Chapter 4 #2
She showcased the paper with the bold headline announcing Grant’s first arrest. “And found out that two days after you got married, you were arrested for murder.”
She chuckled. “In a case that sounded eerily similar to me because it turns out my sister called me to discuss it and told me it was a book plot. And in which my sister was injured while rescuing a kidnapping victim.”
She slammed the paper down on the table with enough force to rattle the dishes.
“I wondered if it was just a terrible coincidence, but here you are again in handcuffs after a brawl with none other than my sister’s stepson-slash-physician.
” She dangled another page with the headline Billionaire Bar Brawl .
She lifted another sheet. “Oh, and then there was the kidnapping.”
“Ally…” Julia started, desperately trying to control the situation as her sister paraded every terrible event during their marriage in front of them.
“Not done yet. An explosion. A few scandals. And finally, my personal favorite.” Alicia’s expression slipped from angry to bitter upset as she lifted the page, her eyes glassy. “Near-fatal car accident almost claims life of billionaire bride.”
“Ally–”
“Don’t. You almost died,” she shouted, tears finally spilling onto her cheeks. “And I didn’t know a thing about it.”
She fixed her eyes on Grant as she flicked away a tear. “What were you planning on doing? Burying her without ever telling us?”
“Of course not,” Grant answered.
“Did I miss anything?” Alicia asked, throwing her hands out.
“The part where Kyle re-kidnapped Julia after he rescued us from the first kidnapping,” Sierra said.
“Sierra,” Grant growled at her while Kyle shook his head.
“Well, at least one of you is honest,” Alicia said, sticking her hands on her hips. “It’s just too bad it’s not my sister.”
Julia’s heart ached at her sister’s upset.
“I think you’re being unfair–" Grant began.
Julia patted his hand. “I’ve got it,” she whispered as she rose, skirting the table to wrap an arm around her sister.
Alicia sniffled, wiping at her cheeks again as she shifted away from her sister, but this time Julia was not going to allow her to put distance between them. She tightened her grip. “Let’s go talk.”
Alicia, struggling not to let more tears spill onto her cheeks, bobbed her head up and down in a silent response. Julia leaned her head against her sister’s as she led her from the dining room to the living room.
She eased Alicia into the leather as she perched on the coffee table and took her sister’s hands in hers. “Ally…”
“Why, Juju? You had all this going on, and you just kept lying to me.” Her voice remained raw with hurt.
“I’m sorry.”
Alicia sniffled again. “I appreciate the apology, but, Julia, why? Why did you keep this from me? And why did you marry him?”
“It’s complicated.”
Alicia shook her head, eyes still glassy. “That’s all I’m getting? You’ve been kidnapped, close to death, in some kind of love triangle with a father and son that led to a fistfight…” The emotions spilled over again as her voice hitched and her features melted.
“But I’m fine.”
Alicia blew out a shaky breath. “I don’t know how. A car accident?”
Julia squeezed her hands. “I’m okay. No lasting effects.”
Alicia wiped at her tears again. “So, this complicated relationship. Does it have to do with…something he has on you? Are you married to him because he’s blackmailing you?”
“No!” Julia said, her voice incredulous. “No, nothing like that. I promise.”
Alicia stared at her sister with tear-filled eyes, trying to assess the truth of her statement.
“I’m not lying. But I never intended for you to know about any of this.”
Alicia screwed up her face. “So, what? You were just going to stay away for the rest of your life?”
Julia shook her head. “No, but…” She centered her gaze on her sister’s face. “I need to know I can trust you with this.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Ally…”
“Fine, fine. You can trust me.”
“Grant and I…our marriage is…it’s a contract.
And if you tell anyone that outside of this family, I will deny it.
But…we got married to save his image from a hostile board.
We were only supposed to be married for a year.
I figured…” Julia shrugged. “I’d marry him, we’d get divorced, and no one here would be any the wiser. ”
Alicia’s features shifted from upset to confused. “What? So, what are you saying? You’re…like a prop? An employee?”
“More or less,” Julia said with a nod.
“Then why the hell aren’t you divorced? Why are you on a family vacation sixteen months later?”
“We…didn’t resolve all of the issues within the year. Things are really complex. We agreed to extend the contract for another year.”
Alicia studied her lap, trying to make sense of it. “Well…I don’t understand, Juju. I see what he’s getting out of this, but what are you getting besides nearly killed?”
Julia heaved a sigh. “Five million a year.”
Alicia’s eyes went wide, though Julia couldn’t decide if it was from the amount or the fact that she’d married a man for money. “Oh my goodness, Julia.”
Julia gave her sister a moment to process it, hoping she now understood why she said nothing.
Alicia leaned forward, squeezing her sister’s hands. “You need to get out of this.”
Julia’s shoulders slumped. “Ally, in eight months, this will be over.”
“Unless it’s not. I mean, this has already gone on longer than you expected. Julia, how can you live like this?”
Julia let her face fall to their clasped hands.
She couldn’t admit that part of the reason was because she’d developed feelings well beyond that of her contractual obligations.
She enjoyed their work together. But she didn’t want to hear the lecture from her sister.
Especially when she had enough doubts of her own about him.
She imagined her sister lecturing her about being his fifth wife, about his playboy days which had made it across her desk. And she already knew all of those things. She didn’t need to have them thrown in her face.
“It’s been a balancing act. But at least now you know, and I don’t have to juggle that anymore, right?”
“Julia, I’m not joking. This seems…dangerous. Not to mention the really weird family dynamics. I mean, what’s with that strange daughter?”
“Sierra isn’t strange, she’s just…different. But she’s fiercely loyal.”
Alicia shook her head, her emotions finally coming under control. “I assume you didn’t tell me because you knew I’d hate this?”
Julia bobbed her head up and down. “Yes. I didn’t want to explain it, and I knew you wouldn’t agree.”
“No, I don’t,” Alicia said with a shake of her head. “But I don’t want any more secrets, okay?”
Julia patted her sister’s hand as she nodded. “Okay.”
Grant appeared in the doorway. “Juls, everything okay?”
Alicia’s expression morphed. The understanding flickering in her eyes, softened by sisterly concern, became swiftly overshadowed by a protective, almost ferocious glare. She rose from her seat, shaking her head.
“Ally?” Julia asked as she stood.
Alicia grimaced at Grant as she strode closer to him. “I’m good with my sister, but I have a big problem with you. And I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure she’s free of you.”
She pushed past him and stormed to the door.
It slammed seconds later, startling Julia.
She swallowed hard, relief mixing with a fresh wave of anxiety.
While honesty had lifted some of the weight off her chest, it had also opened a Pandora’s box.
Now, she faced not only Alicia’s disappointment but a tangible threat to the fragile equilibrium of her life with Grant.