Chapter 7 - The Fiancé Who Was Hired to Love Me|
I stared at my phone.
Victor Harlan's voice lingered in my ears.
The house was never supposed to belong to you.
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
Then I asked:
"What does that mean?"
Victor laughed softly.
"Your grandmother made arrangements she never completed."
I felt cold.
"What arrangements?"
"Financial matters."
"Then speak to my attorney."
His tone changed.
"Ren, don't make this difficult."
Something inside me hardened.
Four days earlier, Derek had used almost the same words.
Don't make this difficult.
Don't embarrass me.
Don't overreact.
Men who wanted something from me always seemed to believe my resistance was an inconvenience.
I took a slow breath.
"Mr. Harlan, do not contact me again except through counsel."
I ended the call.
Roman watched me.
"What did he say?"
I told him.
His expression darkened.
"Victor has been trying to acquire several waterfront properties for years."
I frowned.
"Why?"
"Redevelopment."
I looked toward the documents.
"And Grandma's shares could affect that?"
"Possibly."
Rebecca interrupted.
"We shouldn't assume the papers establish current ownership until they're authenticated."
I nodded.
She was right.
I was learning that the truth required more than dramatic revelations.
It required evidence.
And I was tired of being manipulated by people who told convincing stories.
That evening, Derek appeared outside my father's house.
I saw him through the window.
He stood beside his car, holding flowers.
White roses.
My favorite.
Or at least, they had been.
Dad looked at me.
"Want me to send him away?"
I hesitated.
Then shook my head.
"I'll talk to him."
We remained on the porch.
Dad stood inside, close enough that I felt safe.
Derek looked exhausted.
His tuxedo was gone.
He wore jeans and a blue sweater I'd bought him last Christmas.
For a moment, he looked like the man I used to love.
Then he spoke.
"Ren."
I folded my arms.
"What?"
He lifted the flowers.
"I brought these."
I stared.
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to apologize."
I looked at him.
"For Cassandra?"
His face tightened.
"Yes."
"For the property documents?"
He hesitated.
"That too."
I laughed bitterly.
Derek lowered the flowers.
"Ren, I made mistakes."
"Mistakes?"
He looked away.
"I was under pressure."
There it was.
The familiar excuse.
Pressure.
Stress.
Business.
Anything except responsibility.
I stepped closer.
"Did your father tell you to date me?"
Derek went still.
For one terrible moment, he didn't breathe.
Then he whispered:
"What?"
I felt my chest tighten.
"Answer."
He looked toward the street.
I knew then.
Before he spoke.
I knew.
"Ren..."
My eyes filled.
"Oh, God."
He shook his head.
"It wasn't like that."
I laughed through tears.
"Did he?"
Derek swallowed.
"Yes."
The word shattered something inside me.
Three and a half years.
Birthdays.
Anniversaries.
Vacations.
Late-night conversations.
A proposal beside a lake.
And it had begun because someone told Derek to find me.
I stepped backward.
"Why?"
His eyes filled.
"My father wanted information about your grandmother's property."
I stared.
"And you agreed?"
"At first."
My stomach twisted.
At first.
The same words people used whenever they wanted the beginning of a lie to sound less cruel.
I swallowed.
"Did you ever love me?"
Derek looked devastated.
"Yes."
I stared.
"Then why Cassandra?"
He closed his eyes.
"I was selfish."
The answer was so simple it hurt.
No elaborate explanation.
No accident.
Just selfishness.
I looked at him.
"Did Cassandra know about your father's plan?"
He hesitated.
"Some of it."
My heart sank.
Of course.
I thought of all the times Cassandra told me Derek was a good man.
All the times she reassured me.
All the times she insisted I was lucky.
I looked away.
"Leave, Derek."
He stepped forward.
"Ren, please."
"No."
He stopped.
I looked directly at him.
"You didn't just cheat on me. You let me build my future around someone who wasn't honest about why he entered my life."
His face crumpled.
"I know."
I shook my head.
"You don't get to ask me to rebuild that future for you."
Then I went inside.
Dad closed the door.
For several seconds, I stood motionless.
Then I began crying.
He wrapped his arms around me.
I hadn't realized how badly I needed someone to hold me.
Across the city, Roman Valenti received a message from his attorney.
The original Whitaker-Valenti documents had been compared with archived records.
Several signatures appeared genuine.
But one document was missing.
A document that could determine who controlled the largest waterfront holdings.
Roman read the message twice.
Then he called Daniel.
"Find out who has the missing agreement."
Daniel hesitated.
"Sir, there's something else."
"What?"
"The original contract mentions Ren Whitaker by name."
Roman went still.
"That's impossible. She wasn't born when it was signed."
Daniel swallowed.
"There's an amendment dated twenty-four years later."
Roman stared.
"And?"
Daniel's voice became quiet.
"The amendment says Ren was supposed to marry a member of the Valenti family."
Roman closed his eyes.
May you like
Then whispered:
"My father arranged a marriage for me?"
