Chapter 9
Xander
Everyone liked to compare life to a game of chess, but in actuality, it was poker. No matter how strategically you planned,
it was all up to chance. You played the hand you had—made your decisions in a state of disorder.
And Penelope Chen-Astor was chaos.
Without thinking, I ran an arm along her waist and pulled her to me. “Right?”
I didn’t know what compelled me to do what I just did, because my mind was fixed on the uncomfortable knot in my stomach as
I waited to gauge her response.
“Yes.” She blinked and the sounds of the party began to pick back up. “We didn’t want to make a fuss.”
Beatrice released Penelope’s hand and gently grasped her chin. “Always so considerate.”
Beatrice looked at me with wide eyes. Whatever she was thinking was masked behind years of well-rehearsed tact. I was curious
where that tact was when she practically screamed moments earlier.
“Now, Mr. Herrera, let’s leave the two lovebirds alone.” With a polite wave, Beatrice guided him away.
I looked over to Sloan, whose brows went from raised to knitted together.
Awaiting instruction.
Same look we gave each other whenever we needed the other to run defense.
“What was that?” Penelope whispered sharply under her breath. She turned to face me.
I had no fucking idea.
All I knew was that after months of wrapping my head around her marrying Maddox, I got to have the honor of hearing all the
other men she was considering. It was a knee-jerk reaction because it hurt so fucking bad. I just wanted it to stop.
“Acting?” I tried not to sound nearly as shocked as I was and pulled my arm back to my side.
Each new implication dawned as the disbelief of what I’d done cleared. I lied straight to Alejandro Herrera’s face, a man
who was already reluctant to trust me. Trying to get him to sell his clean energy company to Dawn Capital was something we’d
been unable to accomplish for months. It was too important to let myself fuck it up with a lie, especially when I could have
just as easily told him he was mistaken.
But that would have pushed Penelope back to where she’d started: choosing between different rows on a spreadsheet. It was
shortsighted, but fuck, I couldn’t sit by and listen while she went through the damn list again.
Instead of letting go, I stupidly held on tighter.
“You went rogue,” she chastised in a hushed tone. “That wasn’t the plan.”
“You have no plan,” I whisper-shouted back. She was absolute fucking chaos. “You have a spreadsheet and my mom’s engagement
ring.”
The only part of this ridiculous skit that didn’t track with the “plan” was that I wasn’t on that stupid list.
The ever-audible sound of Selena Montez’s heels cut down the suspended moment.
Selena, Henry’s girlfriend, happened to work at a large PR firm. And she sensed the need for damage control when there was one.
“Keep smiling. Act casual.” Selena’s tight command was firm through her cheery smile. “Everyone at this party clocked what
just happened. Penelope Chen-Astor is wearing an engagement ring, Beatrice Amari is practically buzzing with excitement, and
you”—Selena looked squarely at me—“Are the presumed fiancé. Is that what’s going on?”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Well...”
Right now, the risk Penelope posed in turning my entire life upside down was dimmed completely by the prospect of having to
see her marry someone on that list. Even if it was temporary, all of that could be a problem for another day.
Today, I wasn’t ready to face those odds.
“I don’t need to know the truth right now,” Selena began again. She was getting eerily good at mimicking Henry’s polite society
smile. “All I need to know is what narrative you want.”
“Can I just put a pin in this until I figure it out?” Penelope asked with an anxious pitch that hooked into my gut.
I was used to seeing Penelope pulled together, unwavering, confident. I was beginning to realize just how much power her family,
or maybe Maddox, had over her. How suddenly her defenses were breached when they were involved.
Selena’s features softened. “The longer we wait, the more people will talk and take what they do know to shape the story.”
“Xander.” Penelope looked up at me with an unsure smile. “I can’t expect you to—”
“It’s not a big deal,” I told them with enough certainty to reassure them both. “Besides, we’ve had pranks more complicated
than this.”
“Okay.” Selena nodded her head. “Act natural and I’ll tell Sloan, Marcus, and Henry what’s going on.”
“And Jax, Ro, and Tristan,” I added. “Nobody will believe they didn’t know.”
“Fine. Avoid the subject, but if pressed: you two are engaged, no details. The family is keeping it quiet until after the
weekend. You can figure things out tomorrow. Spend the rest of the night together, keep a low profile, and leave early. Stay
at Xander’s beach house together for the duration of our visit to keep up appearances.”
Without another word, Selena rejoined the party.
“Let’s walk the beach,” I suggested, noticing the eyes of almost everyone in attendance on us.
We made our way to the steps that led off the terrace to the sand.
Penelope didn’t know what she wanted, but she knew what she didn’t.
She didn’t want to be with Maddox.
She didn’t want to get married.
But if she had to, I’d be damned if it was to anyone else.