Chapter 4 - The Bride Who Changed the Terms
By Thursday morning, the story had changed.
Vivien was no longer being forced into a Saturday wedding.
There might not be a wedding at all.
Arthur remained under federal investigation after Lorenzo's attorneys turned over financial records.
Daniel Mercer had agreed to cooperate.
But one problem remained.
The Albanian syndicate still believed the marriage was happening.
Marco entered Lorenzo's study.
“They've contacted the wedding venue.”
Vivien looked up.
“What do they want?”
“To confirm the ceremony.”
Lorenzo immediately said, “Cancel everything.”
Vivien said, “No.”
Both men looked at her.
Lorenzo frowned.
“No.”
“You don't even know my idea.”
“I know that expression.”
“You've known me forty-eight hours.”
“It has been an educational forty-eight hours.”
Vivien walked to the table.
“They expect a wedding. So give them one.”
Marco laughed.
Lorenzo didn't.
“Absolutely not.”
Vivien pointed at him.
“You don't get to lock me away.”
“I can keep you alive.”
“Those aren't the same thing.”
“They can be.”
“Then we're doing this wrong.”
She opened the venue plans.
“They believe marriage gives you Hastings political protection and Pier Seventeen.”
“Yes.”
“So they'll come to stop it.”
“Probably.”
“Then federal agents will be waiting.”
Lorenzo studied her.
“You want to use yourself as bait.”
“I want to use their assumptions.”
“Same result.”
Vivien stepped closer.
“You said trust should be earned.”
“Yes.”
“Start earning mine.”
His expression shifted.
“How?”
“Stop deciding for me.”
A long silence passed.
Then Lorenzo looked at Marco.
“Contact the federal task force.”
Marco grinned.
“I like her.”
“Leave.”
“Definitely like her.”
When Marco was gone, Vivien looked at Lorenzo.
“So we're getting married?”
“No.”
She blinked.
“That's going to make the wedding difficult.”
“We stage the ceremony.”
“And if we survive?”
“You walk away.”
Vivien studied him.
“That easy?”
“No.”
Something in his voice changed.
She noticed.
Lorenzo looked toward the window.
“You asked for freedom. I won't be another man who takes it from you.”
For once, Vivien had no sarcastic answer.
Finally she said, “The contract I burned?”
“Yes?”
“I'd like another one.”
His eyebrows lifted.
“For a fake wedding?”
“For the operation.”
She picked up a pen.
“My terms.”
Lorenzo almost smiled.
“I'm listening.”
“No ownership of my property.”
“Agreed.”
“No control over my money.”
“Agreed.”
“No telling me where I can live.”
“Agreed.”
“No confidentiality clause.”
“Fine.”
“And if you ever lock a door while I'm inside again—”
“That one may be difficult.”
“Lorenzo.”
He smiled.
“Fine.”
Vivien wrote one final line.
Lorenzo read it.
Neither party owes the other anything beyond freely given honesty.
He looked at her.
“That isn't normal contract language.”
“Neither are we.”
He signed.
Vivien signed beneath him.
Then Lorenzo said, “There's another problem.”
“What?”
“My mother thinks the wedding is real.”
Vivien stared.
“You told your mother?”
“She found out.”
“How?”
“She's Italian.”
“That isn't an explanation.”
“In my family, it is.”
For the first time since arriving at Apex, Vivien laughed.
May you like
And Lorenzo couldn't stop looking at her.
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