“Pierce,” I warn him. “What did you find?”
“I assume you are his brother too?”
“Pierce Aldridge,” he says, extending his hand. “One of seven and the guy who’ll be helping you crazy children get out of this mess.”
“I don’t want to get out. I want to make sure we amend the current agreement. As I explained to Henry, this is my future. Nothing and no one will change my mind.”
She leaves the house without saying another word.
“Tell me what you found. You can crack any jokes later.”
“You must cohabitate with her for the next three months in order to prove that you aren’t compatible.”
I’m fucked. “She can say that we are. Didn’t you see her saying that this is her financial security?”
“It’s not a ‘your word against hers’ kind of situation, actually. You have to live with her, go to a marriage counselor and show in good faith that you tried hard. If at the end you say that this didn’t work, it doesn’t matter what she says. You pay the money, and it’s over.”
“There’s no other way out?”
He shakes his head. “No, it’s pretty solid. I sent it to a colleague of mine in Colorado, and she agreed with our assessment. You signed this in your right mind, there were witnesses, and trying to do anything else will just eat the little time you have to get this contract overturned.”
I narrow my gaze, swallow the orange size knot forming in my throat and ask, “Time?”
“You have until the first week of August to contest it and start your free trial, which might be something she isn’t counting on. No offense, but I think you, children, just signed shit and obeyed like idiots.”
As I’m about to tell him he’s wrong, I decide to keep my mouth shut. What’s the point of arguing when he’s right?
He rolls his eyes. “Rich kids.”
“What’s the plan then?”
“Jump on the wagon and start playing house with your betrothed. This might be a blessing in disguise.”
My head pounds because this isn’t what I wanted. “Soph?”
He gives me a sad look and says, “I’m sorry, man.” He pats my back. “The prenup applies to this trial. You have to end things with her.”
“Can you give me a summary of the prenup?”
He nods. “The usual: no cheating, separate accounts, her monthly allowance—”
“Wait, I have to give her a monthly allowance?”
He nods. “Fifteen thousand dollars, plus provide housing, and the required accommodations to keep her happy. If not, you can lose a shit ton of money.”
“What if I say ‘fuck it’ right now?”
When he tells me I lose Merkel, I don’t give a shit about my legacy. I’m ready to let everything go. I march out of the house.
“Aren’t you going to help me with my things?”
“No, I have something to do. I’ll come back later and have my brother fly you back to Portland.”
The sun shines, but it feels like a cold damp day. The overcast of what can happen is on top of me. My body feels heavy. I fight the weight of the world and hurry to Sophie’s house. We have to talk. This decision can’t be taken lightly, but I can’t lose her.
When I enter, Fitz is in the kitchen pouring wine in glasses. Leyla, Blaire, and Sophia are in the living room.
“We can poison him slowly, no one will notice,” Blaire suggests.
“Ladies, I can’t be listening to this,” Fitz warns them, “Or I won’t be able to defend you if you get caught. However, one of my brothers is a former Ranger, and he owes me a couple of favors. I might be able to persuade him to shoot him by accident.”
“Hey,” I greet her.
She looks at me and smiles. “Don’t say it.”
“We have an option,” I offer.
“Don’t. Please don’t even offer me to be your dirty secret,” she says enraged.
“I’d never do that, Soph. But this is wrong!”
This moment feels like the last I’ll spend on this earth. Like my own death. I’d do anything, except lose her.
“I can’t live without you for three months. I’ll give them Merkel. I don’t give a fuck.”
“I do,” she says. “It’s not just a possession. It is a family business, and all those employees are our responsibility. You can’t possibly think that handing the company to those people is right. They aren't going to take care of our personnel the way we do.”
“Soph,” I say, trying to say something palpable to argue with her.
“Don’t see it as a simple financial loss. See the people who might suffer because of one selfish decision.”
“What am I supposed to do without you?”
“For the next three months, you’ll get to know her and make sure she’s not the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with,” she answers.
“Just like that. You’re telling me this is over and to give her a try. You don’t care if I fall in love with her?”
“I do and I don’t,” she answers. “I care because it’ll mean it’s really over between us. I don’t care because in the end, if you fall for her it means us was never real. Us was your first time letting yourself feel, and that’s good.”
“You can’t possibly believe that. You’re just saying that because you’re afraid I’m just like the other guys you dated before. That I’ll leave. I’ll never leave you, and that’s a promise,” I argue, trying not to lash at her. “I have to do this because you’re right. I can’t let our people down. I’m not leaving you. Trust me, please.”
“Please don’t. Don’t ask me to trust you and wait for you, not when I have the short end of the stick.”
“You’re right. I…we’re still working together, aren’t we?”
She nods.
“Leave,” Blaire requests softly.
“I love you, Sophie.”
When I’m out, I’m numbed, filled with a pain I’ve never felt before. I’m not losing her, but why does it feel as if I might never see her again? I walk without any direction, but when I stop, I find myself in front of William’s grave.
“I want to blame you, but this one is on me because I gave no fucks about this arrangement. I always thought everything could be fixed with money. That’s what I learned from Cyril, Mom, and you. I can’t fix the face of the woman I love. I can’t take away her pain. Nothing will erase the hurt I saw just a few minutes ago. I can’t promise her anything because I’m in no position to say shit. What am I supposed to do now?
“Months ago, this wouldn’t have bothered me. In fact, I might be willing to just sign the marriage certificate and get the nightmare over with, but I want to be married to my best friend. To my dream. Hold on to the one miracle that has happened in my life. You wouldn’t understand, William. You never met a woman you could love enough to give up everything for.”
“He loved,” I hear a voice, and when I look, it’s Jerome Parrish. “But you’re right, not enough to give up what he owned.”