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I looked at Ares too.

He didn’t say anything.

“But right now, you play the bride they expect to see while you prepare yourself for the position that’s coming. When it’s time for you to step into that queen role, you need to be ready.”

Queen.

Everybody kept throwing titles at me as if giving something a pretty name made it easier to accept.

“I never asked for any of this.”

Zay’s expression changed, and for the first time since everybody left the room, he stopped talking to me as part of some plan and became my big brother again.

“I know.”

He came over and pulled me into his arms.

“I love you, Ri-Ri. I would never put you somewhere I thought you couldn’t survive.”

My eyes started burning while I wrapped my arms around him.

“You get to live royal now,” he told me. “You comfortable, you safe, and you got everything you need. Enjoy some of this shit while we handle the rest.”

A tear ran down my cheek before I could stop it.

When Zay pulled away, his expression told me he wasn’t finished.

“Mom and Dad are coming here tomorrow night.”

My face twisted immediately. “For what?”

“Dinner.”

“I don’t want to see Dad.”

“Shit, me either. He still owes me.”

“I don’t want to see Mom either.”

“We on the same page, lil sis. Believe that.”

Zay exhaled before continuing.

“But you need to play your role when they get here. They won’t be around much longer anyway.”

He said it casually, but I knew my brother too well to miss what he meant. Zay wasn’t talking about them catching a flight back home.

Before I could ask anything else, Lil Z’s laugh carried down the hallway.

Zay looked toward the door. “I’m gonna let you finish getting measured. I’ll send Emily back once we get settled.”

“Okay.”

He gave me one last look before leaving the room.

Ares finally moved from the wall, and for a second, I thought he was about to add some serious shit to everything Zay had already put on me.

Instead, he looked me over with a smirk on his face.