“What’s wrong?” David asked, apparently sensing the odd vibes in the room. Charles sighed heavily and lifted a remote control. A large screen TV came to life on the wall across from them and Emily’s mouth fell open as she stared at a picture of herself on the screen.
“Emily Stewart’s fake marriage to billionaire heir David Marks is now claimed to be the biggest scandal of 2019.”
The news reporters were discussing the headline. “Why do you think Emily Stewart was so happy to participate in a fake marriage?”
“Well, Linda, our source tells us that she was looking to expand her business to Los Angeles.”
“Did your source have any information on how the fake marriage came about?”
“Yes, Jon. It’s reported that David Marks, the younger son, would not inherit part of the family fortune unless he found a wife.”
A chair scraped across the floor and Emily looked to see Edward at his feet, a dark green bruise covered his right cheek.
“I knew it,” he growled. Catherine covered her mouth with her hands and stared at them both with wide eyes.
Charles switched the TV off. Emily wanted the ground to open and swallow her whole. The truth was out.
“You believe everything you hear on the news?” David began with a shrug in an attempt to sound nonchalant. “Come on, it’s just sensationalist gossip.”
“So, you’re not opening up a matchmaking business in LA?” Edward asked Emily, his eyes burned through her soul and she swallowed nervously. Judgment day had arrived.
“Yes,” she said in a quiet voice. Edward raised a hand and scoffed with exasperation.
“And how exactly did you meet David?”
Emily clung to David’s hand as if her life depended on it. She glanced at him anxiously.
“He came into my office.” She shifted her weight and avoided eye contact with everyone in the room. David squeezed her hand.
“None of it matters. We love each other, and we’ve made a commitment.”
“Love.” Edward snorted and paced the room. Several of the guests made their excuses and took the opportunity to escape the awkward conversation.
“We’ll leave you to it. I want to see how Iris is doing.” An elderly woman patted David’s arm as she followed her husband out of the room. After a few tense minutes, only Charles and Edward remained at the table. Catherine made excuses about needing to warm up for an upcoming recital for Grandmother Marks.
“I thought I could smell a rat,” Edward sneered. David lunged forward but Emily pulled on his hand to stop him from strangling his brother. Charles got to his feet and the brothers looked at him.
“Enough. You two need to keep a low profile while we clear up this mess.” Charles rubbed his jawline and appeared to be deep in thought. His reaction confused Emily. Was he not furious like Edward? Based on what they’d seen on TV, he should be angry.
“Oh right, I get it.” Edward slammed a fist on the table. “This is perfect for you.” He pointed an accusing finger at his father. “I should have known you would have had something to do with this.”
“He had nothing to do with it, actually.” Emily squared up to Edward and set her jaw, staring him down. Edward turned to her and laughed, shaking his head.
“You might believe that,” he began, wagging a finger now at Emily, then at David. “But you’re wrong. There are too many coincidences.”
Emily looked at Charles who was staring at David intently. Then she looked back at David who was chewing his lip. It was as if they were having a silent conversation.
“What are you talking about?”
“None of it matters,” David began. Emily put her hands on her hips.
“What are you talking about?” she repeated firmly. She knew they shouldn’t have left their bedroom, something was about to happen that would ruin everything, she could feel it.
Charles sighed and motioned for them to take a seat. “Edward, calm down. There’s nothing anyone can do about it now.”
Edward pressed the palms of his hands against the brick fireplace and bowed his head low for a moment.
“I’ll tell Grandmother. This is wrong. She’s a fraud.” He turned and gave Emily a steely glare. Emily frowned back. She was not a fraud. Had she not told David the truth?
“It doesn’t matter, Edward. They’re married….” Charles glanced at David for a moment. “You did make it official, I gather? I didn’t tell you to pretend to marry her.”
Emily’s ears began to ring.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted out and took her hand away from David’s grasp. He looked down at her, biting his lip so hard she was sure it would draw blood. “What does that mean… You didn’t tell David to pretend to marry me?”
Edward turned around to face them and broke into a fit of dark laughter. “Oh perfect. Just perfect.” He slammed his fist on the table. “This is complete fraud. I’ll get my lawyers on this. You won’t see a penny of the inheritance.”
“You think I’m going to stand by and let you sell the family business, and use our good name to fund your childish ambitions?” David puffed out his chest, looking at Edward furiously.
“I am the only person in this family who can make hard business decisions.” Edward’s voice rose a pitch and his cheeks flushed. The bruise turned a shade of purple. “You lost half of everything in your name,” he accused Charles, then turned to David. “And you’re an architect. What do you know about running a business?”
The men broke into a heated debate, yet Emily’s brain was spinning with a debate of her own. Just what did Charles mean when he said that he didn’t tell David to pretend? Was there something more David had been hiding? He’d confessed from the beginning that he needed a wife to earn his inheritance. Was the “I need to find a wife in thirty days” just a ruse?
“Charles, did you target me
