Prologue Part I
+2 Bonus
Holding her results of her medical exam in her hand, shaking and terrified, January Crane was thrilled to be running to her husband’s study to give him the good news. They were pregnant. It was their first child and all she could think of was how happy her husband Gulliver was going to be.
He’d been trying with her since their wedding night six months ago to get her pregnant. Their short whirlwind of a marriage was a fairytale to her. She was a college student at nineteen when she met him. The older brother to one of her classmates, he’d taken one look at January as she exited the college’s main building arm–in–arm with his sister with whom she was working on a class project, and decided she was meant to be his.
She’d not met any of his other family. They all resided. in Europe, between his father’s English family and his mother’s Greek one. She knew they were wealthy and that he was only in New York so his youngest sister, Thisbe, who was also enrolled in a degree in fine arts at NYU, wouldn’t be alone. According to Gulliver, the entire family was working desperately on a large merger, and his father and mother were working on their end in Europe
12:29
Prologue Part I
+2 Bonus
while he oversaw business in New York at his father’s American location. Since nobody had time for Thisbe, Gulliver was tasked with keeping her in line.
He didn’t mind because his best friend also was American. She’d also not met Ford Miles, though she’d spoken to him on the phone multiple times. From a family almost as wealthy as Gulliver’s family was, he’d teased her mercilessly on the phone, promising to meet
her the next time he was in New York.
Her parents adored Gulliver. While he was a whole ten years older than her, it was clear he adored their daughter and they along with Thisbe were the only guests at their courthouse wedding, six months ago.
Her parents came from humble beginnings, and they appreciated that despite Gulliver being incredibly wealthy, he was down to earth and he won them over with his nature. He even helped her mother with some gardening and digging of spots for her flower beds. She felt her palms sweating at the memory of him in jeans and a T–shirt, sweat rolling down his back as he worked the earth for his mother. He was a sexy man, and he was all hers.
2/6
12:29
Prologue Part I
+2 Bonus
About to push open the door to the study, she heard the familiar voice of Thisbe and grinned. Thisbe would be excited to know she was having a niece or nephew. Her footsteps faltered though, her hand on the doorknob as she heard Thisbe’s hiss.
“You’re a lying sack of shit, Gully. You have to tell her the truth.”
“Why?”
“Because she thinks she’s fucking married to you!”
“She is.”
“She is not. The marriage certificate was never filed and the thing that is sitting in your safe is a fake. It’s not even real. She is my friend, and I hate lying to her.”
“In my heart she is my wife. The rest, it’s for the best she
doesn’t know.”
“Whose best? It’s certainly not in her best interests. You’ve made her the other woman by agreeing to marry Duchess,” the way Thisbe sneered the other woman’s
áme made January’s bottom lip tremble.
12:29
Prologue Part I
+2 Bonus
“Duchess will be my wife on paper. It is for the purpose of the peace between our two families. She knows of January. She has no issues with January playing a role here in New York away from Europe, so long as it’s discrete and any children we have won’t have access to the Raptis name and won’t be the heir.”
“You’re going to sleep with Duchess for a fucking heir and January is never going to know. To her, this would be cheating, yet since Duchess is the one with your fucking legitimate wedding certificate, January is the other woman. You are doing everything which would break her heart.”
“She loves me. She would understand.”
“If she would understand, let’s call her in here and ask
her.”
“Thisbe, you have been ordered by the head of this family to keep your fucking mouth shut. I don’t want to hear another word from you on this matter. If you love her and you don’t want to see her heart broken, then you will continue to play this charade.”
4/6
12:29
Prologue Part I
“For how long?”
+2 Bonus
“Forever. She will be my partner here in New York. I love her, very much, Thisbe but there are things I can do for myself and things I must do for the family. You know I cannot refuse an order from the head of our family. I have been ordered to marry Duchess, and I will do as I’m told. You will as well.”
“And if I refuse.”
“Then you go back to England or better yet, Greece, where Grandfather will put you to work in his offices, so you learn the importance of following the rules he sets forth.”
“Then send me back to England because I can’t lie to her. I won’t lie to her any longer. I thought once you were living together and being together, your love, your heart would overrule your stupid brain and the need to please that old bastard who –”
“Enough!” he raised his voice furiously. “You will not insult the vovoi of our family. You can go to your room, pack your shit, and get ready for the first flight back to ɓondon. You’re done in New York. You can finish you?2:30
Prologue Part I
+2 Bonus
degree remotely or not at all, I don’t care. You will never be permitted to seek out or talk to January again. It is clear you do not have the best interests of this family at heart. I am disappointed in you.”
“You’re disappointed in me?” Thisbe’s voice was thick with emotions. “I’m not disappointed in you. I’m disgusted by you, Gully. A typical fucking Raptis–Crane hybrid of immoral and corrupt self–serving bullshit. You want the inheritance. You know he won’t give it to you if you don’t marry that bitch Duchess. You want to take over as vovoi when Grandfather dies since his only heir is Mom and it can’t be passed to a woman. You want the prestige and the honor that comes with the title of head of family and yet, you want to have the quiet life in the New York suburbs with a wife who doesn’t know what she’s signed up for. I hate you and I will never forgive you.”
“Leave my office now.”
January turned and ran down the hall, ducking into a spare room to avoid running into Thisbe.
7
66 Write your comment
