Love Arranged (Lakefront Billionaires, #3)(23)

The mayor and his sons backed us into a corner because even if I wanted to tell the town about the Lavender Lane plans, I couldn’t do so without putting my mother in financial and legal jeopardy—something they know I’d never risk.

Richard successfully trapped me, but I won’t accept my fate without putting up a fight.

Un Mu?oz nunca se rindeI, I tell myself while accidently crumpling the pages of the NDA.

My mom’s wide-eyed gaze flickers over my face. “Please don’t be angry at me.”

I smooth the paper out and get better control over my facial expression. “I’m not angry.” Disappointed, yes, but how can I be angry when she is clearly struggling with her choice?

I reach for her hand and give it a squeeze. “I wish you had talked to me first since we’re in this together,” I say, exhaustion bleeding into every syllable. “But I understand he put you in a difficult position.”

One that I’m partially to blame for, which is why it’s up to me to find us a way out.





___________________

I Un Mu?oz nunca se rinde: A Mu?oz never quits.





CHAPTER EIGHT


Lorenzo


Willow paces behind me while I watch the focus group through the one-way glass once again. Things between us are a bit tense, but hopefully she doesn’t hold the Eros app situation against me for long.

“What are key traits you look for in a politician?” our campaign volunteer asks the group seated at the conference table.

I brace myself for their responses.

“Honesty,” one man says.

“Kindness,” another adds.

“A good sense of humor,” the town’s paid-by-the-hour party clown replies, earning a mixed reaction.

The volunteer allows a few more people to answer before asking, “When you hear the name Lorenzo Vittori, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?”

The responses are mixed, ranging from casinos and fancy cars to charity fundraisers and Julian Lopez’s nemesis.

“Lily.” Nura, a woman I recognize from my time volunteering at the animal shelter, speaks up.

Someone goes “Aw.”

“What do you mean?” a person near the head of the table asks.

“I was at Last Call the other night when Lily got sick and Lorenzo took care of her.”

A few people nod and make confirmatory noises as if they know what Nura is referencing.

Someone raises their hand. “I was there too. It was sweet of Lorenzo to hold Lily’s hair back.”

“Talk about doing the bare minimum,” a woman replies in a sarcastic tone.

“Actually, he wiped her tears, cleaned her mouth, and ran inside the bar to get her some water, so I’d say he did way more than that.”

“Has anyone texted Lily to see how she is feeling?” a woman fidgeting with her pearl necklace asks.

An older woman with white hair says, “She’s good. I brought her some soup after I heard what happened.”

Someone asks, “Am I the only one who’s confused? What was Lily doing with Lorenzo?”

The woman decked out in pearls replies, “I heard a rumor that they had dinner together before she got sick.”

Multiple gasps fill the room. I imagine it must come as a shock to hear that I, an alleged mafioso, was hanging out with the people’s princess. Based on their reaction, I bet someone might suggest locking Lily up in an ivory tower and throwing away the key.

Nura lifts her shoulders. “I don’t know, but I’m not surprised to see them together.”

“Why not?” the person at the back of the table asks.

“They both volunteer at the shelter, so they’ve crossed paths before.”

Everyone speaks at once, and it’s chaotic trying to absorb all their responses.

“Wait. Lorenzo volunteers at the shelter?”

“I didn’t know he liked animals.”

“Lily and Lorenzo? There’s no way. Julian hates him.”

My gaze flicks to the ceiling.

This is what you get for trying to be nice.

Willow halts her pacing and drops into the chair beside me. “I’m interested in seeing how this all plays out.”

“In what sense?”

“It’s Public Relations 101. If you—a man without any connections to the town—are seen with one of the most beloved residents, it’s bound to have a positive effect on your approval rating.”

“Are you suggesting I hang around Lily some more?”

She chews on the inside of her cheek. “I shouldn’t after the stunt you pulled on her.”

“But if it’s good for the campaign…”

She releases a reluctant breath. “Then I suppose it’s worth a try.”

“How much influence could a few encounters have?”

“They brought her homemade soup, Lorenzo. You know what happened to me when I got the stomach bug in January?”

“You got soup too?”

“No, I wish. I was stuck heating up a can of Campbell’s while Lily, the people’s princess, was given the royal treatment.” She follows up with a laugh, so at least she isn’t bitter about the favoritism. “It makes perfect sense why people would react so positively to you taking care of her. They adore her.”