“I didn’t ask for this,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “You think I want to be part of this ridiculous game? If it were up to me, I’d be gone in a second. But I have a role to play, just like you do.”

Isabel’s eyes flared with anger, but I caught a flicker of uncertainty beneath the surface. She wasn’t used to being challenged, especially by me. “Don’t act like you don’t enjoy the attention,” she snapped. “I see the way you look at him. You like the idea of being his wife, even if it’s all fake.”

Her words stung, but I stood my ground....