RONAN In the morning, I call our publicist. Sarah was damn right when she stated we had to figure out how to break the news of our relationship to the world. The sooner the better, I believe. The publicist arrives at exactly eleven in the morning. Silas Chen. Best in the business, known to handle the craziest of celebrity scandals, political disasters, and corporate nightmares. If anyone can navigate this mess, it’s him. Hence, why we hired him in the first place. He sits across from us in my home office. Malachi is on my right, and Jaxon on my left. Silas makes himself comfortable and sets his tablet on the desk between us. “Gentlemen,” he clears his throat and starts speaking with his fingers intercrossed. I notice how he looks from one brother to another, then finally at me. “I’ve reviewed the situation. And I’m going to be blunt with you.” “Which is exactly why we pay you.” I cut in. He nods half heartedly, as though he knows I do not quite believe what I’m saying. “This is PR suicide.” I shift in my seat, my brothers exchange glances. Marcus continues. If he is bothered by our lack of response, he doesn’t show it. “A polyamorous relationship, and she is pregnant? In this social climate? The backlash will be big, I’m talking about nuclear missile big. The media will tear you apart. But more importantly—” He pauses. “They will destroy her.” “Explain,” Malachi leans forward, towards the edge of his seat. “Women always get the worst of it in unconventional relationships. Always. The internet?” He shakes his head. “The internet will be merciless. Durmont hasn’t seen drama like this in forever. This will not be easily forgotten.” Jaxon’s jaw clenches. “So what are you saying? Do we hide our relationship forever?” He heaves a sigh, rubbing his forehead with thick and short fingers. “I’m saying you need to understand what you’re asking her to endure. Because once this is public, there’s no taking it back.” The truth is that I know. Despite wearing ourselves out last night, I couldn’t bring myself to fall asleep. I tossed and turned all through, wondering what it would be like for Sarah. Is she as ready as she thinks she is? But it’s what she wants, and we…I need to trust she can handle it if she says so. “We understand,” I sit up right, “We’re willing to proceed anyway. We’ve all spoken about it. It’s what we want.”Silas stares at me. “You’re sure?” “We’re sure.” He sits back and studies us through “You’re really in love with her.” “Yes,” all three of us say simultaneously. He lets out a long breath. “Okay. Then here’s what we’re going to do.” He pulls up his tablet, starts swiping through documents. “We control the narrative. We cannot let some tabloid break this story. We will announce it ourselves, on our terms, with carefully staged photos that show you as a family.” “What kind of photos?” Jaxon asks. “Casual. Intimate but not explicit. Somewhere that means something to the four of you. A new home? Your vineyard, maybe. Our goal is to make this appear normal…as normal as we can.” “When?” He turns to me. “This week. As soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more likely someone else breaks the story first.” He looks between the three of us. “But I need to be clear about something. The blowback will be severe. She needs to be prepared.” “She will be,” I say, though something twists in my gut. “I’ll need to meet with her,” Silas continues. “Prep her for interviews, teach her how to handle aggressive questions. That is if she doesn’t have someone for that already. And ofcourse…” The office door clicks open. As if on cue, all heads turn in the direction of the sound. Sarah walks in, wearing one of my shirts and sleep shorts, her flames of red hair are scattered all over her face, pouring down her shoulders, no doubt still messy from last night. Her fingers are clasped around what I assume is a hot cup of coffee. “There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for…” She stops when she sees Silas. “Oh. Sorry.” Her cheeks flush red. “I didn’t know you had a meeting.” “It’s fine,” Malachi says immediately. He stretches his right hand out to her. “Come here, sweetheart.” She hesitates, glancing at Silas, who’s staring at her with open curiosity. “Sarah, this is Silas Chen,” I introduce. “Our publicist.Silas, this is Sarah Wellspring. Our fiancée.” Silas stands, extends his hand. “Ms. Wellspring. I’ve heard a lot about you.”She drops the cup of coffee on the desk and shakes his hand, still looking uncertain. “Should I come back later?” “No.” Jaxon reaches for her, pulls her toward us. “This concerns you. You should be here.” She tries to step back. “I don’t want to interrupt—” “You’re not interrupting, baby” I flash her a small smile. “Sit.” Malachi guides her into the chair beside him. She perches on the edge, now reaching for her cup. Silas sits quietly, watching our interaction in awe. “We were just discussing how to announce our relationship publicly,” I explain. “Silas here has a plan.” “A plan?” Sarah repeats, looking between us. “What kind of plan?” Silas clears his throat. “Ms. Wellspring, I’m not going to sugarcoat this. When your relationship goes public, the response will be hostile. Particularly toward you.” Sarah heaves an audible sigh. She drops the cup again, stretching the sleeves of my shirt over her cute lean fingers. “I know,” she says quietly. “I don’t think you do.” His voice is gentle but firm. “They’ll call you names. Question your morals, and literally every decision you have made, and will make. Sarah tilts her head to the side. I cannot hide the grin that creeps up to my lips. “Are you trying to talk us out of this?” “I’m trying to make sure you understand what you’re signing up for.” “I understand.” She looks at me, then Malachi, then Jaxon. “Hiding means we’re ashamed, we’re doing something wrong. And we’re not.” Something in my chest loosens. Seeing her speak with so much certainty and boldness, it moves me in ways I cannot begin to explain. She’s come a really long way from the kitten we met at Vincent’s. I’m…proud. “So what’s the plan?” she asks Silas directly. He blinks. “You’re tougher than you look.” “I’ve had to be.” “Fair enough.” He pulls up his tablet again. “We stage a photo shoot. You four at the vineyard, maybe. Relaxed, happy, clearly in love. We release those photos with a carefully worded statement, then you do one interview—print, not TV, something we can control—and then we wait out the storm.”“When?” Sarah asks. “This afternoon, if possible. I have a photographer on standby.” She nods slowly. “Okay.” “Sarah,” I start, but she cuts me off. “I’m not hiding, Ronan. We already discussed this.” “I know. But—” “No buts.” She stands up and faces all three of us. “I am going to be your wife, and the world is going to have to get used to it sooner or later.” It seems I’m not the only one who has fallen even more in love with her. “Alright,” I concede. “We do this together.” Silas is watching this exchange with an amused look on his face. If we weren’t bankrolling him, I can bet he’ll be part of the people who have a lot to say. “I’ll make the arrangements. Photo shoot at two?” “Perfect,” Sarah says before any of us can answer. Four hours later, we’re at the vineyard. The photographer—a woman named Elena who Silas swears is discreet—has set up near the lake. The lighting is perfect: golden hour, everything soft and warm. “Just be natural,” Elena instructs. “Pretend I’m not here.” Easier said than done with a camera in your face. But Sarah makes it easy. She always does. It’s like she was born for the spotlight. She’s changed into a simple white dress—flowing, feminine, showing off her small baby bump. Her hair is down in loose waves that catches the sunlight. Beautiful doesn’t even begin to cover it. “Ronan,” she says, laughing “Stop staring at me like that.” “Like what?” “Like you want to devour me.” “I do want to devour you.” Elena’s camera clicks rapidly. Malachi wraps his arms around Sarah from behind, rests his chin on her shoulder. “Is this okay?” he asks Elena.“Perfect. Stay just like that.” More clicks. Jaxon moves in front of Sarah, cups her face. “You’re sure about this? Really sure?” “I’m sure,” she says softly. He kisses her. Slow, tender, reverent. Click. Click. Click. I move closer, rest my hand on the small of her back. She leans into me without looking. She’s comfortable,she trusts me, us. This. This is what we need people to see. Our love. “Can I get all four of you together?” Elena asks. “Maybe sitting on the dock?” We arrange ourselves: Sarah in the middle, Jaxon on one side, Malachi on the other, me behind them all with my arms wrapped around her. A family. “These are beautiful,” Elena murmurs, reviewing her shots. “Really beautiful.” “They better be,” Silas says from his position near the cars. “I need at least twenty perfect options by tonight.” “You’ll have fifty.” Sarah tilts her head back, looks up at me. “You think this will work?” “I think,” I say carefully, “that people will see what we want them to see. And what we want them to see is the truth. That we love you. That we’re a family.” “And if they don’t believe it?” “Then fuck them.” She laughs. “Very eloquent.” “I mean it. Anyone who can’t accept this doesn’t deserve a place in our lives.” Malachi squeezes her hand. “We’re with you. No matter what comes next.” “No matter what,” Jaxon echoes. Sarah takes a shaky breath. “Okay. Then let’s do this.” Elena takes a few more shots, then declares we’re done. Silas reviews the photos on Elena’s camera, nodding approvingly. “These will work. I’ll draft the statement tonight, run it by you before we release anything.” “When do we go public?” Sarah asks. “Tomorrow morning. Nine AM. The statement and photos simultaneously.” He looks at her seriously. “You should probably take the day off work. Maybe the rest of the week.” “I can’t just—” “Sarah.” Silas’ voice is firm. “The day this drops, your office will be swarmed. Paparazzi, reporters, protestors possibly. For your safety and that of your employees you need to not be there.” She doesn’t like it. I can see the resistance on her face. But she nods. For some reason, I do not believe her. “Okay. I’ll work from home.” “Good.” We drive back to the house in silence. Sarah is pressed against me in the back seat, unusually quiet. “What are you thinking?” I ask. “That tomorrow, everything changes.” “It does.” “Are we ready for that?” I kiss the top of her head. “We are. Because we have each other.” She doesn’t respond. Just curls closer. And I hope to God I’m right. Because tomorrow, the world is going to try to tear her apart. And I’m going to have to watch it happen. That night, Marcus sends the statement for our approval: “We are pleased to announce that Sarah Wellspring, CEO of Wellspring Insurance, and Ronan, Malachi, and Jaxon HawkThorne of HawkThorne Enterprises are engaged to be married. Our relationship is unconventional, but our love and commitment to each other and our growing family is absolute. We ask for privacy and respect during this time.” Sarah reads it on my phone, I see her hands shaking slightly. “This is really happening.” “It is.” “I’m scared.” “I know.” “But I’m ready.”I pull her into my arms. “That’s my girl.”