"I know."
"Then you also know that you need to be present for the final arrangements. The tailor is coming this afternoon for your final fitting. And there's the dinner tonight with the other family members once they arrive."
Victor's jaw tightened slightly. "I'll be there."
His mother studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then she nodded slowly.
"See that you are."
Victor rose and left the room without another word. He climbed the stairs to his bedroom, closed the door behind him, and stood in the quiet for a moment.
Three days.
In three days, he would be officially engaged to Maya Winters.
He sighed heavily.
The weight of it pressed against his chest—not the engagement itself, but everything it represented. The expectations. The performance. The endless charade of being the devoted fiancé when his thoughts were somewhere else entirely.
