Julian froze.
Of all the things he expected her to say, that wasn't one of them.
For a long second, the room went quiet. He studied her face.
"Boyfriend?" he repeated slowly.
Lyvana's grip tightened around the glass. Now that the words were out, they sounded reckless even to her ears. But she didn't take them back.
"Yes," she said. "Just… temporarily."
His brow lifted slightly.
"I'm in."
She blinked. "What?"
"I agree," he said calmly. "I'll do it."
She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "You didn't even ask what that would involve."
"So tell me," he said softly.
She told him about her grandmother, the inheritance and the pressure. The man she was supposed to marry — and the betrayal she had uncovered.
Julian listened without interrupting, his expression unreadable. When she finished, he turned to her.
"So you know about the affair," he said.
Lyvana nodded. "I'm not about to tie myself to a man like that. So… do we have a deal?"
