Chapter 5
The double oak doors burst open with a loud boom, startling James from the report on his desk. Sarah stormed into his private office, eyes blazing with fury, her chest heaving beneath her thin blouse.
"Sarah?" He stood up abruptly, shocked and remorseful. "What are you doing here?"
"Don't play dumb with me!" she spat, throwing a crumpled newspaper at his head.
James jerked back just in time as the projectile sailed past, scattering papers. The bold headline screamed at him: DYNASTIES MERGE: REYNOLDS HEIR TO WED MONTGOMERY PRINCESS.
Ice flooded his veins as he met Sarah's devastated glare. "How...how did you find out?"
"How did I find out?" She let out a biting laugh that cut him deeply. "You mean aside from the press release announcing to the world that my beloved fiancé is getting himself to another woman? The woman he swore to love and cherish until death?"
Her laugh turned into a strangled, anguished sound as betraying tears spilled down her cheeks. "Damn you, James! Damn you for making me believe this ring actually meant something!" She twisted the diamond ring on her finger as if to rip it off. "Was I just some fling to you, the bastard's bit of fun while you carried on with your deceit?"
"No!" He rounded the desk towards her in three long strides, aching to hold her yet unworthy. "Sarah, please, let me explain…”
Her palms struck his chest in a vicious shove, pushing him back a step. "Explain what? That you've been lying straight to my face for God knows how long? That you probably never cared about the future we planned together?"
"That's not true!" Horror and anger warred within him. How could she think such a thing after all they'd shared?
"Were you just stringing me along?" she persisted furiously. "Feeding me pretty lies about a happily ever after until your inheritance depended on casting me aside? Was that the game all along? Or have I just been too blind to realize money and power were always your one true love?"
Her voice cracked, yet she refused to give in to devastation in her eyes. "Or have I simply been too blind to realize that money and power were always your one, true mistress? I give you my all James, we had dreams we planned together was that all but a lie to you."
That stopped him short, puncturing his rising outrage more swiftly than a spear. Her accusations were heinous, yes, but tinged with the desperation of someone grasping at straws to explain senseless cruelty.
And why shouldn't she think the worst of him, after the parade of lies and humiliations?
James's shoulders slumped wearily. He sank into the chair opposite, raking a hand through his disheveled hair as he struggled to gather his whirling thoughts.
"You're right," he started hoarsely, meeting her gaze. "I haven't been fully honest with you these past weeks. But I swear on every ounce of love I have, it was never out of malice or deception."
Sarah stiffened, regarding him through a sheen of tears and smudged makeup. But she didn't flee as he expected. She didn't hurl more accusations.
“I never for once lied to you, I carried you along with the happenings in this company, we are in dire need of money and if nothing is done, I will end up in the street. I know you don’t want that for us. This is why this merger has to happen. I promise it will only be for a short time, this is for my family legacy,” James explained.
"So that's it, then?" she whispered, hugging herself as if shielding from trauma. "You're going through with this...sham marriage all to appease your father and uphold 'the family legacy?'"
A humorless puff of breath escaped her parted lips as she squeezed her eyes shut, hanging on by a thread. "My God, James...how could you let him reduce our love to such a hollow, sacrificial thing?"
Remorse knifed through him so keenly he could scarcely breathe. Striding towards her, he cradled her beloved face in his palms, forcing Sarah to meet his urgent gaze.
"Listen to me," he commanded in a low, gravelly tone edged with desperation. "You're more than just a love or legacy to me, Sarah. You're my heart, my reason for living. The very core of my being."
His thumbs traced her delicate cheekbones, catching the shining tears that slipped free, branding their glistening tracks into his soul.
"Nothing , not my family's estate or duty or even this cruel, calculated union , nothing will ever change how I feel about you," he swore hoarsely. "You are everything to me. My forever, no matter what obstacles fate puts in our way."
Sarah's resolve wavered, melting beneath the searing honesty blazing in his eyes. With a hitching sob, she slid her arms around his neck and buried her face against his throat. He enveloped her pliant form without hesitation, cradling her like the most precious treasure.
"Don't do this to me, James," she gasped against his neck. "Don't ask me to surrender the only stability I've known while you chase duty, legacy, and all those empty, heartless things."
Her slender frame trembled with the force of her desolation. "You're asking me to give up part of my very soul! How can any woman withstand such an ordeal?"
James pressed his brow to her crown, shredded inside by the anguish engulfing the woman he cherished above all others. How many more times must he witness her suffering before they found their way back?
How many more trials must they endure before escaping this fresh hell unscathed?
Gathering an iron resolve, he tilted her face up and slanted his mouth over hers in a fevered, desperate kiss. Sarah melted into the aching embrace, reciprocating ardently even as he tasted the salt of her tears on his lips and tongue.
When the fury of their kiss ebbed, James peppered frantic, soothing kisses over her damp cheeks and down the column of her neck before burying his face against the fragrant hollow beneath her ear.
"Give me one year, my love," he pled in a harsh, guttural murmur. "One year to set things right by any means necessary."
His palm cradled the back of her head, fingers tunneling through her thick tresses. "Then I'll rid myself of this shackled existence and any other obstacle keeping me from your side permanently."
At last, she drew back enough to gaze up at him, their mingled breaths intermingling. Her eyes shimmered with heart-rending vulnerability, pleading for him to assuage her every doubt.
Finally, she nodded, swallowing hard.
"One year. And then we run far away from all this madness...together?"
Emma stood frozen before the full-length mirror, her reflection staring back at her with apprehensive eyes. She twisted the glittering diamond adorning her slender finger, watching the facets catch the soft light and cast brilliant refractions across the room. This ring, a dazzling symbol of promise and forever, should have filled her with elation. Yet turmoil swirled like a tempest within her.Was she truly ready to take this monumental step? To surrender her autonomy and bind herself eternally to a virtual stranger? Her palms grew clammy as doubt took root, blossoming like an insidious vine slowly strangling all the effusive hopes she'd once harbored for a love transcendent.Everything just happened like a dream, James doesn’t regard her as her wife, they are just forced into this marriage for financial gain, will she ever be happy in this sham marriage she said to herself as her thumb unconsciously traced her delicate necklace as fragments of a cherished memory drifted through her
The private dining room at the Reynolds estate was adorned with crisp white linens and gleaming silverware, setting the stage for a celebratory family dinner. Emma smoothed the folds of her emerald green dress nervously as she took her seat beside James."Doesn't my little girl look radiant this evening?" Her father Donald Montgomery winked at her before turning to James. "You're one lucky young man."James barely glanced up from his phone, nodding distractedly. "Yes, quite fortunate."Senator Reynolds cleared his throat loudly. "James! Put that damn phone away and join us properly. This dinner is meant to be a joyous occasion for God's sake."Sheepishly pocketing his phone, James offered a tight smile. "You're right, Father. My apologies...I'm just preoccupied with all the wedding preparations."His mother Brenda patted his hand consolingly. "Planning such a big event with all your other responsibilities must be overwhelming, dear. But tonight is about family, not flowers and guest l
Emma was sitting at her desk, trying and failing to focus on the financial reports in front of her.There was a knock at her office door. "Come in," she called out irritably.The door opened and Mark sauntered in, shutting it behind him with a self-assured click. "Hello, Emma."Emma felt her blood pressure spike instantly at the sight of him. She shot up from her chair, sending it clattering to the floor. How dare he come to her office!"You...what are you doing here?" she spat out through gritted teeth, fists clenched at her sides.Mark gave her that insufferable charming smile that used to make her knees weak. "Now, now. Is that any way to greet an old friend?""We were never friends!" Emma raged, storming around the desk until they were face to face, close enough for her to smell his spicy cologne. It was the same scent that used to linger on his shirts when she'd bury her face in them after making love. She ruthlessly shoved that traitorous thought aside, focusing on the white-ho
After Mark finally left her office, Emma felt utterly drained, both emotionally and physically. She sank back into her desk chair, burying her face in her hands as she tried to process everything that had just transpired. The confrontation had dredged up a whirlwind of emotions - anger, lingering desire, bitter humiliation - leaving her reeling.A soft knock at the door made her look up with a weary sigh. "Come in."Nelly, her trusted assistant, poked her head in hesitantly. "Ms. Montgomery? Are you alright? I couldn't help but overhear some of that...heated exchange."Emma waved her in with a mirthless chuckle. "It's fine, Nelly. You may as well know the whole sordid tale at this point." As Nelly settled into the chair across from her, Emma began recounting the entire history - her years-long relationship with Mark, the devastating discovery of his infidelity with her former friend Amanda, and his increasingly desperate, manipulative attempts to win her back ever since news broke of
James stood outside Sarah's apartment, the weight of his impending wedding pressing down on him like a leaden sky. He clenched his fists, his heart torn between duty and desire. With a shaky breath, he raised his hand and knocked softly on the door.The door swung open, revealing Sarah's tear-stained face. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of James standing there, a tumult of emotions flickering across her features."James, what are you doing here?" Sarah's voice trembled with a mixture of hope and apprehension, “I thought you were…”"I had to see you, Sarah," James replied, his voice thick with emotion. "I couldn't go through with this without telling you one last time that I love you and I mean it."Sarah's breath caught in her throat, her heart aching at the sincerity in James's words. She stepped aside, wordlessly inviting him into her apartment.They sat in silence for a moment, the air heavy with unspo
Emma stared at herself in the big mirror, wearing her beautiful white wedding dress. The fancy lace looked so pretty draping over her slim body, with the delicate beads sparkling in the soft light of the dressing room."Wow, Emma, you look stunning!" exclaimed her nanny, Ruth, eyes shining with pride. "Your mother would have been so proud to see you in this gorgeous dress."Emma's smile faded a little as she felt a pang of sadness thinking about her late mother. She blinked rapidly, trying not to let the tears fall. How she wished her mom could be here on her wedding day."I know, Nanny," Emma said, her voice catching with emotion. "I just wish she could be here with us today."Ruth stepped forward and gave Emma a warm, comforting hug, putting her arms around her."I miss her too, Miss Emma," Ruth murmured gently. "But I know she's watching over you from heaven, and she's so proud of the beautiful woman you've become."The tender
James's eyes snapped open as he jolted upright in bed, his heart pounding with a sudden sense of urgency. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table and felt a surge of panic grip him. He was late – very late."Sarah, why didn't you wake me up?!" James exclaimed, his voice filled with frustration as he scrambled out of bed and dashed towards the bathroom.Sarah stirred from her sleep, blinking in confusion as she registered James's frantic movements."What do you mean? I thought you set your alarm," Sarah mumbled groggily, rubbing her eyes as she struggled to wake up.James didn't bother responding as he rushed through his morning routine, his mind racing with thoughts of the impending disaster that awaited him. Today was supposed to be his wedding day – the day he was supposed to marry Emma – and now he was running late thanks to Sarah's negligence.As James hastily dressed, he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that gnawed at his insides. How could he have overslept on the most i
Emma's legs felt like lead as she walked down the long aisle, her father's grip on her arm vice-like. Memories of Mark's betrayal with Amanda flashed through her mind in agonizing flickers.There was Mark, whispering hushed endearments to Amanda as they embraced... Mark and Amanda kissing passionately, oblivious to Emma's stunned presence... The devastated look on Amanda's face when Emma confronted her about the affair..."Emma, keep it together," her father hissed through a frozen smile as they approached the altar.She blinked back tears, putting on a brave face as James came into view. His expression was stony, giving no hint of the emotional turmoil she knew he must be feeling."Dearly beloved..." The priest's voice cut through her daze.Emma tuned out the droning speech, fighting waves of nausea. This was all wrong. She didn't love James, and he didn't love her. How could she go through with this sham?Her father shot her a warning look as the vows began. Emma's heart pounded, co