Chapter 17 Take , of course . " I caught the faintest trace of a smile as he answered . And arranged partnerships for mutual benefit happen more often than you think . We're just skipping the dinner dates and going straight to the paperwork . " And then he gestured for me to sit down , pulled out a sleek black notebook , and began listing terms . Like this was a bloody client meeting I sat through the whole thing in a fog , nodding along as we discussed timelines , appearances , and what counted as acceptable hand - holding- At one point , he used the phrase ' public intimacy quotient , and I had to fight the urge to check if this was all some elaborate prank being livestreamed on TikTok . Even after we'd shaken on it , I still felt like I'd slipped into an alternate reality where men said yes to fake marriages without blinking and I somehow wasn't being scammed . There's a party in three days , he said casually , like it was no big deal . TI need you there . It's time to announce our engagement . He paused , looking at me with that predator calm again . [ ] " And I'll do the same for you , with your family . Let's give them a show they won't forget 1 left his apartment in a daze , drifted back to mine like I'd just been abducted by aliens and deposited back on Earth without the instruction manual . V OWTI Even when I slid into a booth across from Yvaine at our usual dinner spot , I still felt like I'd accidentally wandered out of my body and into someone else's wildly overdramatic Netflix show . " Hello ? Earth to Mira . Yvaine waved her hand in front of my face . You look like someone just told you your flat's been repossessed by a cult ' I blinked myself back to the land of the conscious and gave her the rundown . Getting fired from the coffeehouse , my mother's role in it , the continued repercussions of my cutting ties with Rhys , everything . [ ] Yvaine's face scrunched up like she'd just tasted battery acid . She let out a string of expletives so colourful it could've qualified as abstract art , most of them directed at my mother . I politely ignored the bit where she called Caroline a fire - breathing dementor in a Chanel suir " That's not why I called you , ' I said , waving away the job thing . ' You know I couldn't care less about the barista job . I mean , yes , RIP to my 40 % staff discount , but that's where the mourning ends . " [ ] Bull , Yvaine huffed , that's no excuse for what Caroline palled . I mean , does she wake up and choose villainy every morning or is it a spontaneous thing ? ] ] Before she could continue her spirited campaign to have my mother tried for emotional war crimes , I hit her with the real headline Tve , sh sort of gotten engaged . Yvaine froze mid up . Her eyes went so wide I was half worried they'd roll right out of her head and inn her cappuccino " Yan't tell me you've gone back to Klys " God , no . " I made a face like she'd just suggested I marry my cousin . This is worse . Or better ? I don't even know anymore . I launched into the full saga : my mother trying to auction me off to the Skyline City edition of Daddy Warbucks , my desperate bluff about already having a more powerful fiancé , and how I somehow ended up convincing my absurdly hot neighbour who also happened to be my rebound one - night stand to go along with the madness . Yvaine didn't interrupt once . Her eyes just kept getting bigger until I was convinced she was morphing into a human bush baby . || long pause and possibly some internal screaming . " Now I'm dying to meet this mystery man . he finally said , after a long " Right , " she You will . There's a party in three days . He wants to make the engagement public . You know , the usual fake fiancé PR package . I've got you an invite . Yvaine nodded slowly , as if her brain was still buffering . Then she raised her coffee mug . I suppose this calls for a celebration . ] It's a fake engagement . Yes . no one else knows that , do they ? Besides , I'm not celebrating that . I'm celebrating the fact that where to shove it . And that you're officially free of Rhys the walking red flag e fact that you've finally told Caroline clinked my mug against hers . I'll drink to that " ] ] her And we did . Then we smiled at each other . Yvaine had this uncanny talent for turning total chaos into a party theme . With h around , even my absolute train wreck of a life felt kind of … fun . This calls for wine , not caffeine , " she declared , snapping her fingers at a passing waiter . Bring us the wine list ! It was shaping up to be a properly celebratory afternoon . Right up until Rhys waltzed into the same bloody restaurant : [ ] With Catherine hanging off his arm like a Dior handbag She swanned over to our table and gave us this wide - eyed look of manufactured surprise and went , " Oh ! Mira ? I didn't expect to see you here . Before I could say anything remotely scathing , she leaned in just enough to seem hitimate and murmured , ' Mum mentioned you're seeing someone now an older gentleman , wasn't it ? Mr Shaw , I think ? She said it casually , but her eyes flicked to Rhys , like she wanted to make sure he was catching every word . Then came the sigh , soft , almost regretful . 1 believe he's been through , what four divorces ? She let that hang in the air just long enough to sting , then added , with this serene , saintly little smile , But of course , to each their own . " ] Her tone was all indulgent lag sister , the kind who wouldn't dream of judging your choices out loud , even though she was clearly dying to hand you a pamphlet udled Why You're Doing It All Wrong . khys's expression stufted like someone had just told him his stocks had tanked . He looked straight at me , eyes all moody and brooding . id demanded . " So this is why you ended the engagement ? ] ] 1 briefly comidered baptising them both in merlot , but this place was far too classy for that kind of scene . Also , I really didn't want to end up on a viral TikTok uded Local Woman Loses It in Midtown Bistro : [] Tvaine crossed her arms , eyes blazing , and neered at Rhys like she was seconds away from launching her drink at his face . " You of all damn people know exactly why Mira ended the engagement . Don't you dare stand there and play the victim - you're not fooling Chapter 17 anyone . She gave him a disappointed look . You know , I used to think you were better than this . Turns out I was giving you way too much credit . ' ] ] Then she tilted her chin towards Catherine with a cold little smirk . You two really are a perfect match . Trash finds trash , after all . Rhys's face went redder than the merlot in my glass . ' Say that again and your modelling career's over . " That's when I'd had enough [ ]