The Wrong Bride: Ares and Raven’s Story (The Windsors)

I tighten my grip on my phone and take a calming breath. “Hannah, you promised me we’d go together. This is the third time this month you’re canceling on me at the very last second. Couldn’t you at least have given me some adequate notice?”

The phone rustles and Hannah sighs. “I’m sorry, Ares. I really wanted to be there tonight, you know that. I wanted to support Raven and be there with you, but I just can’t get away. I need to retake some scenes, and it just hasn’t been going too well.”

“It’s always the same excuses, Hannah. I’m trying to be as supportive as I can be, but you’re making it really difficult. I can’t always be the one who makes compromises.”

“I know,” she says, her voice soft. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“Is this because you don’t want to be seen or photographed with me? Hannah, we’re getting married in a month. Don’t forget about our agreement. The moment we’re married, we’re taking our relationship public, so what’s the harm in us being captured together tonight?”

“Ares, it isn’t that. I promise, it isn’t. I’m taking so much time off for the wedding that I just really want to work extra hard to make up for it. I don’t want to be the reason we fall behind on schedule.”

I run a hand through my hair and look up at the ceiling. “I get it,” I tell her, defeated. I do understand it, but I’m starting to lose hope that things will ever change. I used to think I was the luckiest one out of my siblings. Dion never speaks to his fiancée, and my other siblings don’t even know who they’ll be marrying yet. I was the only one that was lucky enough to fall in love with the girl my grandmother chose for me long before we even got married.

Yet lately, this doesn’t feel like a love match anymore, and I’m not feeling very lucky. Everything feels mechanical and forced, and the excitement we should feel regarding our upcoming wedding is missing.

“She isn’t coming, is she?”

I look up to find one of my younger brothers, Lex, leaning in the doorway. His expression is carefully blank, but his eyes betray his annoyance. My first instinct is to stand up for Hannah, but I don’t have it in me today.

“Nope.”

“It’s going to be annoying for you to go without a date. You know what the women are like at these types of events. You’ll just get harassed all night long. I wish I could’ve made it.”

I shake my head. “It’s fine. You have an early flight to catch, don’t you? Besides, you hate the entertainment industry.”

Lex is in charge of Windsor Motors, and if I recall correctly, he’ll be revealing our latest electric car soon. Each of us is in charge of a different part of the Windsor empire. I handle our entertainment firms, Lexington does motor vehicles, Sierra handles real estate, Zane is in charge of our hotels, Luca does asset management, and Dion manages all of our foreign holdings. Between the six of us, we run all of Windsor Corp, dominating far more of the market than people realize.

“I’ll be fine,” I tell my brother. “It’s just a fashion show. I’ve sponsored plenty of those. I’ll just put in an appearance and leave.”

Lex smiles at me. “Raven will be there, so you’ll be fine. She’s the star of the show tonight. I don’t know how, but she just keeps getting more and more beautiful. I really wish I could’ve made it.”

I tense involuntarily and narrow my eyes at Lexington. Since when did he think Raven is beautiful? She’s always been like a little sister to all of us. Has the way he sees her changed?

“How do you know she’s going to be there tonight?”

Come to think of it, just recently they went to an art gallery together, just the two of them. Is something going on between them?

He smirks at me and holds up his phone. “I spoke to her earlier today.”

What? She almost always declines my calls, but she has time to speak to Lex?

Lex chuckles at me, his gaze unreadable. “Tell Raven I said hi, will you?”

I nod, knowing I’ll do no such thing. Something about the idea of Lexington with Raven deeply unsettles me, and it isn’t just because of the recurring dreams I have about her — dreams I shouldn’t be having at all.

I’m in a shit mood as I head to the event, unable to pin down what I’m so annoyed about. I should be used to Hannah standing me up by now, but it never gets easier. For years now, we’ve hidden our relationship, wary of the media’s attention. Hannah has always been scared that she’d be accused of nepotism if people found out we’re together, and I get it. I know how hard she works, and having the media’s attention in that way only spells trouble. I understand where she’s coming from, but I’m tired of it all.

The room is buzzing when I walk in and I pause in the corner, my eyes on the catwalk. I rarely even watch these shows — once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, and I couldn’t care less about fashion. Yet tonight, I can’t tear my eyes off the woman dominating the stage.

Raven walks across the catwalk wearing a tight dress that leaves very little to the imagination, and I take a moment to admire her. She works just as hard as Hannah does, if not harder, yet she never lets anyone she loves down. I know how often my sister shows up at her office unannounced, and my grandmother does the same. I can’t help but wonder why Hannah can’t be more like her. They’re sisters, but they’re so different.

My mind drifts back to the time my grandmother first mentioned a marriage between the Windsors and the Du Ponts. Back then, it was Raven they wanted me to marry. I sigh as she turns and walks back across the stage, a sense of inexplicable loss washing over me.

“Mr. Windsor!”

I force a smile onto my face as I turn toward the organizer of today’s event, making the necessary small talk. So much in show biz is about seeing and being seen, and I’m sick of it. I’m tired of the pretentiousness, the fakeness, of living in a world of make belief. I’m craving genuineness.

“Several of your models walked our stage today,” Jonas tells me proudly. “Windsor Media truly is a powerhouse. Is there anything you don’t own? You’ve got your hands on several popular magazines, one newspaper, the fashion industry, and, of course, your production studio. I’m not sure how you do it all. I’m honored you were able to make time to attend my event today.”

I nod and try my hardest to hold a conversation with him, but I keep thinking about Lexington. Is something truly going on between Raven and him? I’m just about to make up an excuse to cut off the ass-kissing that’s been going on for far too long when the conversation behind me catches my attention.

“I’m afraid I can’t.” I tense and turn around at the sound of Raven’s voice. She’s upset, but she’s smiling brightly at the man standing in front of her.

“Excuse me,” I tell Jonas, a hint of annoyance simmering underneath the surface of my polite expression. What could possibly have made Raven upset?

“Just a single date,” the man says. “I’ll pay you more money for it than you earn in a year.”

My jaws lock involuntarily, anger curling my hands into fists. I force myself to relax the moment my eyes meet Raven’s, a hint of relief in her expression. I smile at her, never taking my eyes off her as I slide my hand around her waist, pulling her into me. “There you are, Raven,” I murmur, before turning toward the man standing opposite us.

He looks enraged for a moment, but then recognition hits, and he averts his gaze. “Mr. Windsor,” he says, his tone much more gentle than before.

I know exactly who he is, but I’ll be damned if I acknowledge him. I stare at him blankly for a moment before turning back to Raven.

“We spoke recently regarding a script I sent to Windsor Media,” he reminds me. He’s a well-known director, and I’d just been about to approve the funding for his new movie since Hannah really wanted the lead role. Too bad.

My thumb moves in circles over Raven’s waist, and she leans into me, her body pressed against mine. Raven is one of the strongest women I know, so her taking solace in my presence can only mean one thing. This isn’t the first time this asshole is harassing her.

“All I remember is hearing you propositioning Raven. It’s interesting, because you cannot afford to offend her.” I chuckle humorlessly. “You want to pay her more than she earns in a year for one date? She’s the highest paid model in the world, and you? Well, I’m not sure who you are. I do know you cannot afford to come within five feet of her, and if you do… I’ll make you pay the price.”

His eyes widen and fill with regret as he stares at Raven. I don’t even want him looking at her. She deserves better than this kind of bullshit. “I didn’t know,” he says, his voice soft.

I tighten my grip on Raven and smile. “Now you do, so fuck off.”

He nods and walks away, his jaws clenched, but I don’t give a shit. All I care about is the smile on Raven’s face.

“Still convinced you don’t need a bodyguard?”

She looks up at me, a hint of exasperation in her gaze. “Ares. I wasn’t in any danger, so what’s the point?”

I let go of her and shake my head. “How often does this happen?”

“It’s super rare,” she tells me, but the way she looks to her left briefly betrays her lies. She’s done that when she lies for as long as I’ve known her.

“You shouldn’t be left alone at these types of events. You didn’t bring a date?”

There’s only one man I’ve seen her with in recent years, but he recently got married, much to my relief. There’s something about Silas Sinclair that I just don’t like, and it isn’t the fact that he’s one of very few people that are completely untouchable to me. I’ve tried to get Grandma to ditch his firm as our security provider, but she won’t budge on it. I’m not sure what it is about him, but I suppose it’s the way he looked at Raven, or rather, the way he didn’t. Raven deserves to be the center of someone’s universe, but she was barely even on his radar. His heart was clearly set on someone else.

“No. It’s just me tonight. My agent will be joining me shortly, but he’s backstage right now.”

My eyes roam over her, and I shake my head. “I never understood it, you know? How come you’ve never been in a serious relationship? How does a woman like you stay single?”

She grabs a glass of champagne off a tray and smiles at me. “I just haven’t found a guy that can keep me captivated. I’m not willing to settle for anything short of complete devotion. I want epic love, and I’m willing to wait for it.”

Complete devotion, huh? Yeah, that’s exactly what she deserves. I wonder what kind of man will be able to win her over. For a moment, an image of her with Lexington flashes through my mind, and my blood runs cold.

“Raven!”

She glances to her side and smiles before turning back to me. “It’s my agent,” she tells me. “I guess it’s time for an endless amount of supposedly necessary socializing. I’ll catch you later, okay?”

I nod and watch her walk away, my gaze drifting to the man she’s walking toward. Her agent is staring at her in a way that cannot be described as professional. He looks enthralled, and I shift my weight from one foot to another uncomfortably. I want nothing short of happiness for Raven, but the thought of her falling for someone fills me with dread.

I suppose that’s what older brothers feel, isn’t it? It might not be identical to how I feel about Sierra dating, but it’s pretty damn close. That must be it.