chapter 26

Oliver’s pov.

A week had passed since Valerie and I confessed our love for each other and started sneaking around our families. It all happened too soon, yet it felt like destiny. My desire for her only grew stronger, and I couldn't wait for our wedding, even if it was just for show.

For me, this arrangement was far from fake. Valerie had changed me in ways I never thought possible. She made me want more than just business success. Our interests aligned, and despite the challenges of sneaking around, we found precious moments together, even if it meant paying each other ‘visits’ to the office.

Valerie was everything I could have wished for but never thought I'd want. I took a deep breath, reminding myself of our upcoming date. Thinking of her brought me tranquility and strength to deal with the family dinner, which was starting to feel like a pointless charade.

"Wow, this chicken is amazing. What did you put in it?" Ray asked, his mouth full.

"Love," I answered sarcastically.

"Bullshit, come on," Rafe chimed in, wiping his fingers clean.

"Telling you would cost you something," I continued teasingly, setting down my drink.

"These flavors seem familiar. Did Valerie give you the recipe?" Abuelo asked. The attention of everyone at the table turned to me, awaiting an answer.

"Perhaps," I trailed off, certain that Valerie had shared her family's recipe with me. After tasting their delicious chicken, she had taken the time to teach me how to make it myself.

"Her grandmother used to make this often," Abuelo remarked with a hint of nostalgia in his voice. At that moment, I briefly forgot the complicated nature of our current situation. I still stumbled upon old photographs of them, sitting around a round table, laughing and genuinely enjoying each other's company. It was a stark contrast to the facade we now maintained for the sake of the marriage contract.

"So you two are getting quite cozy, huh? Is that why she visits your office every day?" Dad's voice broke through, and I let out an audible sigh.

"How do you know that? Do you have spies now?" I retorted, raising an eyebrow at him. I was grateful for the privacy I had on my floor; otherwise, he might discover that our interactions went beyond innocent visits and that knowledge could send him spiraling or lead to him using it against the Sinclairs—either way, it would be disastrous.

"I'm just making sure everything runs smoothly," he effortlessly lied, and for a moment, I almost believed him.

"Of course, you have an excuse for that," I chuckled, shaking my head.

"I also heard Eden has been coming around," he mentioned carefully. I could feel my mother's gaze settling upon me.

"Okay, and?" I stirred my veggies around on my plate before taking a forkful.

"Just making sure you're not cheating on Valerie. We might not care about her, but any scandal would tarnish our reputation," Dad reminded me, and the mere mention of me cheating made me cringe.

"I can assure you nothing is going on between Eden and me," I stated firmly, doing my best not to show the offense that coursed through me. Revealing that I was offended would only make him wonder why, and I couldn't afford to let that happen.

"Just business, then?" Mom asked.

"Purely business," I confirmed, though a pang of guilt tugged at my heart.

"That's good. We know what happened last time, right?" Dad's gaze bore into me, and the table fell silent.

"Of course, I remember, papá. It's not like anyone would let me forget," I narrowed my eyes at him. I needed to tell Valerie about this before her family dug up that information.

"Good. You've come a long way, and your progress is truly showing," Dad said, and for once, I sensed a genuine sentiment behind his words, rather than a sarcastic remark or something my mother forced him to say.

"Wow, that means a lot. Thank you," I muttered, taken aback by his unexpected praise.

Mom changed the subject, her voice softer. "I know the wedding is just for show, but to the world, it will be real. Have you two considered hiring a wedding planner?"

Valerie and I had been so focused on each other that the wedding planning had taken a back seat. She wanted something rustic and understated, while I simply requested no bright colors and a chocolate cake.

"Valerie's mother offered to help us with that," I mentioned.

"Oh... Of course," Mom mumbled, her expression slightly hurt. It dawned on me that I should have included her in the planning process, as Valerie had suggested.

"Valerie told me to ask you, but I thought you wouldn't be interested," I admitted, feeling foolish for not considering my mother's involvement.

"Are you out of your mind? Of course, I'd love to help." She playfully slapped my arm, her eyes lighting up with happiness once again.

"I'll let her know," I said.

"Can you help me with the bread? I tried a new recipe and it turned out to be way too much," Abuelo asked, not waiting for an answer as he already got up from the table.

"Of course," I replied and followed him into the kitchen. The sweet scent of cinnamon bread filled the space, making my stomach growl with hunger.

"Oli, listen, I know Valerie seems like a nice girl and all, but don't fall into their trap. Don't fall in love with her. They will break your heart," Abuelo warned out of the blue. This time, it wasn't his usual pettiness; he sounded genuinely upset as someone would when they lost their true friend. The history between our families was murky, and they never delved into the details of what had transpired, only hinting at betrayal.

"Love? Who's talking about love, Abuelo?" I cleared my throat, feigning a quick smile. "You have nothing to worry about."

"God forbid Theo hears this. They are sweet and kind people," Abuelo admitted as he opened the oven. "But there's nothing they love more than money, and there's nothing they wouldn't do for it," he sighed, slipping on the oven mitts I handed him.

"I understand." I nodded along, wearing my mitts to remove the second tray of cinnamon bread from the oven.

"Also, I've spoken to your father. After the wedding, you will be the one in charge, despite what he has to say," Abuelo said casually.

"Wait, really?" I gasped, nearly dropping the hot tray onto my feet.

"It's long overdue." He shrugged, and damn right it was.

"That's such great news. Thank you."

"Hmm, your father won't be too accepting. He wasn't too accepting before, so ignore every jab made at you," he reminded me, and I chuckled, well aware of that. "I assure you, he will change, Oliver," he promised, but this time, I didn't believe it.

We returned to the table and settled down for dinner, enjoying a rare moment of normalcy where I wasn't insulted in any way. After dinner, I pulled out my phone to message Valerie.

'Val, I promised I'd tell you why my father was being different towards me. Can we meet tomorrow so I can finally explain?' I wrote, adding, 'I'll let you pay this time,' knowing how she always protested when I paid for us, claiming she could handle it.

I didn't expect an immediate reply, knowing she had gone to the movies with her friends. But after a minute or two, my phone pinged, and I looked down to see her message.

'Deal. It better not be some murder you committed or something.' Her playful message made me laugh, and I shook my head. I was about to continue chatting with Valerie when both Ray and Rafe walked up to me, their presence causing a frown to form on my face. What were they up to?

"Hey, since we're all free tonight, what do you say we go to my place and indulge in a sugar-filled feast?" Rafe questioned.

"Are you sure you can afford that?" I raised an eyebrow at the athlete.

"I have a break now, so I can wreck my body before going back to tight diets and workout plans." He grinned happily.

"I won't say no," I hummed. It wasn't often that I hung out with these two, so I gladly accepted every opportunity for some quality time together.

As planned, we stopped by a few places, picking up an assortment of treats and desserts before heading to Rafael's house, which happened to be conveniently close to Ray's. It seemed like these two couldn't stay apart for long.

We settled in to watch some impossible action movies, indulging in fudge ice cream with coated mini chocolates. I was pretty sure that after tonight, I'd be going on a serious sugar cleanse.

"I'm excited for you to take over," Ray admitted, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"Yeah, our income has increased since you came. Hope you continue to work like that," Rafe chimed in with a playful tone, though there was an underlying truth to his words. The quarterly payment they received was increasing, and it was only expected to grow further this year.

"Nobody deserves that spot more than you, especially with everything else and Valerie as well," Ray added.

"Mhm, God, you used to be such an asshole—" Rafe started saying, but Ray cut him off. "Valerie humbled him real quick."

"She did. She's actually really nice. You can see that she wasn't raised by those people," Rafe hummed, stuffing his mouth with chocolate candies.

"Jeez, what do you guys have against them?" I sighed, pinching my forehead in mild frustration.

"Hey, we went to school with her cousins and brothers. They were the worst," Rafael defended their stance.

"Funny, that's what they say about you two as well," I laughed, realizing it was time to delve into this so-called 'beef' between our families.

"Wow, someone's already defending their wife's family," Ray teased.

"I'm not defending her family. I'm defending her," I admitted. Defending Valerie was something I would continue to do as long as she was mine.

"Wait, wait, defending her?" Rafe's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

I sighed and decided to share a modified version of the truth, "Listen, Valerie and I have nothing to do with this stupid feud our grandfathers have going on. We are innocent victims in this scenario, and it's their fault that we were forced together. They shouldn't be surprised that something real came out of it."

"Something real came out of it? Oh my god, you actually care about our dear Valerie," Rafe dropped his phone into the bowl of popcorn as the realization hit him.

"As a matter of fact, I do. And if you dare tell anyone, I will tell papá about what really happened to his beloved Lamborghini," I warned, securing a way to ensure that the truth would remain confined within these four walls. I just needed someone to confide in.

"Okay, fine, jeez, blackmail us," Rafael sighed, understanding the trouble they would get into if the secret got out.

"What is she like?" Ray wondered, genuinely curious.

"Unlike us, everything she presents online is genuine. She truly is kind, sweet, and caring. And, she knows how to make Abuela's cake to perfection," I replied. The mention of the cake made their eyes widen with delight.

"We should've just focused on that last part. It would've been enough for us to accept her," Ray laughed, knowing how much he adored that cake since little. As a child, he would even score straight A's just to get a slice as a reward.

"In all seriousness, if she's as amazing as you say and her intentions are true, then we're happy you found her," Rafe said sincerely, causing a warm and fuzzy feeling to spread within me.

"Okay, this is getting too emotional for people like us. Let's get back to the movie," I cleared my throat, trying to lighten the mood.

And with that, we dived back into the action-packed movie, leaving behind the heartfelt conversation and embracing the camaraderie that always brought us together.