Chapter Eight

Xavier

It took all of three days for me to realize what a colossal mistake I'd made when sending the fake Amanda—or rather Mia—back to her family's home in exchange for her sister.

The decision had been impulsive, fueled by my bitterness I'd felt at having been completely blindsided. It was so obvious, looking back now, that Mia had been the one conversing with me.

When I first met with Abraham O'Neil to discuss arrangements for our future marriage, he'd been forthcoming with the fact that his daughter, Amanda, was more on the wild side. At the time, I hadn't thought much of it, because as with all arrangements, there would be things that I'd need to deal with that I didn't care for.

But in the end, our alliance was supposed to bring about a bigger change in our supply chain. Money was more important than me liking my wife.

At least, that's what I'd believed until I received that first letter and began to see how foolish that line of thinking was.

Finding out that I'd actually fallen in love with Amanda's twin was a shock, and I stupidly cast her out without sitting down and actually thinking. I'd been hurt and lied to—a deadly combination for me.

Yet despite all that, I'd demanded for the real Amanda to be brought to me, thinking she'd be like her sister and we could seamlessly fall into our marriage.

I'd been dead wrong.

I didn't know how I was going to fix any of this. How could I build a relationship with my real wife when I wanted nothing to do with her? I mourned her sister while Amanda slept next to me every night, a barrier of pillows between us.

It hurt. All of it.

And now I had to deal with the consequences of my actions.

"Xavier, where's your credit card?"

I looked up from my desk to where Amanda stood in the doorway. It was uncanny how much she looked like her sister—to the point where I was beginning to think I'd hallucinated even marrying Mia.

"Why?"

She huffed at me. "I need to order some things. You"re my husband. The least you can do is provide for me."

I let my head fall into my hands, a sigh working its way up my throat.

Since arriving, Amanda had been nothing but a straight menace. Nothing was good enough for her, she wanted things exactly to her liking and if they weren't, she would very loudly tell you.

Her brash personality clashed with mine, leading us to bicker more in the span of three days than I had with anyone else this entire year.

How was I supposed to spend the next fifty years married to someone like this?

"Hello? Did you hear me?"

This time, I actually did sigh. "Why can't you be more like those letters…"

I hadn't meant to say it aloud, but now that the words were out there, I couldn't take them back.

Amanda was silent for once, blissfully. I reveled in it, knowing that soon she'd ruin the moment with something as equally ridiculous as demanding my credit card.

"Are you actually serious? You liked those letters?" She laughed.

Lifting my head, I scowled at her. "I responded to them, didn't I?"

She laughed more, walking fully into my office. She swung herself into one of the chairs across from me, kicking her feet up onto my desk like she owned the place. "Well, sorry. I thought you just felt bad so you kept responding."

I grabbed her feet and knocked them off my desk, smirking when she had to grab onto the sides of the chair to catch herself. "No, actually. I liked corresponding with your sister."

"Then why the hell did you send her back?"

I didn't have an answer for that.

My marriage was to Amanda and therefore my alliance with her family was solidified that way. That's what our contract stated, and so it was legally binding. Or as binding as two mafia families could get.

"Don't ask stupid questions." I grabbed my pen, determined to go back to work.

"I'm serious. Why did you send her back if she's the one you want?"

"Because my marriage was supposed to be to you." I spat out. "I know you were too busy getting fucked on the beach in Cancun to know, but that's how contracts work."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Who cares? Just change the contract."

"I doubt your father would be pleased with that."

Amanda stood and leaned over my desk to get into my face. "You like my sister, right? She's the one, if you had to choose, that you'd marry?"

I hesitated, not knowing where this was going. "What if I do?"

"Just answer the question. If you had to choose: me or Mia?"

I swallowed. "Mia."

She grinned and clapped her hands together. "Great! Then it's settled. You'll take me back to my family's estate and collect my sister and her things. I'm sure she'll be happy to come back here."

"It's not that simple."

"Stop being such a fucking baby and go get your real wife."

Her words struck me almost instantly.

My real wife.

Technically… I did marry Mia, even if she was stepping in for Amanda as her proxy. But that didn't matter. In the eyes of the law, Mia was my bride, not her sister.

If Abraham had a problem with me swapping twins, then we'd have to renegotiate our partnership because I refused to stay trapped in a marriage with his one daughter who I was growing to despise with each passing day.

Being with Mia had been perfect. That's the marriage that I wanted. Not whatever the hell this was.

"Alright." I pushed my chair back from my desk and stood. "We're heading out immediately. It's time to renegotiate my contract with your father."

Amanda jumped up and clapped again. "Finally!"

***

Arriving at the O'Neil estate a half hour later had my nerves on edge.

As annoying as it was to admit to myself: I was nervous.

What if Mia was done with me and rejected me? Or she was too afraid to go against her father's wishes when he put his foot down that I was to stay married to Amanda? He could've already been in the middle of arranging for Mia to be married the entire time she'd been covering for her sister.

If that were the case, then I'd take out whoever it was he thought he could promise her to.

"Hello? Earth to Xavier." Amanda called out from the passenger seat.

I unclipped my seatbelt and popped open the door. There was no use in sitting in my car dwelling on the possibilities. I had to go in there and demand what I wanted and hope like hell that Mia forgave me for throwing her out.

My chest squeezed, remembering the look she'd given me as I'd told her to pack her things and go.

That heartbreak mirrored my own, and instead of staying and talking to her about it, I'd jumped the gun and kicked her out.

I was such a foolish man.

Amanda led us up to the front doors of the estate where we were greeted by two butlers in uniforms. They seemed surprised to see us but said nothing aside from a bland greeting.

"Dad!" Amanda called, her voice echoing through the large foyer. "Hello!"

"Amanda?" Someone called from down the hallway. A woman soon appeared, beautiful and with features that were similar to my wife's. "What are you— oh! Xavier!"

I nodded my head in greeting to her. "Mrs. O'Neil."

Her eyes darted between us. "Have you come for a visit?"

"We need to talk to dad," Amanda explained. "Where is he?"

"He's working, dear."

"Dad!" Amanda called again as she stepped around her mother and headed down a hallway to the left of the foyer.

"Amanda!" Her mother called after her, her voice chastising.

I followed Amanda down a long hallway that merged with another one that ran deeper into the house. She led us to a set of large double doors that were closed but unlocked from the inside when she tried the handle.

She poked her head into the room and then pushed the door fully open a moment later.

He looked up, startled. "Amanda? What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk to you." She waved me along as she stepped inside. "It's about Mia."

"What? Oh—Xavier?"

I put my hand on Amanda's shoulder, pausing her from derailing this. She'd have time to rag on me later for not having the kind of toiletries she preferred or the brand of bed sheets she preferred to sleep on.

"I've come to exchange your daughter for the other one," I said.

Abraham blinked at me from where he sat behind his desk. "I… pardon?"

"Amanda and I are incompatible and I much prefer to be married to Mia."

"It's been three days."

"So?" Amanda huffed. "We gave it the ole' college try. Now let him have Mia so I can come home. I'm sick of staying there."

"Where is she?" I asked.

"I'm confused. You wanted Amanda?"

"Yes. And I've made a grave error in believing that."

Amanda snorted, crossing her arms.

"Where is Mia?" I asked again. "I want to talk to her."

Abraham frowned. "She's not up for company at the moment. She hasn't come out of her room since she was brought back. She refuses to see any company and often won't eat. This whole situation took it's toll on her."

"Since she got back. She's not the same daughter that left. I do believe her heart has been broken and needs time to heal."

My heart sank hearing that.

It was my fault, obviously. How in the world was I going to make it up to her? She probably hated me by now.

"Xavier?" a voice behind me said.

Whipping around, my eyes widened when I spotted Mia standing in the doorway.