Two

I couldn’t believe it—I was back at my parents’ house for the second time in one week. What the heck was going on?

After that awkward reunion dinner, I’d made a clean escape, dodging further conversations with Reid and retreating to my apartment. My plan was to forget the entire encounter. But my mother clearly had other ideas, calling me relentlessly even when I was in the middle of shooting content for small brands. Things had finally started picking up with my content creation, and I wasn’t about to let anything derail me.

Still, my mother’s persistence wore me down. Now here I was, sitting in the living room, staring at my parents with growing apprehension.

“We have something to discuss with you,” Mom began, her nervous eyes darting to my father.

My father cleared his throat, his deep, gravelly voice cutting through the tension. “I’ll get straight to the point.”

I braced myself. When Daniel Prescott spoke, there were no sugar-coated words.

“The company is going under, and to save it, we’re merging with the Callahans.”

“Okay…” I trailed off, wondering how this was any of my business.

“The merger comes with a clause,” he added, his tone flat.

Mom reached for my hand, and my stomach twisted into knots.

“What… clause?” I stammered.

“You have to marry Reid.”

“What?!” I shot to my feet, anger and disbelief surging through me.

“You heard me,” Dad said calmly, as if he hadn’t just dropped a bombshell.

“Dad, I barely know this guy!”

“You can get to know him while you plan the wedding.”

“What wedding? I’m not agreeing to this!”

“Why not?”

“What do you mean why?!” My voice rose several notches, but Dad remained unmoved.

“Fallon,” Mom warned softly, her tone urging me to calm down.

Desperate, I softened my voice, hoping to appeal to my father’s emotions. “Daddy, please. I can’t marry him.”

“Are you in a relationship with someone who can help the company?” he asked, one brow raised mockingly.

I frowned. “No.”

“Then it’s settled. Prepare to be married,” he said with finality, walking off as though this was a done deal.

My knees felt weak as I collapsed onto the couch. Mom tried to comfort me, but her assurances felt hollow.

“This cannot be happening,” I muttered to myself, burying my face in a pillow and screaming into it.

“Fallon?”

Mom’s voice pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts.

“Yes, Mom?” I croaked.

“The Callahans are joining us for lunch on Sunday. You should stay for the weekend.”

I sighed. Mom still hadn’t fully accepted that I lived on my own now.

“Is Dad serious about this?” I asked, hoping for a glimmer of hope.

Mom sighed, shutting the door behind her. “I know it seems absurd—”

“It is absurd,” I cut in.

“It’s for the best,” she insisted.

“But Mom—”

“Shh, my darling.” She cupped my face gently, her touch warm and familiar.

“I need you to keep an open mind. Your father and I were in an arranged marriage, and look how happy we are.”

I bit my tongue, resisting the urge to argue. “That’s different,” I muttered.

“We learned to love each other. You and Reid can do the same.”

I nodded reluctantly, even though my heart vehemently disagreed. There was no way I could love that man. We had nothing in common, and I could barely stand to be in the same room as him.

Once Mom left, I grabbed my phone. There was only one person I could call.