His Cheating Photo Went Viral, I’ll Marry New

Chapter 2

Winnie didn't give me a chance to say a word, yanking me straight out the door. She shoved me into the backseat of her Maybach, then pulled out a handkerchief and scrubbed her hand like she'd touched something dirty, her face twisted with disgust.

By then, my foggy brain finally cleared, and I couldn't help but burst out laughing at how ridiculous this whole situation was.

"Winnie, you think I'm disgusting? Funny, when you were in bed with Lucas, you didn't think you were disgusting then, did you?"

"Jerry!" Winnie's face drained of color in an instant. Her hand flew up on pure instinct, already rearing back to slap me.

I caught her wrist in a tight grip before she could move, a tiny, foolish spark of hope still flickering in my chest.

"Why are you this mad? Is it because I hooked up with another woman, or is it...?"

Winnie wrenched her hand out of my grip with a cold sneer. "I told you to come forward and clear up that scandal, and instead you're here fooling around! How is that not disgusting? If we're too late to fix this and something happens to Lucas, I'll make you pay!"

Her words hit me like a bucket of ice water dumped straight over my head. It burned every last bit of alcohol fog right out of my brain, leaving me stone-cold sober.

Of course. Only when it came to Lucas did she ever show any real emotion.

We stared each other down in dead silence for a few long seconds, then Winnie suddenly turned her head away, snapping that cool, distant mask right back into place.

"Drive to the Pattinson residence."

The car rolled all the way onto my family's old estate. That's when it finally clicked for me. Today was Lucas's birthday.

I was just reaching for the door handle when Winnie suddenly grabbed my hand hard, lacing her fingers through mine.

I flicked my glance toward the shadows at the side of the road, and, sure enough, I spotted a paparazzi hiding in the darkness.

So this was her play, forcing me into a happy-couple photo op to force the scandal cleared.

I was just about to yank my hand away when my phone screen flared to life in my palm. It was a text from my uncle.

He said the other party had accepted the engagement, and the wedding was set for three days from now.

The exact same day as my wedding with Winnie.

A new plan clicked into place before Winnie could catch sight of the text. I squeezed her hand tighter, a sharp, new idea already taking root in my mind.

"Winnie!" Lucas spotted her car and came hurrying over, excitement practically radiating off him.

His wide, sunny grin died on his lips the second he spotted me.

I watched as his face went rigid, inch by freezing inch.

I clamped a hand on the back of Winnie's head before she could react, bent down, and kissed her hard.

"You wanted the scandal cleared, right? Then we'll play this out all the way."

Winnie's hand, already tensed to struggle, froze dead in place. In the end, she let me do as I pleased without resisting.

From where Lucas and the paparazzi stood, it looked exactly like we were making out, completely oblivious to the world around us.

I lifted my eyes and locked gazes at Lucas over Winnie's shoulder.

He was so furious his hands clenched into tight fists, his whole body shaking with rage as he spun on his heel and stormed back into the house.

I'd lost all interest in the game anyway, so I turned and followed him inside the mansion. I left Winnie standing there alone, a tangled mess of emotions swirling in her eyes.

That kiss was just a fake-out, after all. After all the years we'd been together, it was the first time we'd ever faked a kiss like that.

I didn't care about Lucas's birthday, and he wasn't worth my time showing up for, anyway.

The only reason I'd gone along with Winnie's little act was because there was something inside the Pattinson mansion that mattered more to me than anything else.

"Go fetch all of my mother's things for me," I ordered.

After the servant left to get the items, I sat alone in my mother's old room.

In three days, I will be leaving New York for good.

I don't care a single bit about any of the family stuff. But every last thing that belonged to my mother? I was taking every single one of them with me.

"Sir Jerry, I have bad news. The signet ring your mother left you is missing."