Conquer Me

Chapter 20

"My mother's come to pay us a visit."
As soon as Lauren parked the car, Jade was out the door. She bent and offered her hand, but as soon as I took it, she began to drag me toward the house. A few of the guards moved to stop us but stood down when they recognized her. I smiled awkwardly at them, wondering if it was against protocol to offer them a beverage. After my last encounter with Jade's mother, I'd be happy to find any excuse to avoid being in the same room as her. Jade didn't give me the chance to escape the impromptu meeting, though. We found her mother in the living room, drinking a glass of wine. She'd settled comfortably on leather wingback chair next to the fireplace. I did my best to look unfazed at her unexpected presence, taking off my coat and laying it over the back of the sofa. But I was rattled. The queen had shown no interest in our life up to this point, except to demand we discontinue our living situation and our relationship. It couldn't be a coincidence that tonight she'd finally sought out our home.

"Come to congratulate us?" Jade asked her stonily.

"Congratulations on your little spectacle," The queen said with a sneer.

She sipped the thin red wine, shaking her head. "I didn't think you had it in you."

Jade glared at her. "Careful, mother. That almost sounded like a compliment."

"I assure you it's not." She abandoned the wine glass on an end table and steepled her fingers thoughtfully.

"Perhaps I underestimated you."
I needed to let this conversation sink in. Of course she would come.

Jade had not only involved my family and hers tonight but members of the adoring public. It had all been a charade to endear us to the people.

Make the ultimate romantic gesture so we couldn't break up without their hearts being broken along with mine.

Jade hadn't been proposing to me.

She'd called her mother's bluff, staging the whole proposal, inviting the world to watch so her mother couldn't deny our relationship any longer. My words stuck in my throat, catching on the tears mounting there. It had all been a ploy.

"You said it was a show," I said aloud.
They both ceased bickering and looked at me. The queen frowned.

"What is she prattling on about?"

"It was all a show," I repeated, looking to The queen and stepping closer to her. "To undermine you."

It might as well be me to tell her the truth. Maybe then I could take back some of the control the lie had cost me.

I closed my eyes, hoping that when I opened them, the scene would fade away. That I was trapped in a dream.

That none of this was real.

Jade's mother snatched my hand, ripping me back to reality. It was all true. This was happening.

"Did you have to give her your brothers engagement ring?" Her jaw tensed from displeasure. "I think that's what they call over selling it."

"This isn't a charade," Jade said. "Yes, I purposefully proposed to Perrie publicly. But it wasn't to hurt you. I did it because I wanted my choice to be known, so there would be no question in anyone's mind who I plan to marry."

A flicker of hope ignited in my chest, but I held my breath, refusing to fuel it. Regardless of her intentions, the idea that her proposal had been plotted to garner media attention didn't sit well with me. How many more of my life's private moments would be made into a spectacle for publicity?

"There are protocols," The queen hissed. "Protocols you blatantly ignored—"

"Fuck your protocols!"