Chapter 28 - Callahan
I sighed as I listened to my lawyer rant on the other end of the phone. His voice carried the same mix of outrage and exhaustion it had since the call began, and I suspected he had been holding onto this frustration since the moment my mother contacted him.
“Callahan,” he groaned through the phone, “your mother called my office at seven this morning. Seven. She demanded to know why I ‘failed in my professional duty’ to ensure you signed a prenup.”
I stared out the windshield of the car, watching a breeze ripple through the trees lining the quiet residential street.
“I imagine that was pleasant for you,” I said dryly.
“Pleasant?” he barked. “She threatened to report me to the bar association.”
Beside me, Vani sat quietly in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead at her parents’ house. She hadn’t said a word since we pulled up ten minutes ago.
If the situation weren’t so predictable, I might have felt more annoyed, but as usual, my expectations held true.
Instead, I simply leaned back in the driver’s seat and listened while he vented.
Luckily for both of us, he had been smart enough to go along with her accusations rather than correcting her. If he had revealed that Vani and I already had a contract in place protecting both of our assets, my mother would have turned her anger in an entirely different direction.
“I tried explaining that two consenting adults can make their own decisions. Apparently, that’s not an acceptable explanation when the adult in question is you.”
I huffed out a quiet laugh.
“Relax,” I told him. “You handled it perfectly. That's why I'm treating you and your wife to a weekend at my coastal villa. All expenses covered.”
Thomas didn’t even hesitate. “You know what? Your mother is wrong. You’re a brilliant client.”
I smirked slightly. “I thought you might feel that way.”
I ended the call and slipped my phone back into my pocket before turning toward Vani.
Normally, Vani had a way of filling silence without even trying. Whether she was teasing me, talking to Maria, or making spontaneous plans that left me wondering how she moved through life so confidently. But now she was staring straight ahead at the house, her shoulders tense.
Over the past two days, Vani has been filling me in on her family.
My thoughts lingered on our recent trip with Maria to the store that she now owned.
I still couldn’t fully process the fact that my wife had casually purchased a supermarket.
Most people would have consulted ten advisors before making a purchase like that.
Vani had simply… done it. But then again, if she were predictable, she wouldn’t be my wife.
I smiled to myself as she suddenly puffed out a breath.
Then she turned toward me.
“Before we go in there,” she started, turning to face me. “Promise me you won't freak out no matter what my family says.”
That didn’t sound promising. “I wasn’t planning to.”
“I’m serious.”
“I am too. What exactly are you expecting them to say?”
“Just promise.”
"Fine. I promise.”
She nodded once, clearly satisfied. Before I could say another word, she practically launched herself out of the car.
I could only stare after her, muttering under my breath. “What have I gotten myself into?"
I stepped out after her just in time to see her grabbing bags from the back seat like someone preparing for battle.
“Easy there,” I said, moving around the car. “You’re going to tear a muscle.”
She said nothing and shoved a bag into my arms. “Make yourself useful.”
I took it without complaint, then grabbed the rest. Including the separate bag I had carefully prepared earlier that morning. Inside were the gifts I had purchased for each member of her family. I hadn’t been sure what to expect from this visit, but arriving empty-handed had never been an option.
Together we climbed the steps toward the front door. Just as we reached the final step, the door swung open.
Both of us froze.
I watched as a stunning middle-aged woman stood in the doorway. She had the same sharp eyes and elegant posture as Vani, though there were a few faint lines around her eyes that suggested experience rather than age.
“What on earth were you two doing sitting in the car for so long?” she scolded, stepping aside. "Sitting out here like strangers. Come inside before the food gets cold.”
Vani and I exchanged a quick look before stepping into the house.
“Sorry, Mom,” Vani said, receiving no answer.
Her mother simply turned and started walking down the hallway.
I followed beside Vani, trying very hard to ignore the assessing look her mother kept sending in my direction.
She studied me the way someone might study a new addition to a family they weren’t entirely sure about yet.
I did my best to ignore it. Instead, I followed her down the hallway as she led us deeper into the house.
The silence stretched long enough that I glanced at Vani, expecting her to react to it.
Judging by the small look of surprise on her face, her mother’s quiet behavior seemed unusual even to her.
The house itself felt warm and lived in.
Family photos adorned the walls, and the faint smell of food wafted from somewhere deeper inside the home.
Eventually, her mother stopped outside what I assumed was the dining room and stepped aside so we could enter. The moment we walked in, I noticed the five other people gathered around the room. One of them immediately stood out to me.
Elena.
She offered me a reassuring smile the moment she saw me. The sight of a familiar face helped more than I expected.
Vani immediately set her bags down and rushed forward. “Dad!”
She wrapped her arms around him in an enthusiastic hug, suggesting they were very close. He quickly returned the hug, even though his attention never shifted away from me. Even while embracing his daughter, his eyes remained fixed in my direction.
I placed the bags I had been carrying carefully near the wall, suddenly feeling more aware of the room and everyone inside it. For someone who regularly handled negotiations involving millions of dollars, I rarely felt intimidated.
But standing in that dining room, under the quiet scrutiny of Vani’s father and surrounded by members of her family I had only just met, I couldn’t deny the unfamiliar weight settling in my chest.
It wasn’t fear exactly.
But it was the closest thing to intimidation I had felt in a very long time.
Vani’s mother gestured politely toward the empty seat beside Elena. “Please sit.”
Her tone was warm, but there was a hint of curiosity behind it. The kind of curiosity that made me feel like I was being quietly examined.
I sat slowly.
Vani remained standing beside her father, shifting her weight from one foot to the other like she was suddenly unsure of herself. That alone was enough to make me uneasy. Vani was rarely unsure of anything.
“Well, before we get into… whatever this is,” her mother said gently, glancing between the two of us, “let me introduce everyone.”
"I'm obviously her mother. You can call me Amelia." She began gesturing around the room. “This is Evania’s father. You can call him Evan.”
Her father nodded at me, his gaze unwavering.
“And this is her brother. Allister."
Her brother leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, giving me a small wave that looked more amused than anything else.
"These are her sisters. The oldest is Elena. The twins are Sabrina and Serena."
"It's nice to meet you all."
"You too," they murmured, voices in sync.
When they finished, the room fell silent again. Then her mother’s eyes drifted downward to my left hand. More specifically, to the wedding band resting on my ring finger. Her gaze lingered there for a moment before sliding over to Vani.
Vani suddenly seemed very interested in everything except the people in the room. Her gaze bounced from the wall to the ceiling to the floor. Anywhere but her parents.
Her father followed his wife’s gaze. He noticed the rings as well. His eyebrows lifted slightly before he gestured toward the empty seat beside me. “Sit down, Evania.”
She frowned instantly. “I’m fine standing, it's safer here.”
He didn’t argue. He simply repeated the instruction. “Sit.”
With a quiet sigh, she moved and dropped into the seat beside me, though her expression suggested she was not pleased about it. Her mom leaned forward slightly, her attention shifting between the two of us.
“Now,” she said gently, “would one of you like to explain what’s going on?”
I glanced sideways at Vani, who avoided looking at me. She just stared straight ahead. Which meant, apparently, I was the one who had to answer.
I cleared my throat.
“Well… I suppose I should start by clarifying something.”
Everyone watched me expectantly.
“I’m not Vani’s boyfriend.”
A few confused looks passed around the room.
Her brother tilted his head slightly. “Okay…”
I took a breath before I continued, briefly wondering if this would be my last. “I’m her husband.”
The reaction was immediate. Gasps filled the room, while several people’s eyes widened dramatically. It looked like a few of them might genuinely be struggling to breathe.
Then Vani raised her hand and flashed the ring on her finger. “He's right, we’re married.”
The silence that followed was thick with shock.
Then Vani added casually, “Technically, I kind of coerced him into it.”
My head snapped toward her so fast my neck nearly cracked.
“You what?”
She shrugged lightly.
“Well, I did. You didn't consider me a possibility, remember?”
I stared at her, wondering if she had completely lost her mind.
“And the fact that he’s a billionaire definitely sweetened the deal,” she added, smiling brightly at her family.
I braced myself, quickly thinking up an exit strategy. Surely that would trigger some sort of reprimand. Surely her parents would say something.
Instead—
Elena laughed.
Then Allister.
Within seconds, the entire room had burst into laughter. Even her parents were laughing. I had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't imagining things. This was not the reaction I had been expecting.
Her father leaned back in his chair, still chuckling. “I knew she’d do something like this.”
Her mother wiped at the corner of her eye as she laughed. “We all knew.”
Vani groaned beside me. “You’re all embarrassing me in front of my hubby.”
Elena shook her head with a grin. “You’re the one who showed up married.”
I watched the entire exchange with growing confusion.
“You’re… not upset?” I asked cautiously.
Her mother smiled warmly. “Oh no.”
Her father nodded in agreement. “We always knew Vani would do something like this,” he said. “We’re just glad you seem to be handling it well.”
"She's a bit of a handful." Her mother shrugged. “Honestly, I’m just glad she didn’t fall for a stalker and married him. It's her second favorite trope.”
I glanced at her, feeling like I was surprised being pranked. “I’m sorry?”
She shrugged like it was the most normal thought in the world. “That would’ve been harder for me to accept.”
Vani buried her face in her hands. “Mom.”
Her brother laughed.
“Relax,” he told me. “This is exactly what we expected.”
“Expected?” I repeated. Were they really so unfazed by my presence?
He nodded. "She made it very clear she was done with the dating scene and the next relationship she got into would go straight to marriage.”
I slowly turned my head toward my wife, noting her sheepish smile. I raised an eyebrow. “So this was part of the plan?”
She shrugged. “I told you I knew on the first date I would marry you.”
Then she looked at her family with an accusatory glare. “You’re all embarrassing me.”
“You did that yourself,” one of the twins said. I wasn't sure which.
“You could at least pretend to be surprised,” she insisted.
Her mother waved that idea away immediately. “No.”
Vani looked offended. “What do you mean by no?”
“I decline on behalf of everyone.”
That only seemed to annoy her more, as she began mumbling to herself about how she was being bullied.
Her mother turned back to me calmly, ignoring her daughter's complaints.
“There is only one thing we need to know,” she said.
I straightened slightly, expecting something serious. Whatever it was, I would do it. As long as I get to keep Vani by my side. “What is it?”
She smiled politely. “Are you two going to have a wedding?”
I just stared at her, stunned for the hundredth time today. That was the big question? I looked to my wife, needing her opinion on the matter. While I would love nothing more than to show her off to the world with a grand wedding, it was ultimately her choice, and I would respect her decision.
She looked back at me, gracing me with her beautiful smile.
“Yes,” she said. "It'll be fun."
I nodded, looking back at my mother-in-law. “Yes, we'll have a wedding.”
Her father laughed loudly. “You already understand the key to a good marriage. Happy wife, happy life.”