Page 133 of The Exception

What were any of my family members doing here? Iris, her husband, all of them. All my siblings and their spouses.

“Now, is that any way to speak to your mother?” Mom asked in a sickly-sweet tone.

“Your mother?” Graham arched a brow, clearly as surprised to see my family as I was, even if his tone was level.

“Graham, these are my parents, Karen and Jeff.”

“Mrs. Fontaine. Mr. Fontaine.” Graham extended his hand to each of them in turn. “Nice to meet you. I’m Lily’s husband, Graham.”

“Husband?” Mom blinked a few times. “Did you just say husband?”

Iris decided to pipe up. “You’re married?” She glanced at Graham. “To him?”

She said it like she couldn’t quite believe that someone like Graham would be interested in someone like me. It was nothing new, but that didn’t make it any less insulting.

I glanced up at the man in question, and his jaw was set in a firm line. I knew him well enough to know that he was angry, even if he was hiding it—and his surprise. He reached out to shake Iris’s hand before introducing himself to the rest of my family with a poised calm that was unnerving.

“Their marriage came as a surprise to us as well,” Sloan said, reminding me that Graham’s entire family was there. Watching this awkward exchange.Oh god. I think I’m going to throw up.

“This is certainly a surprise,” Dad huffed.

“We thought this would be a good excuse to celebrate the progress you’ve made on the château,” Jasper said. “And to get the families together to meet.”

I supposed that answered my question about how this fun little reunion had come to be. I appreciated that Jasper was trying to do something nice, but I really wished my family weren’t here.

“Holy shit.” Iris stepped forward, elbowing my dad in the process. “Look at that ring.” She took my hand in hers, admiring my diamond. “Is that real?”

I resisted the urge to yank my hand from her grasp. Maybe the sun would glint off it, temporarily dazzling them so I could make my escape. But Graham’s firm hold on my shoulder removed any thought of that. It was almost as if he’d turned into a statue, like one of the regal busts that graced the roof of the château.

“I’m so happy for you,” Mom said in a loud voice before pulling me into a hug. I bristled against her touch, knowing it was all for show. She spoke in a low tone, ensuring no one would overhear. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

Was that hurt in her tone? More likely, accusation.

“We haven’t exactly been talking lately,” I murmured, smiling brightly to maintain the façade. We were just one big happy family.

“Now I’m even more glad we came,” Mom said to Dad. Then she turned to Jasper. “Thank you so much for arranging this.” Her tear-filled eyes weren’t fooling me, but when I glanced around, everyone else seemed convinced of her sincerity.

Jasper waved a hand through the air. “It was no big deal.”

“It is to us,” Mom said, placing a hand on Jasper’s arm and smiling up at him. “Liliana, your new family is so generous.” I could practically see the dollar signs in her eyes.

I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt so tight, like someone had tied a rope around it and was pulling it. Black spots danced in my vision.

Why did they always have to ruin everything?

“Lil,” Jo called as she approached. Her eyes widened at the sight of my family, but she recovered quickly. “Marcel with theLe Mondeneeds to grab a quick shot of you and Graham for their article.”

“Sure.” I was eager to escape, but I was just as afraid to leave Graham’s family alone with mine. That was certainly a chilling thought. I could only imagine what my family would say in our absence.

What were they thinking—coming here? What was Jasper thinking, inviting them here? Paying for their trip. Didn’t they question why a complete stranger was offering them something so outrageous?

“Go,” Jo whispered. “I’ll handle this.”

“I…Merde,” I whispered, as the photographer indicated where to stand. “What are we?—”

Graham shook his head and straightened, acting as if he were completely unbothered. “People are watching.”

The bridge of my nose stung, but I stubbornly ignored it, pasting a smile on my face instead. I took a deep breath, trying to pretend I was happy, when I was stressed to the max.

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