I Married His Uncle

Chapter 1

The door to the private room was cracked open. Laughter drifted through the gap.

"Three days, and she still hasn't bailed. Henry, your fiancée's really ride or die."

"Ride or die?" Felix Hall scoffed. "She just hasn't reached her breaking point yet. You know what she did? She sold her studio."

"She what?"

"The papers were signed this afternoon. $16 million. She even sold the plaque her dad left her."

The room burst into laughter. Outside the door, my grip on my purse strap tightened inch by inch.

In my bag was a bank card loaded with $16 million. My studio, my equipment, and five years' worth of carefully collected materials had all become that single number. I had come to hand it to Henry Foster.

I had wanted to tell him this would cover part of the $300 million debt. We'd figure out the rest together.

The betting inside hadn't stopped.

"I've got to give Henry credit," someone said. "Fake being broke, and you'll find out who's the real deal. A woman like Cora who isn't after your money? That's one in a million."

"What's so special about that?"

"She fell for Henry, not his wallet."

Then I heard Henry speak.

His voice carried the lazy edge of someone who'd had a few drinks. "Enough. The game's over. I'll tell her the truth tomorrow, bring her back to Foster's Mansion, and the wedding's still happening. If anybody brings this up again, we're going to have a problem."

The room went quiet.

Felix chuckled. "Starting to feel bad? Still, Henry, your little test wasn't much of a test. If I hadn't turned up the heat, would she really have sold her studio in three days? My guys nailed that hospital scene, didn't they? The old lady looked scared to death. It was almost too easy."

Henry hurled his glass to the floor. It exploded on impact. His voice turned dangerously cold. "What did you say? What hospital?"

"Wait. You didn't know?"

Felix's laugh was pure poison. "I figured you signed off on it. Debt collectors have to make people sweat, right? If they didn't show up at her mother's hospital room, nobody would've bought the act."

I didn't wait to hear the rest. I turned and walked away. The hallway seemed endless. The carpet swallowed every footstep.

They had bet I'd walk away from the engagement within three days. I didn't. I showed up with everything I owned, ready to help him pay off his debts. Then on the third night, I ended the engagement myself.

So in the end, who really won?

Inside the elevator, I pulled out my phone and sent Henry four words.

Cora: The engagement is over.

Then I powered my phone off.

I stepped out of the club into a rush of icy wind. Early winter sleet stung my face. A black sedan was parked at the curb. The window slid down, revealing a face I hadn't seen in eight months. His eyes were steady, his jaw more defined than Henry's, and his whole presence carried a colder edge.

Alexander Foster, Henry's uncle and the real power behind the Foster family.

His gaze dropped to my hand. I was gripping my bag so hard my knuckles had gone white.

"Get in, Cora. It's cold."