Married To My Dead Fiance's Brother

The rain fell steadily over the cemetery as the last of the dirt covered Alexander Harrington's casket. Sophia Bennett stood under a black umbrella, eyes dry and stinging. Twenty-four hours earlier she had been texting Alex about honeymoon details. Now she was watching strangers bury him. Most of the mourners had already left. She turned to go and found Damien Harrington waiting at the edge of the path. He looked the same as always-tall, composed, untouchable in his tailored black suit. The brother who had never hidden his disapproval of her. No visible tears. No comforting words. Just the same cool detachment he'd shown her for two years. "Sophia," he said. "We need to talk." She almost walked past him. "Not today, Damien." "Especially today." He gestured toward a waiting black car. "Please." The "please" surprised her enough that she followed. Inside the car, the world went quiet. Damien sat across from her, a slim leather folder resting on his knee. He got straight to it. "My grandfather updated his will six months ago. The controlling shares of Harrington Global stay with the family only if one of the grandsons marries before the end of this month. Otherwise the board takes everything." Sophia stared at him. "Alex is dead." "Yes." Damien's jaw flexed once. "Which leaves me." The silence stretched. Sophia let out a short, bitter breath. "I'm supposed to marry you? The man who's spent two years making it clear I'm not good enough for your brother?" For the first time, Damien didn't answer right away. His fingers tightened on the edge of the leather folder until the knuckles showed white. It was only a second, but she saw it-the brief crack in the ice. When he spoke again, his voice was still controlled, but quieter. "It's a business arrangement. Nothing more. You marry me, we live together at my penthouse until the deadline passes, and I cover your mother's surgery in full-specialists, hospital, all of it. The debts too. Once the inheritance is secured, we dissolve the marriage with a settlement. Clean and quiet." Sophia looked out at the rain-streaked window. Her mother's tired smile in the hospital bed flashed through her mind. The mounting medical bills. The fear that had become a constant companion these past months. "I hate this," she whispered. "I know." Damien paused. "But your mother doesn't have time to wait." The car stopped in front of her building. Sophia stepped out, legs heavy. She stood on the sidewalk as the limousine pulled away. Back in her small apartment, the white wedding dress still hung on the bedroom door like a accusation. She sat on the couch and read the contract when it arrived an hour later. Every clause was exactly as he'd described. Cold. Practical. Life-changing. Her thumb hovered over her phone. Then she typed the reply and hit send. **I'll be there at nine.** The relief was immediate, followed by a wave of guilt so strong it made her nauseous. She had just agreed to marry the last man she ever wanted. Her phone vibrated again a few minutes later. This time the message wasn't from Damien. **Don't marry him. Alex's death was not an accident.**