“You look marvelous, dear.” Abigail St. James kissed both of my cheeks, vibrantly beaming at me. “My son’s quite lucky to have you as his wife.” Even after almost a decade in America, her Aussie accent stayed the same as when I’d first met her years ago. Jared’s was not as distinct as before. It was a bit mixed between American and Aussie these days.

“That’s sweet of you,” I said as I held her hand. Abigail’s warmth and welcoming nature made me feel all sorts of a fraud. Here she was, brought into thinking that we were secretly married but believing that it was the real deal—that we were in this until the very end—but I knew better. This arrangement would last until I found someone else, and we’d discreetly divorce as planned.

The ceremony had barely ended ten minutes ago. We were all in the garden where the reception was also situated. While I joined Papa, Abigail, and Jared at the table while we waited for our first course to be served, my mind wandered off to the wedding itself. Jared’s resigned manner when he kissed my cheek after the minister announced that we were married had reminded me how much he and I were sacrificing for the sake of father’s company. Our marriage would secure Jared’s future as well as my own and generation upon generation of Webers. My children and their children’s children would reap the rewards my father had worked so hard his entire life for. This marriage of convenience was a necessity, nothing more.

“Gisele?” Jared murmured close to me.

“Hm?” I barely threw him a look as I sipped on my wine. The coolness of the liquid quenched my thirst. The delicious taste on my tongue made me let out a wistful sigh while I took in my father and Abigail deeply engaging about politics. My father looked relieved he could converse with another person who didn’t solely focus on work or his approaching fate looming in the background. Having Abigail around seemed to bring a little life to my father. And for that, I would forever be in her debt.

Jared’s head inched closer to me. His hot breath teased my skin. It was as if he was smelling me and he couldn’t help himself. I was hyperaware of him, and my body’s helpless reaction to his closeness left me a tad breathless.

“The lawyers are here. We need to sign some documents. Do you mind if we take care of it now?” he whispered in a ragged tone.

He meant the prenuptial agreement and whatever else he and my father had agreed on the moment we stated our vows. “Yeah, I’m not all that hungry, anyway.” After finishing the rest of my glass, I gently placed it back on the table.

“They’re in the library. I had it temporarily converted as my home office for now.”

My father was most likely pleased that Jared was making himself right at home. For a huge house, it was nice that most of the rooms were being used instead of having them merely for display. After mom’s passing, my father never entertained anymore, and when he was home, he would hole himself in the basement where his workroom was located. The floorplan was about half the size of the house. No one was allowed in there. One had to go through a biometric hand scan to access it. Only Jared and I had clearance. I never once wondered what was down there, but I supposed that would be Jared’s job to ensure whatever projects my father worked on were made a priority for completion.

We excused ourselves as we strode back into the house. The library was situated in the opposite wing where it overlooked a swan pond. It was built for my mother. She loved reading books and would spend most of her time in the library or outdoors, basking in the sun while devouring her latest romance novel.

It pleases me that Jared will make this room feel alive again, I thought as I stepped into the room. It was airy in here. The bright tall windows made it easier for the sunshine to stream through the glass. Like the rest of the house, it was all white, from the furniture to the walls. The gargantuan almost floor to ceiling hand paintings of Praslin, an island in the Seychelles, in different angles of the land and the stunning seascape of the Indian Ocean hung on each wall. It gave the room warmth. A sense of being. It evoked serenity, quietude, and peace of mind.

I sat next to Jared, taking one of the three Italian white sofas. His team took the one on the left while mine took the right. They then immediately got down to business after a mild greeting and introduction. One of my lawyers carefully placed a pair of Montblanc pens on the table. We were then presented with a stack of contracts. They felt daunting as my fingers slowly sifted through the smooth, heavy sheets of paper.

Jared’s legal team consisted of three people, while my father brought in five to represent me. I had no idea who they were, but I supposed this was a good opportunity to get to know them since they’d be directly dealing with me in the near future. Apparently, I had my own prenup, as did Jared. My own was straightforward, stating that if we parted ways, we’d leave the marriage with our own money. Jared wouldn’t be entitled to a cent. And in the case of death, unless there were children involved, my shares would go directly to my father’s foundation. Jared’s contract, on the other hand, was something different entirely. Upon divorce, I was entitled to support—a payout of five million for each year of being married to him. Thirty percent of that amount would be for spousal support and would be paid monthly post-marriage. There was also a clause if I (miraculously) bore him children. It was right under the yearly sum I’d receive for each year of being married to Jared. The sum was five times that per child.

Why include something so asinine? We both knew that was a whole lie, so why even bother? I supposed his lawyers were there for a reason, covering everything, leaving no matter unaddressed.

Deeply frowning as I placed the heavy-laden contract down on the table, I observed Jared and his three austere lawyers with incredulity. “I don’t see why I need the money.” I was affronted. “I don’t mean to be brash, but I’m going to be worth more than him, so there’s no need for any of this.”

The end of Jared’s lip lifted a tad, amused at my haughty, audacious statement. Before he could manage to respond, one of his solicitors took the liberty of addressing me.

“That is true, Mrs. St. James, but you also have to take into account that your assets are tied to a company. Withdrawing shares isn’t an option. The other vast investments your father has—well, they’re mostly, if not all, liquid. You’ll be getting yearly dividends, and if a circumstance does arise where you need immediate cash, as appointed by your father that your husband will be your sole guardian and would be taking over managing your father’s estate until you’re thirty, you won’t be able to do anything without his approval. So, this clause would benefit you in case there’s a divorce before you turn thirty.”

Mrs. St. James. Imagine that.

I knew my father wouldn’t be giving me the reins of my inheritance, but for me to run everything through Jared? Until I’m thirty? That was twelve years. Goodness gracious, what was my father thinking? He was securing his legacy—I understood that much—but for him not to trust me to make shrewd decisions without Jared’s input…that was…well, beyond vexing and off-putting.

Sensing my irritation, Jared reassuringly placed a hand on my back, rubbing it softly. “Peter loves you, but he also has a responsibility to protect the company first and foremost,” he tenderly informed me. “If you need anything, I can easily provide it for you.”

His words barely gave me comfort. I simply didn’t like the fact that in some ways, I was at Jared’s mercy. I was at a disadvantage. Hopefully, there would be no emergencies in the near future that would entail my needing to beg for Jared’s help.

Without giving him a glance, I occupied myself with signing the contracts. It took about half an hour for us to finish. By the time it was done, I had a splitting headache. The band of lawyers, his and mine, all dispersed, leaving us alone in the library.

I shut my eyes before reclining against the sofa and beginning to massage my temples. This could very well be the worst day of my life. It was an exaggeration, of course, but right this very moment, it sure felt like it. Three days ago, I was lounging on a yacht, having the time of my life with my friends…Who would’ve imagined I’d be in this position a few days later? It was radically surreal. I got whiplash from it all. Then there was Jack, who I had yet to call back. After learning about my non-pregnancy, calling him back wouldn’t be a hardship this time. Maybe I’d even give him a ring sometime tonight.

“Are you mad?”

Mad? No. More like disappointed in my father. Maybe even a little irked. But definitely not mad. I also understood his obligation to the company, so my feelings were…well, futile.

“No,” I responded without bothering to open my eyes. “It’s all so much to take in…It’s been a stressful week; that’s all.”

“Here,” he offered, shifting closer to me before I felt his fingers taking over massaging my temples. With the use of his forefingers, he applied the right amount of pressure, and I sighed with complete satisfaction.

“You’re quite good at this,” I murmured, feeling quite at ease in his presence even after all that had happened this morning. It should’ve been iffy, but somehow, having him so close, tending to me…It subdued all of my uncertainty.

“If you must know, I’ve got skilled fingers,” he boldly stated.

With my eyes closed, I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or simply toying with me. So I dared not respond to his double entendre since I’d already had enough embarrassment for today. The image of me going ballistic as I desperately humped into his hardness suffused my cheeks in abundance.

“I meant to ask, how did your visit to the doctor go?”

Thank God, he diverted attention to safer waters. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself had he continued on. Besides, there was some good news to be shared. “I’m not pregnant. It’s a false positive.”

Jared didn’t immediately respond. He took a good minute until he finally spoke again. “Are you relieved?”

“Very much,” I murmured, relieved, “although I’d love to have a litter of babies someday. Eighteen’s not a good age to start a family. I’m glad I can put that all behind me now.”

“Have you spoken to Jack Yates?”

Jack. Damn. “Not yet, no, but I do intend to call him sometime tonight.”

“Are you planning to tell him about the false-positive pregnancy?”

“Not if I can help it.” Jack wasn’t one of my brightest moments. It sure gave credence to those sayings about broken hearts making unwise decisions. Had Jared not swooped in the way he did, I had a feeling I’d still be on the yacht with Jack, trying not to let him win me over. The thought made me shiver. I was weak, and it was mortifying to be reminded of it.

“Do you plan on resuming your relationship with him?”

What was with the interrogation? Disconcerted, I slowly peeled my eyes open. As I did so, I found him intensely gazing at me. Therefore, I let my head roll to the side, fully facing him until our eyes met. Vivid cerulean blues probed my gaze. “Why are you so curious? Do I have to report if I’m to see or date a guy from now on?”

“Yes,” he responded with an unwavering stare. “It’s for your own safety. If you do intend on being with another man, I expect you to be on birth control as well.” There was an edge to his voice, as if condescending, as if reprimanding a mere child instead of addressing an adult.

“You’re full of commands. Are you always this way?” I’d have taken offense, too, but I supposed I understood where he was coming from. “I’ve taken care of birth control. So you need not worry about my sex life.” Speaking of which, my curiosity ran amuck. And it couldn’t be helped; I had to know. My fingers touched the collar of his dress shirt, tracing it with my fingertip. “How was it?” I guardedly inquired before lifting my eyes to clash with his.

His eyes cautiously flickered to mine, wary. “How was what?”

“Rose,” I succinctly said, “Was the sex good?”

Light eyes immediately darkened, aghast at my audacious attitude. “Gisele—”

I decided to cut him off, shrugging with nonchalance. “It’s an honest question. I don’t mean anything by it.” Even I didn’t believe it, but I simply had to know how much power this woman had over him and to also understand the depth of Jared’s attachment.

“Yes.” His throat bobbed, perturbed. “It was good.” He finished saying with a bite to his tone, displeased he had to divulge his sordid affair to me.

“How many times did you fuck her?” I was on a roll, but it seemed I couldn’t stop myself. It hurt to know such things, but I simply had to know.

Appalled, his eyes bugged out for a moment before coloring at my obscene question. “Why are you so curious, Gisele?”

“It’s in my nature. I like to know these things.”

“What if I choose not to answer?”

All right. “Then you don’t. But if you need me to be truthful to you someday, maybe I’ll plead the fifth. Would that suit you?” It was manipulative of me to taunt him, but I had a hopeless case of lovesickness, so what the hell?

“Bloody hell!” he gritted out before shaking his head with contempt. “I don’t know how many times, and I’m being truthful. What I do know…Well, it went on for about two hours.”

He lost count? Well, damn him. “That good? Wow, she must be one hell of a woman.”

Fuck him. Seriously. I’m so furious I’m almost shaking with rage.

“Is there anything else you want to know?” he pressed on, almost taunting.

“Not at the moment.” I shrugged, loathing how much he affected me. “So, I guess we’re always going to be forward with each other, right?” This was the best I could do to appear as though his words hadn’t pierced me and gutted me from the inside out.

He nodded before taking a lungful of air. “I’d greatly appreciate that, Gisele.”

“All right.” Pressing my lips together, I mustered a strained smile. “Well, I’ll go and thank our parents for sharing this day, and then I’m going for a nap.”

He nodded. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

After exiting the library, it took everything in me to seek Abigail and Papa, thanking them for being there, but I had to excuse myself due to a headache. Abigail reassured me that she’d be staying for a while, so I might catch her later this evening.

My tears only fell once I was safe in my closet.

Unbuckling the ankle straps one at a time, I shakily wiped each tear that fell, hating myself for being such a masochist. What prompted me to ask in the first place? I had an idea how Jared was in bed, so I didn’t need confirmation. But my feelings couldn’t be helped. I simply had to know, and the moment I did, I wished I could unhear it. Two hours. Two whole fucking hours?

Christ, that hurt more than anything.

My phone shrilled from the vanity, breaking my painful reflection. Abandoning my shoes on the black wooden floor, I strode to check my caller.

Wyatt Rinaldi.

Why would he call me? Did something happen to Blair? My stomach dropped. If something awful happened, I was going to scream the house down.

“Wyatt?” I rasped out. “Is Blair okay?”

“Blair’s been incessantly calling me. She wants me to make sure you’re fine. My little sister can literally terrorize anyone from a different continent, myself included. So here I am, calling on her behalf, and well, out of my concern for you, too. She also pointed out that I’m not going to breathe a word to anyone about Peter’s condition, so your secret is safe with me.” He chuckled before it died out. Then he reverted to a more serious tone. “I’m sorry about your father, Gi. You must be very devastated. You’ve barely recovered after your mother’s…and now this. I’m sorry life can’t be perfect for you, beautiful.”

His concerned touched me. Wyatt was always messing around, never serious. So, for him to sympathize with my ill-gotten luck, I was moved. He wasn’t one to go delving into emotions; it made him uncomfortable. Therefore, for him to reach out, even if Blair had demanded he did, it meant the world to me.

“Thank you, Wyatt,” I croaked out, somewhat uplifted. “I never thought you had it in you to be sincere, but here you are, proving me wrong.”

“I joke around because it’s the easiest way to deal with people. It doesn’t mean I don’t get affected when the people I care about are suffering.” His words enlightened me.

“Good to know you have a heart, after all.”

That earned a laugh from him. “Only for you, Gi…only for you,” he said in a teasing manner, but his voice held something more. “Well, I promised my sister I’d take you out for dinner to cheer you up. What do you say, Gi?”

Papa and Abigail would be expecting me to dine with them. But maybe if I could eat lightly, then that wouldn’t be a problem. “Is nine too late?” It was the best I could do given the circumstances. “I have this thing with my father, and I can’t get out until then.”

“Nine sounds perfect,” he said smoothly, “I’ll pick you up then?”

Uh, that’d be a massive negative. “No, I’ll drive to you, and then we can ride from your place.”

“Sounds great! Don’t flake on me, Gi.”

Wyatt had just offered a reprieve, so flaking on him was out of the question. “I won’t.” I snickered. “See you.”

“Can’t wait.”

That was nice of Blair to pester her brother to take me out. She knew how devastated I’d been, most especially after the two-hour fuck marathon Jared confirmed earlier. I could do with a night out with harmless Wyatt.

Jared was most likely going to see his Rose, so going out would save me from crying myself to sleep while imagining him having sex with his girlfriend. Somehow, I knew she was a brunette. He simply couldn’t resist them.

Like I said earlier, fuck him. He could have all the brunettes in the world. Someday, I’d get over him, and I would laugh for being such a stupid fool.

And since I already had my phone, why not call Jack and get it over with? Might as well.

Biting my bottom lip, I dialed his number. It took a good bit until the call connected. The ringing sound even seemed different.

“Gisele!” Jack’s familiar voice echoed from the other end of the line. “God, I’ve been trying to reach you, pretty sweets. I’ve missed you.”

I knew my friends wouldn’t dump him in Croatia; they weren’t cruel people. So, it made me wonder what he had been up to. “Where were you, anyway?”

“I had to clear my head…and to also break things off with them. I want to see where you and I could lead to, you know? You’re so amazing, and I’ve missed you. I’ve missed your body sleeping next to me at night.”

I’m sure he did, I sarcastically thought with pure disdain. “You got caught. Had I not, you’d have carried on with your affairs. You’ve already played me for a fool. What makes you think I’ll give you a second try to lie to me again?”

“I’m crazy about you, Gisele. I know you feel the same way. I’m even willing to move out there to be with you because I know it’ll please you so.”

This man took creepy to the next dimension. “Well, I’m not so crazy about you, Jack! Things ended, and it’ll stay that way. I have no intentions of seeing you ever again. Do you get my drift?”

“Not crazy about me? That’s not what you were saying when I was fucking you.” His voice had an undercurrent of rage to it, and he was trying his damnedest to conceal it. But he failed immensely.

He really had to go low. But then again, why wasn’t I surprised? Jack had a spiteful attitude. “Yeah, do take care not to flatter yourself too much with your potent prowess.”

“You’re going to regret not taking me back,” he shot back, threatening.

“Somehow, I doubt that!” I giggled before adding, “Good luck, Jack Yates. I really wish you the very best.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t. Your rejection has a nasty taste on my tongue. I wonder what a man can do to ease such insult to my bruised ego? Got any suggestions?”

“Go jack it off,” I hotly retorted, disgusted. “Bye.” Immediately cutting the call, I shivered, quite repelled at the idea of seeing him again. Ugh, what an egotistical self-serving tool!

If I thought my headache was bad before, after speaking to Jack, it amplified a hundred times worse.

Dinner with Wyatt was at nine. I still had seven hours to kill.

Without bothering to take off my dress, I scoured the medicine cabinet for a pain reliever. I swallowed two with a sip of water. The throbbing made me feel as though there was a massive ball growing in my head. Trudging back to the bedroom, I fell onto the bed face down and dozed off.