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When she turned twenty-five, and if she was married, she would automatically become the major shareholder. And Randall Scott could kiss his CEO position goodbye.
She just had to find a husband.
In three months.
As she walked into the restaurant with Rhonda, Bella remembered the day she’d thought Cain was going to propose.
It had been nearly perfect.
It was the day after their final college exams, and Cain asked her to take a walk with him along their favorite pier. Bella had barely been able to breathe as she waited for those four little words.
Instead, he told her he was moving to NYC.
And that it was over.
And he’d met someone else.
It was so abrupt and unexpected, the shock of it still took her breath away two years later. None of it made sense. Bella had been so sure Cain was going to propose.
Seven weeks later, her mom had died, and she’d sunk into depression. She’d been living at Montgomery Estate with Ward and her brothers, and they had all grieved together, but in their own way.
It had been a dark time, but the boys seemed to understand that her heartbreak was twofold.
“He never deserved you, Bella,” Atlas said.
“He doesn’t, but Cain was a good guy. Maybe he got cold feet, Bells,” Knox said. He was the oldest and had a sensible head on his shoulder. Then he had added, “But I’ll still go kick his ass if you want.”
“No,” she’d said, lying her head on Levi’s lap. “Maybe. No.”
“Say the word, Sis, and we will knock him into next week,” Levi said, tossing a ball over her to Atlas.
“Dad said you can’t play ball in here,” she reminded them.
“Dad also said we couldn’t drink all his liquor.” Atlas laughed.
“Don’t blame it on me this time,” she said, then giggled because it had been funny watching Ward try to work out if the three sneaky Montgomery boys were telling the truth that she had consumed an entire bottle of rum and whisky in one weekend.
“Dad!” Bella had cried, throwing out her arms. “Look at me? I’d either be dead or have drowned. Don’t let those cute faces trick you.”
They’d all been grounded for a month.
“You are all coming to work for me in sales when you are out of damn puberty!” Ward had growled, pointing at all their faces.
After college, she’d found the job at the museum and moved out of the Montgomery Estate.
And not dated.
Yes, she’d been aware of the clock ticking but her finger kept swiping left. If anyone looked her way, she’d remembered how she felt when Cain had left her standing there that day on the pier.
These days her heart was healed, but the idea of having her heart broken and not having her mom to talk to was scary.
Plus, Levi had been scarily descriptive about the ways he could kill any man who tried to hurt his big sister.
But the clock was ticking louder and louder.
Bella had three months. She either married or sold her shares and walked away from her family legacy...or fought Randall Scott with her current shareholding.
Ward had advised that after all this time, it would be a battle.
