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Title: The Rain and the Sun
Genre: Romance
Chapters: 30
Main Characters:
Emily Carter – 21, poised, elegant, intelligent, secretly longing for freedom
Ryan Bennett – 24, cold, strategic, successful, with hidden warmth
Chapter 3: The Public Performance
The Matthews estate was breathtaking—manicured lawns, marble fountains, and enough glass walls to make Emily feel like she was constantly being watched. She hated it.
She stepped out of the car with practiced grace, the kind her mother drilled into her from the age of five. Emily Montgomery never stumbled, never hesitated. But today, her spine was stiff and her stomach was in knots.
Ryan was waiting by the front door, wearing a black button-down shirt and an expression that said I'd rather be anywhere else. For once, they agreed.
"Welcome to my cage," he muttered as she approached.
"Charming," she replied, brushing past him and into the house.
Their parents trailed behind them, all fake smiles and whispered expectations. Today was supposed to be their first public appearance together—a dinner party with a few "close family friends" who just so happened to be some of the richest, nosiest people in the city.
Emily was barely seated in the living room before Mrs. Matthews descended like a hawk. "Darling, you simply must sit closer to Ryan. People will talk if there's distance."
"Let them," Emily said coolly.
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "We wouldn't want to scandalize anyone, would we?"
The living room buzzed with polite conversation and subtle glances. Emily could feel every pair of eyes on her. She reached for her glass of champagne and sipped, steadying herself.
The Matthews' butler appeared to summon them to the dining room, and as they walked in together—side by side, arm barely brushing his—Emily heard one of the guests whisper:
"They look beautiful together."
She nearly choked on air.
Dinner was worse.
Ryan, ever the perfect actor, played his role to perfection. He held doors, refilled her glass, even leaned in to whisper something about the roasted duck being "dry as your father's personality." Emily nearly laughed—and hated herself for it.
She responded in kind, smiling sweetly at the guests while digging her heel into Ryan's shoe beneath the table. He winced but didn't flinch. "You'll pay for that," he murmured, grinning at a nosy older woman seated across from them.
"I look forward to it," she said under her breath.
But something was shifting. Beneath the snide remarks and carefully veiled insults, there was an undeniable current—of tension, yes, but also… understanding.
Ryan saw through the glittering smiles and gold-plated lies just like she did. He knew how to play the game. But she was starting to wonder—what if the game was the only thing they'd ever have in common?
After dinner, their parents announced the engagement—formally, this time. Champagne was poured, applause echoed, and Emily stood beside Ryan like a trophy on a shelf.
He leaned in, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek.
"Smile," he whispered. "We're the golden couple now."
So she did.
But later, in the silence of her guest room, Emily looked out at the estate's lights and felt something twist in her chest. She wasn't afraid of Ryan. She wasn't even afraid of the marriage.
She was afraid of how easy it was becoming to pretend.
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