment, then pulled out his phone again. "Fine, I'm calling Jenna, maybe she can talk sense into you."
"Don't." I grabbed his wrist. "Please, Marcus, don't involve anyone else."
"Why not? What are you so afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid."
"Then prove it, let me meet him. Let me talk to this man who convinced you to marry him after six months."
"That's not necessary."
"It is to me." Marcus's face set in that stubborn way that meant he wouldn't back down. "If you're really in love with him, if this is really your choice, then introduce us. Let me see with my own eyes that you're happy."
"I am happy."
"You look terrified."
"I'm just stressed, the wedding's on Saturday, there's a lot to plan."
"Saturday?" His voice went up an octave. "This Saturday? Four days from now?"
"We didn't want to wait."
"Or someone didn't want you to have time to think." Marcus grabbed my shoulders again, gentler this time. "Sophia, listen to me, you don't have to do this."
Whatever Dad promised, whatever debts he has , we'll figure it out another way. You don't have to sacrifice yourself."
"I'm not sacrificing anything."
"Then what do you call marrying a stranger in four days?"
"I call it taking control of my life."
The lie came out smoother this time, but Marcus didn't buy it. I could see it in his eyes, he knew something was wrong, he just couldn't figure out what.
"I don't believe you," he said finally. "But I can see you're not going to tell me the truth. So here's what's going to happen. I'm coming to this wedding and I'm going to be watching Cross like a hawk. If he does anything and I mean anything that makes you uncomfortable, I'm getting you out of there. Understood?"
"Marcus…"
"Understood?"
I nodded, throat tight. "Understood."
He pulled me into a hug, holding me like he was afraid I'd disappear. "I love you, Sophia. You know that, right? No matter what happens, no matter what choices you make, I'm on your side."
"I know." My voice was muffled against his shoulder. "I love you too."
When he finally let go, his eyes were red. "Just promise me one thing. Promise me you're doing this because you want to, not because you have to."
The lie stuck in my throat. I couldn't say it. Couldn't promise him something we both knew wasn't true.
Marcus saw my hesitation and closed his eyes. "That's what I thought."
He left without another word, the door closing with a soft click that felt like a death knell.
I stood alone in my apartment, surrounded by half-packed boxes, and let myself cry for the first time since this nightmare began.
My phone buzzed, a text from Damien: " Press conference in two hours, the car will pick you up at 1:30. Don't be late."
I wiped my eyes and looked at the garment bag hanging on my door.
Two hours until I became Damien Cross's fiancée to the entire world.
Two hours until there was no turning back.
I picked up my phone and opened my messages to Phoenix, typing with shaking fingers.
"Nightingale:" If I disappeared for two years, would you wait for me?
The response came faster than I expected.
"Phoenix:" I'd wait forever if you needed me to, what's wrong?
I stared at the message, then deleted my draft response three times before settling on: "Nothing, just needed to know someone would."
"Phoenix:" Always Nightingale.
I set the phone down and started getting ready to lie to the entire world about the man I was going to marry.
End of Chapter Twelve.