That evening, while at the dinner table, Arianna Stone did some serious thinking before finally asking, "Are you free tomorrow?"

"I am. Why do you ask?"

Arianna hesitated, her voice dropping to a whisper as she felt a sudden rush of shyness. "I feel like... I haven't met your parents yet."

She had intended to bring it up for a while now. She just hadn't wanted to force the issue, and whenever she’d finally steeled her nerves to do it, Maxwell King’s business trips always seemed to get in the way.

Maxwell looked at her, his eyes steady, a faint, unreadable smile playing on his lips. "Are you sure about this?"

Arianna nodded. But after the movement, she paused, confused.

What was that reaction supposed to mean? She was meeting his parents, not walking into a lion's den. Did his family have some kind of complicated drama? Or was it something else? Arianna’s thoughts were simple and transparent, showing clearly on her face.

Maxwell couldn't help but chuckle, reaching out to gently soothe her. "Arianna, don't overthink it. They’re lovely people. You’ll see for yourself tomorrow."

***

It was exactly as Maxwell had promised.

The following evening, the moment Arianna stepped through the door, she was scooped up by Maxwell’s mother, Josephine King. "You must be Arianna, right? You’re absolutely stunning."

"It’s scorching outside, come in, come in!"

Josephine gently took the gifts from Arianna's hands and passed them to a staff member nearby. "Arianna, consider this your home too. From now on, you don't need to bring anything when you visit. Just having you here is enough to make us happy."

Arianna glanced back at Maxwell. He stood there, weighed down by bags and boxes, smiling at her—*See? I told you so.*

Josephine pulled her toward the living room, leaving his father, Leonard King, to wait in the foyer. Leonard had been pulled away from a board meeting at the office specifically to welcome her. Even Vivienne King, who had been out for afternoon tea, had been summoned back.

It was only then that Arianna realized Maxwell had a sister.

Arianna wasn't the only one surprised; Vivienne looked equally thrown by the whole ordeal. While the rest of the family led Arianna on a tour of the house, Vivienne dragged Maxwell into the hallway, hissing, "You didn't even tell her you had a sister?!"

Maxwell looked completely unbothered. "You’re not a celebrity, Vivienne. Why would knowing about you change anything?"

Vivienne: "..."

She glared at him, pointing a sharp finger at his chest. "Fine. You’re playing a dangerous game. Don't blame me when I pull out your most humiliating childhood photos and show your girlfriend exactly who you really are."

Maxwell remained calm. "I don't have any humiliating photos."

"Oh, really?" Vivienne drawled, a wicked glint in her eye. "I still have that one of you falling head-first off the bed when you were a toddler. And the one where the llama at the zoo spit directly in your face? That one’s a classic."

She leaned in closer, voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "And let’s not forget the time you spent two weeks pouring your heart out to a famous athlete’s fake fan account. I have the transcripts, Maxwell. You really don't want to test me."

Maxwell: "..."

"You wouldn't want her to know her boyfriend was such a massive dork, would you?"

Maxwell was at his breaking point. "Where are you even finding these?"

"My old laptop," Vivienne said with a shrug, looking entirely unapologetic. "I was reinstalling the system the other day and just happened to stumble upon them."

What a convenient "accident."

"I’m truly grateful for your existence," Maxwell gritted out.

Vivienne patted his shoulder, radiating fake kindness. "Oh, don't mention it. That’s what big sisters are for."

***

Over dinner, Arianna learned that Vivienne was divorced and raising a toddler. Vivienne used to co-manage the firm with Maxwell, but after finding the office politics draining and realizing she was missing out on her daughter's life, she’d branched out. She now ran a successful boutique dessert shop, serving as the silent partner, and was already planning her first expansion.

Vivienne was vibrant and confident, the kind of person who put you at ease the moment you met her. Josephine was the same. It was impossible not to feel drawn to them. By the end of the meal, the three women were laughing and chatting as if they’d known each other for years, leaving the two men to sit on the sofa in awkward silence.

Vivienne seemed to catch onto Arianna’s underlying anxiety. While the parents were upstairs, she leaned over to whisper, "My divorce happened because my ex was a total scumbag—he couldn't keep it in his pants. It's fine, don't worry about walking on eggshells around me. I’m long past caring."

"It was his fault," Arianna said firmly. "Not yours."

"Exactly," Vivienne beamed, clearly taking a liking to Arianna. "Why should I punish myself for his mistakes, right?"

"Right."

Arianna couldn't help but ask, "How did Maxwell help you get over it?"

"He kept bringing the guy’s name up every day and mocking me for ever liking him."

Arianna gave Maxwell a disapproving look.

Maxwell: "..."

He glared at his sister. "Can you stop?"

"I’m kidding," Vivienne laughed, turning back to Arianna. "But seriously, back then, I was a wreck. I didn't even want to look after my daughter. Maxwell would come over every day and tell me exactly how well that trashy ex and his new flame were doing, just to make me angry. I kept thinking, *Why am I wallowing here while they’re out living their best life?* It actually worked. It’s the only reason I snapped out of it."

Maxwell felt like Vivienne was a walking time bomb. Determined to steer the conversation away from his "therapy" methods, he refused to leave the women’s side for the rest of the night.

Arianna had brought a set of exquisite jewelry for Josephine and some premium, vintage-aged tea leaves for Leonard. Josephine looked at the necklace, grinning ear to ear, and immediately insisted Arianna help her put it on.

"Wait here, Arianna. I have something for you, too."

Moments later, she returned with a vintage mahogany jewelry box. Leonard followed, holding an identical one.

The main piece was a massive, teardrop-shaped diamond. Vivienne leaned in to whisper that Josephine had bought it at an international auction for over fifteen million dollars—sixty carats of pure, blinding light.

Inside the other boxes were a blue diamond ring, the stone looking like a crystal-clear ocean caught in the light, and a collection of high-end watches: starlit dials, complex mechanical movements, and intricate lunar phase displays.

Arianna found herself holding her breath.

Josephine explained with a soft smile, "I wasn't sure which style you liked, so I picked up a few of each. It’s alright if you don't wear them—they’ll make a fine addition to your personal collection."

Arianna: "..."