MARRIED TO MY SISTER'S ENEMY

Olivia Bennett knew her family was in trouble when her sister stopped answering questions. Victoria had always been good at pretending everything was under control. Even when their father died, leaving unpaid bills and a failing business, Victoria wore black designer dresses to the funeral and promised the Bennetts would never become a sad story. Three years later, their mother's house was facing foreclosure. The family business was gone. And Victoria was selling the jewelry she once said she'd pass to her future daughter. Now, on a cold Monday morning in Manhattan, Olivia watched her sister shove a thick envelope into her handbag. "What's that?" Olivia asked. Victoria looked up sharply. "Nothing you need to worry about." "Then why are you hiding it?" "I'm not hiding anything." "Victoria, the bank called yesterday. Thirty days to settle the house. You said you spoke to them." "I did." "And?" "And I'm handling it." Olivia stared. "With what money?" The question landed like an accusation. Victoria grabbed her car keys. "Not everything can be solved by asking questions, Olivia." "And not everything can be solved by pretending it isn't happening." Victoria's green eyes flashed. "You think I don't know how bad things are? You think I enjoy watching everything Dad built disappear? I've spent three years trying to keep this family from falling apart while you judge every decision I make." Olivia flinched. "I'm not judging you," she said quietly. "I'm asking to help." For a second, Olivia saw fear under her anger. Then it vanished. "There is nothing you can do." "Let me decide that." "No." Victoria grabbed her coat. "And whatever happens, stay away from Alexander Blackwood." Olivia blinked. Everyone in New York knew that name. Alexander Blackwood. Thirty-two. Billionaire. The man who turned his family company into an empire. Wealth. Ruthless. Private. But why did his name make her sister turn pale? "What does Alexander Blackwood have to do with us?" Olivia asked. Victoria's fingers tightened around her handbag. "Nothing. That's how I want it to stay." "Have you met him?" "Olivia, I'm serious." "So have you?" Victoria stepped closer. "If that man ever approaches you, walk away. Don't accept anything from him. Don't listen to his explanations. Don't believe a single promise from his mouth." "Why?" "Because men like Alexander Blackwood don't give anything away for free." She walked out. The door slammed. Olivia stood in the kitchen, unsettled. Her sister had always been protective, but this was desperate. Was Victoria's hatred about what he did? Or what he might reveal? Her phone rang. Unknown number. "May I speak with Miss Olivia Bennett?" "This is Olivia." "Good morning. My name is Daniel Hayes. I represent Blackwood Enterprises." The name sent a chill through her. "Blackwood Enterprises?" "Yes. Mr. Alexander Blackwood would like to meet you this afternoon. Three o'clock. Blackwood Tower, Midtown." "Why would he want to meet me?" "He prefers to discuss details in person. It concerns the Bennett family's outstanding financial obligations." Olivia's smile disappeared. "How does he know about our debts?" "That is something he intends to explain." Stay away from Alexander Blackwood. The warning echoed. "What time?" Olivia asked. "Three o'clock. Someone will meet you in the lobby." At exactly three o'clock, Olivia stepped into Blackwood Tower. Glass. Marble. Gold. Everything gleamed. "Mr. Blackwood is expecting you, Miss Bennett." A private elevator climbed to the executive floor. At the far end, double doors. The assistant knocked. "Miss Bennett is here, sir." A deep voice. "Send her in." Alexander Blackwood stood by the floor-to-ceiling window. Charcoal suit. Dark hair. Taller than his photos. Handsome in a way that made the magazines look inadequate. His blue eyes settled on her. "You wanted to see me?" Olivia said. "Olivia Bennett. Thank you for coming." "I haven't agreed to anything yet." A corner of his mouth lifted. "Good. I prefer people who understand that distinction." He gestured to a chair. She sat. He opened a folder and slid a document across the desk. "Your family's situation is worse than you realize." She stared at the figures. The amount was staggering. "Where did you get this?" "My company acquired several outstanding debts connected to your father's former business." "You bought our debts?" "Yes." "Why?" "Because I wanted the opportunity to speak with you." "You could have called without buying my family's problems." "I could have." "Then why didn't you?" Something flickered in his expression. Anger. Regret. "Because your sister has not told you the truth about what happened between our families." "Victoria?" "Your sister spent years making sure you never speak to me." "Whatever happened between you and Victoria is none of my business." "Normally, I would agree." He closed the folder. "But your family's future is now my business." She stood. "If you think you can buy your way into my life, you made a mistake." He didn't stop her. He said five words that made her turn back. "I want you to marry me." Olivia was certain she misheard. "What?" "Not a conventional marriage. A contractual arrangement. Clearly defined terms. You receive financial security for your family. I receive something I need." "You don't even know me." "I know more about you than you think." "That's not romantic. It's disturbing." "I'm not offering romance, Miss Bennett. I'm offering a solution." She should have walked out. Then Alexander opened a second folder. Inside was a photo of her father standing beside a younger Richard Blackwood at a business event. On the back, a date. Three days before her father's company collapsed. "What is this?" Olivia whispered. "A question you should have asked your sister years ago. Your father did not lose everything by accident." The room tilted. "And Victoria Bennett knows exactly why." Olivia gripped the desk. "Why would you want to marry me?" For the first time, his composure cracked. His gaze dropped to the photo. "Because marrying you is the only way I can get close enough to uncover what your sister has been hiding. And because your father left behind something that belongs to my family." "What did he leave?" Alexander pushed the photo toward her. "That is what your sister has been trying to keep me from finding." Olivia looked again. Then she noticed what she missed. Her father was holding a small black envelope. And written across it, in his unmistakable handwriting, was a single word. Victoria.