Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Emerson

She froze by the door like a deer caught in headlights.

She couldn’t see me in the dark, but I knew she could make out my shadows. Her hand immediately hit the light switch. “Who’s there?” Her voice was shaky. I let my gaze pin hers as the room brightened. My heart constricted in my chest. She looked like she’d almost been run over by a train.

“What are you doing here?” She questioned.

I roamed my gaze over her face, taking in the streaks of mascara and askew Bobby pins. The stunt Paul had pulled had come as much of a surprise to me as it had her. And as his older half- brother, I’d lived under the same roof as him for more than a decade.

She seemed a fraction more relaxed, but I didn't miss the tension in her shoulders. She was still wary of me…

And with good reason.

I stood to my feet, fixing the buttons of my suit jacket. What was I doing here? Releasing the tension in my jaws, I said the words I knew had the possibility of changing the trajectory of our lives forever. “I can give you revenge.”

She blinked at me. Once, twice, thrice. And then she burst out laughing. 

“I’m sorry, what?” She choked out, making a show of wiping the tears from her eyes before picking up her rather hideous wedding dress and walking towards the adjoined kitchen. I took a few steps in her direction, refusing to repeat myself because it wasn't something I did and I wouldn't start now. 

Not even for her.

She opened the fridge and took out a bottle of whiskey, pouring it into a shot glass and downing it in one go. “Your brother–”

“Half-brother,” I interjected.

She shot me an empathetic smile, knowing the story there. There was a time in the very distant past when Darcy and I had been… acquaintances. That had been before Bethany, Paul’s mother, had decided she was finally fed up with having me in the house and had driven me away.

Darcy pressed her lips together. “Well, your half-brother just pulled the rug out from under my feet. I'm still trying to figure out if it's all some kind of a joke and you're talking about revenge?” I angled my elbow, staring at the Rolex on my wrist. I had somewhere to be.

I was too relaxed as it was, but I had a feeling she didn’t know that.

I picked up the briefcase I’d carefully set on the floor. From the look of surprise in her eyes, she hadn’t noticed it. I made a mental note to ensure that changed after we were married. I couldn’t have her be so un-observant, not with the kind of life she would be getting into.

I reached for the file in the briefcase and slapped it onto the kitchen island. 

My gaze met her wide ones. She thought I’d been bluffing. “Unless you and Paul like to make cruel jokes at each other’s expense,” I snickered, adjusting my tie, “I would say the kiss he had with his ex had been very much real. Whatever you have with him is over.”

She flinched at the raw honesty of my words. Her gaze fell to the file before she dragged it back up to meet mine. Her eyes were suddenly glassy. I tilted my head, finding her reaction hard to comprehend. He just humiliated her. And her entire family. And she was still shedding tears for him? 

It took everything in me to hold in the mocking laugh that threatened to escape my lips.

She must really love him. 

As though seeing the disgusted expression on my face, a humorless laugh escaped her. She shook her head. “It certainly didn’t take you that long to seize the opportunity,” she eyed the file. “Tell me… what is this revenge plan you speak of? What exactly will I find if I go through that file?”

“A marriage contract drawn up for a duration of one year only.” I ignored the way oxygen sharply got sucked into her lungs. “If you agree to it,” I continued smoothly, “you’re going to move in with me, attend events as my wife, maintain public devotion.”

She looked at me like she was waiting for me to drop the punchline of the joke. “You can’t be serious,” she argued.

I fixed my cufflinks, irritated by how much time I’d already spent in her apartment. I couldn't afford to compromise her location. “There’s no obligation for love or physical intimacy throughout the duration of our marriage,” I paused. “I assure you will be adequately compensated and protected at every point in time.”

She shook her head like she was trying to clear her thoughts. “If you actually are serious about this,” the doubt in her voice told me she didn’t believe I was, “I can see how it would send Paul over the edge,” she peered closely at me, “but I still can’t see what’s in it for you.”

I clenched my jaws, knowing I couldn't go into details. “Marriage would give me the stable front I need to scale up the social, economic and political ladders. There’s only so much one’s reputation as an eligible bachelor can achieve when it comes to things that actually matter.” 

A couple of those things came to mind.

I didn’t mention the consummation clause of the contract. I figured she would still review the file herself and ask whatever questions she might have. I stared down at my watch once more. It was obvious she wouldn’t sign the documents so quickly, but there was no surprise there. 

Darcy didn’t seem like the impulsive type.

Fortunately, I wasn’t the type to give up either.

I was determined to have her right where I wanted her. She pressed her lips together, forcing a swallow. “I–I need some time… to come to terms with what happened today.” I nodded in understanding, moving to pick up the file and put it back in the briefcase.

I wasn’t going to give Paul a chance to stumble upon it for any reason.

Briefcase in hand, I pinned her with my gaze and said the only words she needed right then.

“You know where to find me.”

I would wait for her to come running to me. If she didn’t…

Well, then I would have to switch up to plan B.