Chapter 27 - Evania
There's something to be said about a man who doesn't understand you but trusts you enough to go along with whatever you say.
Not every man could do that. Most needed explanations, reassurances, or at the very least, some sort of preview of the chaos you were about to unleash. But Callahan had agreed to my plan and executed it perfectly.
I wasn't entirely sure if that said more about his confidence or his sanity; either way, it worked in my favor.
Even from across the room, I caught the flicker of confusion on his mother's face as she watched me. Her eyebrows knitted together, eyes narrowing first in suspicion, then her lips pressed tight with irritation. She pursed them, clearly trying to decipher what exactly I was up to.
Which, in fairness, was exactly what I wanted her to do. Eventually, her gaze lifted and landed directly on me. I met her eyes without blinking. Then I offered her a small, sad smile. Just enough sadness in it to make it believable.
The effect was immediate. Her expression shifted again, the irritation fading into something far more unsettled. Her brows pulled together as if she couldn't decide whether she should feel suspicious or angry.
Satisfied that my plan was moving along perfectly, I turned my attention away from her and back to the people standing beside me. Emily and Theo were already staring at me. Actually, staring wasn't quite the right word. They were studying me like I had suddenly grown a second head.
Before I could even ask what their problem was, Emily leaned forward and pressed the back of her hand against my forehead. "What are you doing?" she demanded.
She hummed thoughtfully, keeping her hand there for a second longer before pulling it away.
"You're not warm," she said, frowning.
"I'm hoping that's a good thing," I replied dryly.
She rocked back on her heels, crossing her arms as she examined me like a particularly interesting science experiment.
"No," she said slowly. "It's concerning."
Theo nodded in agreement beside her. "That's what I was thinking."
I looked between the two of them. "Should I be worried right now?"
Emily ignored my question completely. "If you're not sick," she continued thoughtfully, "then the only logical explanation is that you're possessed."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not possessed."
"You must be," she tutted, "why else would you roll your eyes at your favorite author? Have I lost favor in your sight?"
My first reaction was to laugh, although with the way she looked at me, I knew it was better not to. "Of course not."
"Emily, focus." Theo's tone sharpened as he leaned forward, hand on the table. "You being nice to Mrs. Sterling makes no sense."
Emily nodded enthusiastically. "None at all."
"And frankly," Theo added, "it's significantly less entertaining."
I let out a small sigh. "I am always nice."
"You threatened to make them estranged if she kept interfering."
I paused, I did say that, didn't I? "She deserved it."
Theo rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he studied me. "No," he said finally. "Something's off."
"Oh!" I practically jumped as Emily's eyes lit up.
Theo looked at her. "What?"
She pointed dramatically at me. "She has a plan."
My eyes drifted across the room as I tried and failed to hide my smile.
Theo groaned loudly. "Of course she does."
Emily clapped her hands together like a child discovering a secret. "I knew it!" she exclaimed.
I sighed dramatically. "You two are exhausting."
"That's not a denial," Theo pointed out.
"This whole being nice thing is part of it, isn't it?"
I met his gaze, then I nodded. "You're right."
There was a second of stunned silence, followed by Emily bursting out in laughter. Theo followed right behind her, shaking his head as he tried to catch his breath.
"I knew it," Emily wheezed. "I knew there was no way this was genuine."
Theo wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "I swear you're terrifying."
"All's fair in love and war," I commented calmly. "This certainly feels like war."
Emily wiped tears from her eyes. "Can we be part of it?"
Theo immediately agreed. "Please tell me we can be part of it."
I pretended to consider their request even though I had already decided earlier that I would probably need their help. If this was going to look convincing, I needed witnesses and accomplices.
"I suppose," I said slowly, "that might be possible."
Emily gasped in delight. "What do we have to do?"
"For now, you just need to act like everything is normal."
Theo snorted. "You're asking a lot."
Emily ignored him and leaned even closer. "So what's the plan?"
"I was actually about to tell Emily about me buying a supermarket," I began.
Emily blinked.
Theo blinked.
"You bought what?" Emily asked.
"A supermarket."
Theo stared at me like he was trying to decide if I was joking. "You bought a supermarket?"
"Yes."
Emily took a step back, her eyes trailing over me from head to toe multiple times. "You say things so casually that it takes a moment for my brain to realize how insane they are."
I lifted one shoulder. "A supermarket is a solid investment."
Theo muttered, "You're unbelievable."
Before Emily could say anything else, someone suddenly stepped up beside me. He was tall with blonde hair and striking green eyes that stood out immediately. He had the kind of confident posture that suggested he was used to being the center of attention.
My surprise quickly turned into confusion when he began speaking.
"Hi," he said, smiling easily. He reached out and took my hand before I could react. His grip was warm and unsurprisingly firm.
"Hello," I replied cautiously, wondering why he was talking to me.
"I don't think we've met. I'm Lucas."
I frowned slightly. "Um—"
Theo coughed quietly beside me, just loud enough for me to hear him mumble, "Birthday boy."
It felt like a switch flipped in my brain. It was his birthday, which meant he was probably the reason we were here.
"Oh," I forced a polite smile. "Happy birthday."
"Thank you." I nodded, tried to gently slide my hand out of his grasp, but he held on.
"Actually," he continued smoothly, "I was wondering if you'd like to go out sometime."
Emily made a strangled noise. Theo turned his face away completely, shoulders shaking in silent laughter.
I stared at Lucas, still trying to pull my hand out of his. "You're asking me out?" I asked, disbelief thick in my voice.
"Yeah."
I had to admit his confidence was impressive. Unfortunately for him, it was misplaced as well. I was seconds away from refusing when a strong arm wrapped around my waist. The next moment, Callahan’s hand closed gently around my wrist, lifting my hand out of Lucas’ grasp with calm precision.
“You can’t,” Callahan said.
Lucas blinked in surprise. “Can’t what?”
Callahan released my wrist but didn’t step away. If anything, he moved closer to me, his presence solid and deliberate at my side.
“You can’t ask her out,” he repeated evenly.
Lucas raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes. “And why not?”
“Because she’s already married.”
My pulse skipped.
“To me.”
The air between the three of us froze. I slowly looked between the two men, carefully schooling my expression into mild surprise, even though inside I was secretly enjoying every second of it. Watching my husband claim me so possessively should not have been as satisfying as it was.
Lucas eyed Callahan for a lot longer than I thought he would. It was beginning to feel a bit awkward how silent he was until he suddenly chuckled.
"Well," he said with a laugh, releasing a quiet breath as he rubbed the back of his neck, "that makes a lot more sense than her being single. You're a lucky man," he finished warmly.
Callahan didn’t respond, but I felt the subtle shift in his posture as some of the tension eased out of him.
Lucas turned back to him, still smiling. “You know, though… I’m a little offended.”
Callahan frowned slightly. “Why?”
“You kept her a secret.”
I couldn’t stop the small laugh that slipped out.
Callahan shot me a brief look before turning back to Lucas. “I didn’t keep her a secret.”
Lucas lifted a brow. "Really? Because I feel like I would remember you mentioning you had a wife," he teased.
Callahan hesitated. Lucas’ grin widened. “See?” he teased.
Despite the teasing tone, there wasn’t a hint of hostility in his voice. He seemed genuinely amused. Then he looked at me again, and his smile softened.
"Well," he said, his voice warm and sincere. "Congratulations. I'm happy for you both."
“Thank you, though I'm not exactly sure who you are.”
Lucas shot him an expectant look, which had him rolling his eyes. “Vani, this is Lucas Davenport. Our biggest investor. Lucas, this is Evania. My wife.”
"Oh." The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. “I thought you would be old.”
There was a half-second of silence, then Lucas burst out laughing. Callahan closed his eyes briefly like a man reconsidering every decision that had led him to this moment.
Lucas wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “That might be the most honest thing anyone’s ever said to me at one of these events.”
I groaned quietly. “I didn’t mean—”
"No, no," he said quickly, still grinning. "Please don't take it back. It's refreshing," Lucas insisted.
Even Callahan’s mouth twitched slightly.
“Well,” Lucas added, “now that I’ve been thoroughly humbled on my birthday, I think I deserve another drink.”
Callahan nodded. “Enjoy the party.”
Lucas gave me one last amused look. “Nice meeting you, Evania.”
“Nice meeting you too.”
He walked away, still chuckling to himself. The moment he disappeared into the crowd, Callahan turned toward me. "You thought he would be old?" he asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.
“In my defense, investors usually are.”
He narrowed his eyes, a hint of humor glinting there. "You could have kept that thought to yourself."
“But then Lucas wouldn't have such a humbling experience.”
He exhaled slowly, clearly trying not to laugh.