I Definitely Don't

Chapter 1

Shayla

The rain hit the window like a steady drumbeat, each drop a reminder of the storm brewing outside—and inside my life. I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in my father's office, arms crossed, watching the gray clouds swallow up the Seattle skyline. It felt fitting. If ever a day could match my mood, this was it.

"Shayla, are you even listening?" My father's voice cut through the silence, pulling me from my thoughts. His tone was sharp, filled with the kind of urgency that had become far too common these days.

I turned to face him, my eyes landing on his familiar form behind the massive oak desk. His graying hair was neatly combed back, his expression as stern as ever. I had inherited the Caine stubbornness from him, and I could tell he wasn't going to let this go without a fight.

"I'm listening," I said quietly, though I wasn't sure I wanted to hear any more of what he had to say.

"I don't understand why you're being so difficult about this." His words were clipped, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "This deal with Gabriel Meyer is crucial to the future of our company. We're talking about securing the family legacy for generations. And now that Shiloh's backed out, you need to step up."

"I'm not Shiloh," I snapped, my voice harsher than I intended. I softened slightly, taking a breath before continuing. "I'm not the one who was supposed to marry him, Dad. This was never part of my plan."

He sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his face. "Plans change. Shiloh... she's not reliable right now, and Gabriel agreed to go through with this—he's willing to marry you to save the business."

"That's the thing," I said, pacing the length of the room. "It's business to you, but we're talking about my life. I barely know him."

That wasn't entirely true. I knew Gabriel Meyer in the way you knew someone who occasionally crossed paths with you at family dinners and business events. He was always there, on the periphery—tall, dark, and brooding, a man of few words but endless intensity. But we weren't friends, and we certainly weren't... whatever this was supposed to be.

"You'll get to know him," my father said, waving off my concerns. "He's a good man. This is about more than just business, Shayla. It's about security—for you, for our family. Do you understand that?"

I didn't respond. It wasn't about security for me. I wanted more from life than being a pawn in a business deal. But that's what I had always been in this family—something to be managed, maneuvered, a piece of the bigger picture. Shiloh had been the wild one, the one who always broke the rules. I had played my role, the dutiful daughter. But this? This was too much.

I stared out the window again, my mind racing. The rain blurred the city into a hazy backdrop, like a watercolor painting. A part of me longed to escape, to run outside and let the storm wash away the weight of all these expectations. But I knew I couldn't run from this. My family's future depended on it.

My father's voice softened, a rare show of vulnerability. "Shayla, we can't afford to lose this deal. Gabriel is the only one who can help us. You've always been the one I could count on."

His words hit their mark. Guilt twisted inside me, mingling with the frustration and fear I already felt. I wanted to scream, to tell him how unfair this all was, but instead, I bit my tongue. My father wasn't the type to listen to objections—especially not when the business was at stake.