Valentine's Billionaire Auction: A Fake Fiancée Romance by Weston Parker

Author:Weston Parker [Parker, Weston]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Star Key Press
Published: 2025-01-29T00:00:00+00:00

26

ROMAN

Ilooked at Kaira, desperately hoping she’d pick up on my silent plea to tread carefully. In all honesty, Ruby had an uncanny knack for sniffing out secrets. I was more than a little concerned about how much she could glean from our awkward exchanges.

“Nobody’s pregnant,” I said, attempting to paint over our unease with a brush of fatigue. “It’s just been a long day, that’s all. We weren’t expecting company.”

Ruby studied me for a moment, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to see through to my soul. I knew that look well. It was the same one she’d given me countless times when I was sixteen and got caught coming home drunk.

And she was not stupid. When I was younger, I used to believe she was clairvoyant. She had this eerie ability to see the truth despite all the smoke screens. She was doing it again now, searching my face for a hint, a clue that would give us away.

I shifted uncomfortably, feeling like a teenager under her intense scrutiny. “Really, Ruby, it’s just been one of those days,” I reiterated. My voice sounded strained even to my own ears.

“Roman Jameson Andrew Kelly.”

I grimaced. Yep, it was a flashback to the night she found me passed out cold in the front yard after I failed to make it all the way inside.

I glanced at Kaira, who looked terrified. And amused.

“Aunt Ruby⁠—”

“Don’t you dare try and Aunt Ruby me. What’s going on? Did you cheat on her?”

“No!” I answered quickly.

Aunt Ruby turned to look at Kaira. “Tell me, sweetie. What did he do? You tell me and I’ll set him straight.”

Poor Kaira had a deer in the headlights expression.

There was no point in denying the truth. Aunt Ruby would sniff it out eventually.

“What we aren’t saying is that our engagement is not real.”

She frowned. “Excuse me?”

“The engagement isn’t real. We’re faking it. It’s just for show.”

She looked at me like I was crazy.

“What do you mean it’s not real?” she shrieked, flinging herself backward onto the couch as if I’d just confessed to robbing a bank. “You’re engaged! You’re having a wedding! There’s supposed to be a cake! With layers, Roman! Layers! I want the little bride and groom on top of the cake!”

I rubbed the back of my neck, fighting a grin. She was eccentric, but she always managed to make me smile.

Kaira was holding her cup in front of her mouth, clearly trying to hide her own smile.

“Aunt Ruby,” I began, attempting to calm her, but she cut me off with a dramatic gasp.

“Does she know it’s not real?” she demanded, sitting upright and pointing an accusatory finger at Kaira, who was perched on the edge of her seat looking utterly bewildered.

“Yes,” I said, chuckling despite myself. “She knows.”

“Oh, thank God,” Ruby said, throwing a hand over her chest in mock relief. “I thought you’d tricked the poor girl into pretending to be your fiancée. Although honestly, that would’ve been less insane than both of you willingly going along with this madness!”

Kaira finally found her voice.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.