Page 30 of The Contract Marriage

“Jesus, don’t you bill him and his family enough to buy an entire vineyard?”

“It’s possible,” she says.

The moment Liam and I step inside, the lawyers immediately quiet down. Jeremiah’s in a red suit that matches her hair and the bright lipstick on her mouth. Samantha has a reputation as a legal shark, but Jeremiah is a legal Terminator. “This isn’t what I meant when I said invite me to your wedding,” she says to Liam.

“I’ll send you a bottle of Dom,” he says. “Besides, you’ve been granted special status.” He leans toward her and lowers his voice slightly. “Not even Czarina is here.”

Her mouth twitches into a reluctant smile. Finally, she rolls her eyes. “Fine.”

“Who’s Czarina?” I ask.

“Sorcha Kingswood,” Jeremiah answers. “You’ll know what we mean when you meet her. She’s a character.”

Prescott turns to me with a warm, almost paternal smile. He’s the only one who knows exactly what I’m about to do, but I need his legal expertise to make sure my revenge will work. “Ready?”

“Yes.”

The third person who’s been waiting—the commissioner—steps forward. He has the kind of wiry body you get from hours of biking. Although his suit fits him a little awkwardly, it doesn’t seem to bother him. His face is leathered from too much sun, but the smile on his face couldn’t be more genuine. “My name is Gerald Castillo. And you are?”

“Liam Kingswood.”

“Olivia Desmond.”

“You make a beautiful couple. I love seeing people take their ceremonies seriously, even if they can’t make a lavish show of it. Gorgeous flowers, by the way.”

I flush. “Liam gave them to me.”

“Sir, you have great taste. Ready?”

“Yes.” Liam hands him our marriage license.

He nods judiciously. “Good. A confidential marriage license. Good call if you care about privacy. Everything’s in order.” His eyes drop to the ring on my finger. “Wow. Must’ve been some proposal.”

My cheeks warm. Although Liam didn’t make a formal proposal, the moment he put the stone on my finger I felt like a woman worthy of the best from him. “Yes.”

Liam seems a bit stiff. Maybe Gerald bringing up the proposal is bothering him. I reach for his hand and squeeze. Formal or not, it was still beautiful. And his sincerity beats any flashiness. “It was.”

“You have to say yes to a rock like that,” Jeremiah murmurs. “I would have.”

Gerald laughs. “Absolutely.” Then he begins the ceremony. He doesn’t talk much, just going for the bare minimum to get it done. Not sure if it’s his MO or something Prescott requested since he knows this isn’t a love match and wants to spare me any awkwardness.

“We are gathered here today to witness the union of Liam Kingswood and Olivia Desmond.”

My heart pounds. This is it—overcoming one of the biggest hurdles to achieving justice for Mom and Pochi. Finding a husband who would not only stand by my side but also never turn against me has been hard. Although I was a little short with Simon, he probably couldn’t have done any better. But now I have Liam. We never dated at Stanford or anything, but he was always around. I saw how he was with his friends and brothers in college, and now he’s built an incredible business on his own rather than just living off his family’s money. A man who doesn’t take shortcuts is someone I can count on.

Still, my hands grow clammy with nerves. Liam threads his fingers through mine, as though to communicate that we’ll be all right. I should know better, but I still lean on his strength. Just for this moment. Any woman would be anxious in my place.

“Do you take Olivia Desmond to be your spouse?”

Liam looks at me for two beats, his eyes shining softly. Blood roars in my head, screaming—he’s too sweet, too kind.

Can you keep him safe? It’d kill me to see him hurt due to my quest for vengeance. The image of Mom lying at the bottom of the staircase flashes through my mind. A mental picture of the broken fountain where Pochi got hit.

“I do.” His voice, so certain, cuts through the apprehension in my head. All the noise inside me abruptly dies, leaving only peace.

“Do you promise to love, honor, and respect Olivia Desmond for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”