Chapter 2The Calculated Reunion

I have a younger brother, Liam, who is two years my junior.

Liam is a lot like me—quiet and reserved. He's also incredibly good-looking, the classic cool, aloof campus heartthrob all through school. Girls were constantly asking me to pass love letters to him.

Izzy and I met during our junior year of college. As we grew closer, we started visiting each other's homes.

The first time Izzy saw Liam, she fell for him. Hard.

Her jaw dropped, her eyes lit up, and she grabbed my hand, her voice a dramatic whisper. "Chloe, I think I've just met my Prince Charming."

"...This is my brother, Liam," I introduced them.

"What!" She got even more excited. "This is perfect! It's fate, Chloe! Fate!"

Liam just gave her a weary look and walked away.

I tried to gently warn her. "Izzy, are you sure? Liam is... a tough nut to crack."

I had seen him turn down more girls than I could count.

But Izzy didn't listen. She launched a full-scale, no-holds-barred campaign to win him over. So far, it hadn't worked. But she was nothing if not persistent, her spirit commendable.

I couldn't stand it anymore and asked Liam myself, "Do you really not like Izzy? She's amazing. She's beautiful, and she's so fun and cheerful."

Liam just handed me a freshly peeled apple. "Eat your apple, and stop asking questions."

So, I shut up and took a bite.

Deep down, I really hoped they would get together. Liam might not be a man of many words, but he was the best brother anyone could ask for.

When I first heard about the bankruptcy, I was terrified. Liam, an architect, was out of town for work, but he rushed back overnight. He found me sitting in a daze and put a steadying hand on my shoulder. "It's okay, Chloe. I'm here."

Instantly, I felt a surge of confidence. "I know."

I could tell that while Liam hadn't been interested in Izzy at first, she was slowly getting under his skin. The last time I'd casually mentioned that some guy was asking Izzy out, Liam had been in a foul mood for the rest of the day.

But a crush was one thing. With our family's current situation, he was under immense pressure. Marrying Izzy was out of the question.

So, Plan B was a no-go.

Izzy sighed dramatically. "Well, that only leaves Plan C," she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"Maybe we should just elope!"