Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
“Interesting,” he muses. “When will this fund pay out?”
“There are two criteria for the fund to become accessible. One, the money will become available to Evie on her twenty-fifth birthday, and two, the funds will transfer to her husband if she marries before that age.”
“She’s twenty-four,” Mateo says slowly. “That’s why Warren signed the contract with the Stones. He wants to make sure she marries Nathan before her twenty-fifth birthday so that the money goes to Nathan.”
“Correct, again. Said money will go to Nathan, but Nathan will go to work for Warren. It’s part of the deal they made before the marriage contract was signed. As Warren’s son-in-law and protégé, Nathan will plow that money back into the business. That way, technically, as CEO, Warren will still decide how the funds are invested. Ultimately, the goal is to merge Warren and Stone’s companies and form a megacorporation.”
“And Nathan would’ve agreed knowing he’ll inherit everything when Warren and his father die.”
“A portion would’ve gone to Evie and any children born from their marriage, but Nathan was destined to take over the reins.”
“Except, now the trust will be yours. Warren’s plan for a megacorporation will be screwed. You’ll get the properties and the money he moved to the trust, but Evie will still inherit everything else, including the diamond.”
“I’m marrying her in community of property. Whatever is Evie’s will be mine.”
“What is yours will also be hers. That means you’ll never be able to divorce her.”
“I won’t, not if there are children, and I’ll make damn sure there are.”
“To carry forward our family name.”
“Yes,” I say with perverse satisfaction. “Evie’s children will carry my name.” Curling my fingers in a fist, I add, “I’ll make sure Warren dies penniless. He’ll never know his grandchildren. When he blows out his last breath, his name dies with him.”
“This was your plan all along,” Mateo says. “There was never going to be an exchange.”
“Warren should’ve expected nothing less.”
“What about documents? You need her birth certificate.”
“My contact at Home Affairs got me everything that was necessary.”
“Fuck.” Draping the bag over one shoulder, he drags a hand through his hair as he turns in a circle. “Fuck you, Roman. You could’ve told me.”
“Would you have gone along with the plan?”
He darts a gaze toward the closed door of Evie’s room. “Is she?”
“What do you think?”
“This is wrong. Returning her to her family after getting back the diamond is one thing, but tying her to you for life? Bringing children into this?”
My tone is harsh. “Do you think for a minute Warren would’ve given us the diamond? He would’ve gone to war to get her back. He would’ve promised the diamond, the moon, and the sun, but he would’ve always come back to fuck us over. Killing him is too easy. You agree with that. He needs to suffer.”
“Yes,” Mateo says through thin lips.
“In one hour, when Evie says I do, we’ll consummate our marriage. There’ll be no turning back. The doctor already injected her with a new hormonal treatment to reverse the effect of her contraceptive. She can conceive at any given moment.”
“What if Warren kills you?”
“Warren won’t dare to kill the father of her children. He’ll never leave Evie and the children that vulnerable and unprotected. Plus, he’ll always have you to reckon with. Anyway, he’ll be penniless and powerless long before I give him a chance to try.”
“This whole scheme of yours is riding on getting Evie pregnant. You forgot a crucial detail, however. What if she’s not on board?”
I don’t reply.
His anger escalates anew. “You’re not giving her a choice. Roman, you’re a motherfucking bastard.”
“Do you see a better way?”
Turning his face to the ceiling, he considers that for all of three seconds before he spits more words at me. “You’re talking about destroying people’s lives.”
“Wasn’t that the idea?”
“Warren’s life, yes, not yours and Evie’s.”
“The idea of her is already growing on me,” I say with ill-placed humor. “If I make an effort, I can get her to come around.”
“You’re damn sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Be careful, brother. Maybe you don’t know women as well as you think you do. If you put a kid in her belly, you better make damn sure you keep her happy. I won’t stand by and watch another kid suffer for his father’s mistakes.”
“The mistake wasn’t our father’s. He walked into a trap. The blame belongs to Warren.”
“Exactly.” He pins me with a look. “It’s Evie I’m referring to, not you or me. She’s the one who’s paying for her father’s mistake. I can’t imagine that makes her happy.”
“Don’t concern yourself about my wife’s happiness,” I say in a harsh tone. “That’s my job.”
“Just saying.” He backtracks a few steps toward his room. “I hope you know how to do that job.”
When he’s gone inside and closed the door, I have a shower and change into the formal black suit my tailor delivered. Dressed in the fitted slacks, a crisp white shirt, black tie, waistcoat, and jacket, I regard myself in the mirror. What does Evie see when she looks at me? The monster and all the other adjectives she uses to describe the man who’s about to take her to bed? No matter how this marriage is coming about, I’ll be a good husband and father. I know my duties and I don’t shy away from the responsibilities I take on.