10. William

Iwas livid. My hand squeezed so tightly around my phone that I thought the device would snap in two as I scanned the screen.

Since stealing from her former place of work didn't go according to plan, the young opportunist came up with a new plan. This time she would steal her boss"s heart instead of his money.

But who's to say that isn't just a means to an end?

Maybe money is still the motive behind her upcoming nuptials. After all, the Aldaine family had more than enough to spare and the family is known for its ‘charitable' exploits.

How dare they speak about her like this?

I was going to burn the news outlet that released this article to the ground. There would be nothing left of them when I was done. I would sue the writer, the publisher, and the bloody printing press. Not a single one of them would be spared.

I didn't waste time wondering why I was so upset about Jane. I wasn't in love with her but she was going to be my wife and no one had the right to disrespect her. I placed a call to my lawyers so they could begin the process of suing the news outlet.

I also called the private investigator I'd hired for Jane. I needed him to find out everything humanly possible about the person who wrote this article. They would pay for every negative thing they said about my wife.

I knew she wasn't my wife yet but I didn't care about the distinction. Jane would not be disrespected on my watch.

I called my driver and walked out of my penthouse. I needed to meet with my lawyers in person so they understood the urgency and severity of the matter. I also needed to see Jane. She must be distraught after reading everything in that article.

Thinking about her in pain, hurt me in ways I didn't want to admit. I had to ask myself why I cared so much. At the end of the day, Jane and I were only in a fake marriage. It shouldn't bother me what people say about her but it did. I chose not to dwell on the reason it bothered me.

Jane's red eyes told me that she'd seen the article. The sight of her crying made me want to wring the necks of everyone in that pathetic news outlet. My lawyers had already begun the process of suing them, but that was no longer enough for me. They would have to pay for what they did to her.

I drove to her apartment after meeting with my lawyers. Jane pulled the door open, and her eyes widened when she saw me. She rushed to wipe her tears but I had already seen them. There was only so much she could do when her eyes were red and swollen.

"I guess you're here because of the article," she said as she sniffed. She stepped aside so I could walk into her apartment.

As I did, I realized that I had never been here before. We were about to get married and I'd never even entered her apartment. This arrangement couldn't be more strange. I knew where her apartment was. I'd delivered things to her a few times and I've even picked her up from here but I had never entered.

My eyes scanned the room before settling back on Jane. She seemed so small in the fluffy gray bathrobe she wore. Her hair was pulled into a lazy bun and she fiddled with her fingers. I'd never seen her look so vulnerable. It tugged at my heart. I felt a strange inexplicable need to hug her but I didn't move.

I didn't want to complicate our relationship any further. Instead, I continued my assessment of her apartment. It was a simple one-bedroom apartment with a considerably large kitchen area.

Her living room was a mess, used tissues sat on the center table and the floor beneath it. From the number of tissues, I could tell Jane had been crying a lot. I looked at her again. She had stopped fiddling with her fingers but her hand now wrapped and unwrapped itself around the rope of her bathrobe.

"So I guess the wedding is off then," she said, bringing my gaze back to her red-rimmed eyes.

"What?"

"I understand if you no longer want to marry me, William. That article… the things they said… it wouldn't be good for you if you get married to… to someone like me." Her words sounded like she was okay but the crack in her voice told me she wasn't.

"That article is a piece of crap. I know that none of what they said is true."

"But some of it is. I am a poor orphan girl who…" She couldn't finish her sentence because tears streamed down her cheeks.

I couldn't hold back anymore. I rushed over and pulled her into my arms. Jane leaned against me as she cried onto my suit jacket. I freed her hair from its bun and ran my fingers through it until she calmed down. My other hand held her waist while my thumb stroked her back. I didn't know if she could feel it through the thick bathrobe but I did it anyway.

She calmed down after some time but I held her anyway. "At least this time it"s snot and tears and not red velvet cake and vanilla icing," I joked.

Jane laughed against my chest before staring up at me. A small smile graced her face, making her look exquisitely beautiful. Even with red eyes and messy hair, Jane was still one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen.

"I didn't know you were capable of making jokes, Mr. Aldaine," she said with a laugh.

I wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I have my moments."

She sighed. "So how do we tell your mom and grandfather that the wedding is off?"

"There's no reason to tell them that because the wedding isn"t off."

"William—

"I still want to marry you, Jane. I don't care what the article said. All that matters is if you still want to marry me."

"But I—

"Do you want to marry me?" I knew my question sounded too real. It sounded like I was actually asking her to marry me. I decided not to think too much about it. What mattered now was getting her to say yes. I still needed her help if I was going to keep the CEO position.

Jane nodded "Yes."

"Then there's nothing else to say."

We lapsed into silence, neither of us saying a word. The only sound in the room was our breaths. I felt myself being drawn in like her lips were producing a siren song I couldn't resist. I leaned my head and Jane lifted herself.

Our lips were just about to touch when the front door swung open. A dark-haired woman walked in with a box of tissues in one hand and what looked like ice cream in the other. "I"m sorry it took me so long. I—" She paused when she saw us. "Oh sorry. I didn't know…"

Jane stepped away from me. She scratched the back of her neck as she spoke. "William, this is Skylar Miller, my best friend. Skylar, this is William Aldaine, my… my fiancé."

Skylar placed her items on the table before stretching her hand to me. She gave me a strange look that made me feel uneasy. I assumed it was because she had never met me. I was the man marrying her best friend and we'd never met. I didn't know if Jane told her the truth about our marriage so I didn't know how to act. Still, I knew it would be best to assume she didn't.

"Nice to meet you," I said as I took Skylar"s hand. "Jane has told me so much about you."

"I've also heard a lot about you too. Apparently, you're arrogant, rude—

Jane coughed loudly and stepped between us. "All that is in the past," she said as she leaned into me, her back pressed against my chest. "William and I are so in love now. Things like that don't matter anymore."

"Yes, we are so in love," I said, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing to the point where it hurt just a little bit. "And because of that love, we've managed to get over several flaws that no one else would be able to overlook. For instance, Jane's greasy hair."

She glared up at me but I continued. "I mean only love would make me marry someone who washes their hair twice a year."

"And only love would make me marry someone who has a stick so far—

I squeezed tighter and the impact cut her sentence short. Skylar looked at us strangely. "Are you okay?" she asked. The question was directed to Jane.

"Never better," Jane said. I could feel her digging her nails into the skin of my arms.

I didn't know what being married to Jane would be like. But one thing I did know was that it would be a miracle if both of us made it out alive from this one-year marriage.

My grandfather's gaze shifted between Jane and me. My heartbeat quickened. I knew he was looking for some kind of flaw in our story. He loved Jane but Bernard Aldaine was no fool. I couldn't let him suspect I was up to something. By the time he found out what was really going on, Jane and I would be divorced and I'd be the permanent CEO.

I squeezed Jane's hand and rubbed a thumb over her fingers. I'd held her hand when we walked into my grandfather's office earlier today and I hadn't let it go since. I told myself I was doing it to make our relationship appear more real. My grandfather needed to see how much we loved each other. That was why I was stroking her fingers.

Jane looked at me and smiled softly. I smiled back. This was all a show for my grandfather. We'd come to the manor today to inform him about our decision to move the wedding date upward. We used the article as an excuse.

"Getting married sooner will quell all the rumors going around about Jane," I said. I squeezed her hand again but this time it wasn't for my grandfather's sake. I knew how much mentioning the article affected her. I saw the way her body stiffened and I felt a deep need to comfort her.

My grandfather nodded. "That is true."

Surprisingly, it didn"t take much effort to convince him. Maybe I was right about my earlier assumption. Bernard Aldaine had other plans behind his need for me to get married.

I guess he just really liked Jane or maybe he was really desperate for me to get married. Either way, he agreed. The wedding date was set.

In three weeks, Jane and I would be married. The wedding would take place here at the Aldaine manor. The field at the back of the building was large enough to host two simultaneous football games. My father had married my mother there and now it was my turn.

I couldn't help feeling like I was disrespecting him and my grandfather by having a fake marriage but Bernard left me no choice.

"So three weeks from now, we'll be married?" Jane asked as she rubbed her palm against her jeans. We left the manor a few minutes ago and I was driving her home. The ride had been silent since we left but I could tell she was nervous. Her left leg shook and her hand tapped rapidly against it.

I placed a hand on her to calm her down. "Everything will be fine."

She nodded and looked out the window. "Do you think Ryan will be there?"

We hadn"t spoken about her brother since she told me he called her. I knew Ryan was still angry about the wedding but I also knew that he loved his sister. He would always be there for her.

"Yes, I do."

My prediction was correct. On the day of the wedding, Ryan showed up. He looked less than happy to be here but at least he was here. I knew Jane would be happy to see him. She needed her brother and I needed my best friend. Jane still had Ryan but I didn't.

In an ideal world, he would be standing behind me as my best man, not glaring at me from across the field. He stood at the bride"s side with a murderous look in his eyes. In that moment, I realized that I missed my best friend. I'd never wanted to get married but I knew that if I ever did, I wanted Ryan to be my best man.

Louis placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. I'd told him what happened and he'd gladly filled in as my best man. Ryan and Louis were the only friends I had. They'd met on a few occasions and they seemed to like each other. I only wish—

My thoughts were fried when I saw Jane coming down the aisle. I didn't even notice when Ryan walked over to stand beside his sister and walk her down the aisle. I didn't notice anything. All I could see was Jane.

She looked so incredibly beautiful, I couldn't believe she was about to be my wife.