Chapter 2
Series 1 Chapter 2
“Nothing that changes the terms of this agreement,” Adrian said.
“That isn’t an answer.”
“It’s the answer that matters.”
I closed the contract. “Do you have debts, a criminal record, another woman, or anyone who might come after me because I marry you?”
“No.”
“Will this marriage give you any claim to my bakery?”
“No.”
“Could your family interfere with my work or prevent me from leaving?”
“No.”
His answers came without hesitation.
“What are you hiding, then?”
“Private family matters that don’t affect your safety, property, or right to end the marriage.”
He sounded certain. That didn’t mean I trusted him.
But I understood the risks he had named—and the ones he had avoided.
“I want three changes.”
The lawyer opened his laptop.
“My bakery remains entirely mine. Adrian gets no ownership or control over it.”
“Agreed,” Adrian said.
“Neither of us may investigate, follow, or interfere with the other’s work without permission.”
Adrian’s fingers paused against his coffee cup.
Only for a second.
“Agreed.”
“And no public displays of affection unless we both consent beforehand.”
The lawyer glanced at Adrian. “Some family appearances may be necessary.”
“What kind of appearances?”
“Dinners. A trust interview. Possibly one formal event.”
“Will anyone expect us to kiss?”
Adrian looked directly at me.
“Not unless you agree first.”
My face warmed, which annoyed me.
“One more thing,” I said. “I don’t want twenty thousand dollars handed to me like you bought a wife.”
“How would you prefer it?”
“Ten thousand after we register. Ten thousand when the marriage ends. If you violate the agreement or hide something important, the remainder becomes payable immediately.”
“And if you leave without cause?”
“I give up the second payment.”
Adrian considered me for a moment.
“Add it.”
The lawyer made the changes.
When he finished, I read every line before signing.
It was Thursday afternoon. Adrian had to be married before Friday’s family vote, and the clerk’s office would close within an hour.
The timing was his problem.
The bakery was mine.
At city hall, the clerk examined our documents and looked between us.
“You understand that this is a legal marriage?”
“Yes,” Adrian said.
She turned to me. “Ms. Bennett, are you entering this marriage voluntarily?”
My mother’s old bakery key pressed into my palm.
Twenty thousand dollars would save everything she had left me. But accepting it meant tying my life to a man I had met less than two hours ago.
Adrian didn’t reach for me.
He didn’t remind me about the money.
“You can still walk away,” he said quietly.
I looked at him.
“I know.”
Then I signed my name.
The clerk stamped the papers.
Just like that, I became Nora Vale.
“Do you have rings?” she asked.
“I don’t,” I said.
Adrian reached inside his coat and produced a small box.
I stared at him. “You brought a ring to a meeting that wasn’t supposed to be a proposal?”
“My grandmother brought a lawyer. I prepared for the likely outcome.”
Inside was a simple silver band.
Adrian held out his hand but didn’t touch me.
“May I?”
I nodded.
His fingers were warm as he slid the ring onto mine. It fit perfectly.
I glanced at Evelyn.
She looked far too pleased with herself.
The ring’s weight made the arrangement feel real in a way my signature hadn’t.
Outside city hall, a black luxury car stopped at the curb. The driver immediately stepped out when he saw Adrian.
Adrian gave him a sharp look.
The man stopped and returned to the car.
“My ride has been delayed,” Adrian said. “We’ll take a cab.”
The black car followed us for two blocks.
I noticed.
Adrian noticed me noticing.
Neither of us said anything.
When the cab arrived at the bakery, he handed me a key.
“My apartment. You can move in tonight.”
“I thought we only had to share an address.”
“The trust requires a shared primary residence.”
“Share an address?”
His gaze dropped briefly to my wedding ring.
“Share a home.”
He checked his watch.
“Pack what you need, Mrs. Vale. I’ll pick you up at six.”
Less than two hours earlier, I had been fighting to save my mother’s bakery.
Now I had twenty thousand dollars, a wedding ring—and four hours to move in with a man I barely knew.