Arlington didn't flinch under Arthur's intense glare. He slowly crossed his long legs, resting his ankle on his knee, looking completely relaxed on the cheap floral sofa.
He looked Arthur right in the eye and began to recite the script Caroline had given him in the car.
He spun a flawless tale about being a mid-level executive at a Wall Street investment bank. He used the right financial jargon, keeping his tone humble but confident.
Caroline sat rigidly beside him, her heart in her throat. She kept waiting for him to slip up, to mention a multi-billion dollar corporate buyout and blow his cover.
But Arlington was a master manipulator. He played the part of the successful-but-normal boyfriend perfectly.
Arthur listened, his face unreadable. He couldn't find a single hole in the story. But Arthur was a stubborn man.
Arthur suddenly stood up. He pointed a thick finger toward the staircase. "Arlington. My study. Now. We need to have a man-to-man conversation."
Panic seized Caroline's chest. She jumped to her feet. "Dad, no! Arlington has to get back to the city for a meeting!"
Arlington reached out and gently patted the back of Caroline's hand. "It's perfectly fine, darling," he said, offering her a reassuring smile. "I'd love to speak with Arthur."
He followed Arthur up the wooden stairs. They disappeared around the corner. A second later, the heavy oak door of the study slammed shut. The lock clicked.
Caroline began pacing the living room carpet, chewing aggressively on the side of her thumbnail. Her stomach twisted into painful knots. She pictured her father figuring out Arlington was a psychopath and pulling the hunting rifle out of the closet.
Eleanor grabbed Caroline's arm and pulled her down onto the sofa, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Tell me everything! How did you meet?"
Caroline felt sick. She forced herself to recount the fake art gallery story, adding nauseating details about love at first sight while her ears strained to hear any shouting from upstairs.
Up in the study, the atmosphere was entirely different.
Arthur stood behind his desk, glaring at Arlington. "I don't buy the mid-level banker crap," Arthur growled. "You walk into a room like you own the building. Who are you, really?"
Arlington's eyes flashed with dark amusement. He decided to give the old man a tiny, calculated glimpse behind the curtain.
"I manage several independent private equity funds," Arlington said smoothly, dropping the humble act. "And I have... certain connections."
To prove his point, Arlington pulled out his phone. He made one call. He spoke for thirty seconds to the senior partner of his elite corporate law firm.
He handed the phone to Arthur.
Arthur listened to the voice on the other end. The color drained from his face. The lawyer calmly and professionally explained that they had just reviewed Arthur's business files, found a critical legal loophole in the IRS's claims, and guaranteed that the massive tax audit threatening his small business for six months would be completely dismissed within a week. They were already filing the injunction on his behalf.
Arthur's hands shook as he handed the phone back.
Arlington pocketed the phone. He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a deadly serious register. "I will use every resource I have to protect Caroline. She will never want for anything."
It was a display of absolute, crushing power. And it worked. Arthur's defenses crumbled completely.
Downstairs, Caroline had chewed her nail down to the quick. Thirty excruciating minutes had passed.
Finally, the study door opened. Heavy footsteps descended the stairs.
Caroline leaped up, bracing herself for disaster.
Instead, she saw her father walking down the stairs with his arm slung heavily around Arlington's shoulders. Arthur was throwing his head back, laughing loudly at something Arlington had said.
Arthur's face was red with joy. "This is my boy!" Arthur boomed, patting Arlington's chest.
Caroline's jaw dropped. She stared at her father in absolute shock. The strict, overprotective patriarch had been completely brainwashed in half an hour.
Arlington walked over to Caroline. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her tight against his side. He looked down at her, a wicked, triumphant gleam in his icy eyes.
"Eleanor!" Arthur shouted happily. "Go to the cellar! Get the good champagne! We are celebrating the newest member of this family!"
Eleanor squealed and ran toward the kitchen.
Caroline stood frozen. The world tilted on its axis. She felt a terrifying sense of isolation.
She leaned into Arlington's chest, lowering her voice to a furious whisper. "What the hell did you do to him in there?"
Arlington lowered his head. His lips brushed the shell of her ear.
"I simply showed him," Arlington whispered coldly, "the true value of our marriage."
