Imperfect Match (Elixir Bachelor Billionaires #1)

“Thank God,” Kai mouths.

“Dad, what’s all this?” I finally find my voice and take a step further in. All heads turn in our direction as I approach Dad while Charles remains glued to the doorway, his bodyguards right behind him.

“They all came to congratulate me, Doodles. On your engagement.”

My legs almost shake as I walk toward him, looking at the wide smile on his face.

Oh my God.

Dad’s gaze drifts from me to the doorway, and he slowly gets up. “Mr. Hawthorne. Please come in. This is your first time in our house.”

Oh, Charles.

Unfamiliar place. Unfamiliar people. Unfamiliar situation.

His panic engine must be running at full throttle.

Before I can think of a way to fix this mess, which means getting every reporter out of this room, Charles into his car on the way back to work, and Dad preferably still with his smile, a throat clears beside me.

“You have quite a party going on here, Mr. Price.” Charles plays with the knot of his tie as his assessing gaze flies to the cameras in the room.

He might be fooling everyone in this room with his smile, but I know it’s his I-can’t-wait-to-get-the-hell-out-of-here grin. But when his gaze lands on Dad, a foreign smile touches his lips. If it were anyone else, I might call his face friendly. But this is Charles, a man who doesn’t quite know that f-word.

“I know this isn’t the correct order.” He takes a step forward, away from me, toward my dad and the reporters. “But I’ve been trying to convince your daughter about us for so long that when she finally agreed to my proposal, I forgot all the rules.”

I don’t know if it’s just me, but Charles’ honey-dipped words almost sound sincere. Almost.

“Nevertheless, I’d very much like to fix this. Would it be acceptable to you?”

A second later, Dad nods and takes his seat. One of the reporters vacates a garden chair for Charles. My fiancé of three days thanks the man and gracefully turns to face Dad.

“Mr. Price, my life hasn’t been the same since your daughter walked into it, and I can’t imagine doing this with anyone else in the world. Would you give me your permission to marry her?”

There’s pin-drop silence in the room, and even my own heartbeat stops as Dad looks at me and then slowly back at Charles.

“You didn’t mention the most important prerequisite for a successful marriage, Mr. Hawthorne. Do you love my daughter?” Dad finally asks, slicing the silence with his soft voice.

My heart jumps into my throat. A part of me doesn’t want Charles to lie to my dad, but he’s a businessman adept at closing deals, and this marriage is nothing more. While I expect him to profess his undying love for me, Charles runs a hand through his hair.

His gaze drops for a second before the smile returns. “I love her intense sincerity and absolute honesty. I love how she’s not hesitant to call anyone out, including me, if her self-respect is threatened. I love how much she’s willing to walk the extra mile for everything that’s important to her, including you, and I hope me too.”

Wow!

It takes a second of heart-attack-inducing quiet before a smile spreads on Dad’s face. “You have my permission, but know that you are a very lucky man, Mr. Hawthorne.”

I’m shocked to see Charles running a hand through his hair in relief. He was nervous about my dad’s response!

“Please call me Charles, and you’re one hundred percent right on that one, Mr. Price.”

My dad’s lips curl when there’s a collective roar from the audience, and multiple camera flashes go wild as if we’re on a red carpet and not in my parents’ simple living room.

Dad’s arm feels light when he places it over my shoulders. We’re standing on the porch, watching Charles saunter toward his car, with Steve waiting for him outside, holding the door open. I decided to stay for another hour and make sure Dad’s fine after the morning disruption.

“I’m no longer worried about you after I’m gone, Doodles. You’ve found the perfect husband, one who’ll keep you very happy.”

My heart stutters against my rib cage like a caged bird. There have been so few instances when I’ve lied to my parents, and this one is the worst of all.

“He’s the Hawthorne heir, Dad. Everyone thinks he’s perfect.” I shrug, mustering up a smile and hoping it doesn’t look too fake.