His widow bride

Chapter2

Zariah’s POV

Present Day.

The casket was lined in silk, scraping the ground oddly as it was lowered under the earth. Tears streaked my face, and sobs racked through my chest. But it was all a lie. I only had a couple more minutes to pretend like I had just lost the love of my life.

The Jackson family was all around me, keeping supportive hands on my shoulders while I stood directly in front of the casket. The gravesite was quiet, with the voice of the preacher travelling through the wind.

But I knew that those hands were as fake as my tears. I knew they were watching me. The 22-year-old widow, who looked like she had more to gain from the death of her husband.

I sighed and reached for my tissue in my clutch, dabbing at unshed tears while my eyes took in the time.

Ten more minutes.

As if on cue, every neck turned instantly, including mine. I felt him before I saw him.

Damian Rostov was back in New York.

I hadn’t seen him since the wedding night, since the day we crossed a line we both knew we weren’t supposed to. I couldn’t ask Nathan where his best friend had gone because that would have been awkward. So, I just let it be, slowly allowing the memories of him fade into nothing.

Until today.

That was five years ago.

“Isn’t that Nathan’s best friend?” the whispers started instantly, even louder than the voice of the preacher. He looked like a devil in disguise in his perfectly tailored suit, with two bodyguards flanking him on both sides.

I turned back to the casket, keeping my eyes glued to its form. He came to stand right beside me, and for a minute, I couldn’t breathe. I clenched my hands around the black rose I was supposed to drop into Nathan’s grave.

“Did you kill him?” He leaned in, his icy words shooting straight into my ears.

I turned my head slowly, aware that their eyes were still on me. I tried not to meet his gaze as something inside of me snapped.

“Are you serious?” I whispered harshly. “It was a car crash! It was everywhere on the news. Of course, you’d have seen it if you hadn’t vanished off the face of the earth.”

His expression didn’t falter, not even for a second. He leaned in even closer, his warm breath teasing me despite the situation. “Then wipe that damn smile off your face. If you are going to play the grieving widow, you should at least get your act right.”

And just like that, he was gone. He didn’t even wait for the funeral. Didn’t even wait to bid his friend goodbye.

***

I found him again as the crowd slowly dispersed. He was standing away from the rest of the mourners, in a heated conversation with the family lawyer. His eyes were dark, and his lips were moving too fast for someone who barely spoke.

I flinched when Damian’s hand hit the marble of the mausoleum. That must have hurt. I headed in their direction, but as soon as he saw me, he stalked off, heading out of the gravesite without another word.

“What was that about?” I asked the lawyer, stopping in front of him. “What did Damian want?”

The Jackson family was still watching me, but I didn’t care about that right now. This seemed more important than whatever they thought about me.

I watched as the lawyer swallowed, adjusting his perfectly straightened tie before looking up. “Ms. Martinez…or should I call you Mrs. Rostov now?”

Everything in me halted.

“What did you just say?”

“I believe you should sit down if you want to hear this. And maybe this isn’t exactly the appropriate place for me to…”

“What is it?”

“The will…”

"I am not interested in any of Nathan's property. His family already thinks I am some gold digger, and I am not about to prove them right." There was still that question nudging within me. Why had he called me Mrs. Rostov? That was Damian's surname.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Martinez, but you don’t have a choice in this. At least, not if you want the debt to be cleared.”

Another bout of confusion hit me. “What debt? Nathan paid off my mother's hospital bills, and he was rich enough to get the things he wanted freely."

"There's a clause in Nathan's will. He made it in such a way that no one can be aware of it other than the both of you, and me, of course, as his lawyer."

I didn’t like the sound of that.

“Are you certain you don’t want to sit?”

“What clause?”

The lawyer's eyes darted around before he moved closer to me. "You are to get married to Damian Rostov and remain married to him for one full year. It has to be known by the public, so that means you have to live together, as husband and wife. If you fulfil this clause, Mr. Rostov inherits the estate of Mr. Jackson. And you are released from all of Nathan’s debts.”

I felt the world shift underneath my feet. The lawyer wasn’t making any sense. Why would I get married to my late husband’s best friend?

“How did the debts come about?”

“Nathan made some purchases in your name. Over eleven million dollars.”

I shook my head at once. “That’s impossible. Nathan would never…I didn’t…”

"Your name was on everything, Zariah. I'm sorry, but even the board has no obligation to release you from the cost. Your late husband made sure of that."

He married me just to destroy me. Even in death, Nathan still owned every piece of me. I didn't care about keeping it together anymore. I took off the huge black hat on my head, allowing my dark wavy hair to spiral down my back.

“What happens if I refuse to marry him?”

"The cops will be at your school in two weeks. You will be imprisoned, since none of his assets are willed to you."

“Who were they willed to?”

“Damian Rostov.”

The man I now had to marry.