A Deal With De Niro

Chapter 5

She picked up her wine glass and took a long sip, then walked back inside and put the roses in a vase on the dining table. Tomorrow, she’d have to face her father, tell him she’d signed the contract. She’d have to start planning the wedding, meet Blaine’s family, pretend like everything was perfect.

But tonight, she just wanted to be alone. To cry if she needed to, to think if she wanted to, to be Shannon López – not COO, not future Mrs. De Niro, just herself.

The clock on the wall struck nine. In three months, her life would be completely different. In three months, she’d be walking down the aisle to a man whose hand she’d only shaken twice, whose lips she’d never kissed, whose heart she’d never touched.

She set down her wine glass and walked to her bedroom, pausing at the mirror on the way. The woman looking back at her had dark circles under her eyes, her hair was a mess, and her makeup was streaked with tears. She looked like someone who’d lost everything – and maybe she had. But she also looked like someone who was ready to fight, who was willing to do whatever it took to protect the people she loved.

Shannon turned away from the mirror and opened her closet, pulling out a box from the top shelf. Inside were photos – of her and Marcus at the beach, of her graduating from business school, of her with her lola in the garden of their family mansion. She ran her fingers over the pictures, remembering the happiness she’d felt in each moment, wondering if she’d ever feel that way again.

Just then, her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She walked over and picked it up – a text message from an unknown number.

I know today was hard. If you need someone to talk to – no strings attached – I’m here. – Blaine

She stared at the screen for a long moment, her thumb hovering over the keyboard. Part of her wanted to ignore it, to tell him that her personal life was none of his business. But another part – the part that was starting to realize he might not be as cold as everyone thought – wanted to reply, to tell him about Marcus, about the roses, about how scared she was.

Instead, she typed two simple words: Thank you.

His reply came back almost immediately: Anytime. Get some rest – we have a lot to do tomorrow.

She set the phone down and climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. The city lights streamed through the window, painting patterns on the ceiling. She thought about Blaine’s text, about his offer to listen, about the way he’d looked at her when she’d told him she wouldn’t be a trophy wife.

Maybe he wasn’t the enemy she’d thought he was. Maybe he was just another person trapped by family obligations, by expectations he didn’t ask for. Maybe, in a strange way, they were more alike than she’d ever imagined.

Shannon closed her eyes and let sleep take her, the weight of the day finally catching up to her. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new decisions, new fears to face. But for the first time since her father had told her about the arranged marriage, she didn’t feel completely alone.