Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
T he envelope and velvet box sat between them like a king cobra snake waiting to strike. Then again, maybe that was too dramatic but still, Scarlett sat frozen in place afraid to move or say anything. She wasn’t sure what was in the envelope, but she had a fairly good idea what might be in the small red box.
Pulse pounding faster, she swallowed hard, then lifted her gaze to Antonio who was watching her closely. The only sounds in the house were of the quiet hum of the refrigerator and soft jazz playing in the background. Seconds ticked by without either of them speaking.
Normally, she could get a conversation going between them, but Scarlett sat speechless. She should’ve known something like this was coming. It had been days since they left his father’s office and agreed to put the adoption and marriage idea out of their minds. Well, she tried, even though the marriage of convenience suggestion had been swirling inside her head ever since Mr. Jenkins planted the idea. The weird thing was, she could totally envision a life with Antonio.
How was that possible? They barely knew each other. Yet, she knew without a doubt he’d make an amazing husband to her and a fantastic father to Bella. But she couldn’t imagine a marriage of convenience. She really wanted to be in love before she said, “I do.”
“While I was waiting for you to get changed after the fashion show, I heard from my dad,” Antonio said. “Luke and Michael gathered a lot of information about Cynthia and her family. But my father was only willing to share a little of what was discovered. It appears Cynthia does have some health issues. I’m sorry to say she’s been seen visiting one of the top oncologists in Coral Gables.”
Scarlett sucked in a breath, but otherwise tried not to react for fear Antonio wouldn’t tell her the rest. Yet, knowing her intuition was correct, that Cynthia was ill, weighed heavy on her. This explained all the talk about her will.
“It also appears Theodore and Alberta are separated, but they are keeping it very quiet. They have been seen socializing and attending events together and by all accounts they still look like a happily married power couple.”
“Cynthia must not know,” Scarlett murmured. “Then again, she probably does, but—”
“Who knows,” Antonio said. “One good thing that Mike found was Alberta made sure Nina Tate, the person who killed Ezra won’t be free for a very long time if ever. Nina’s attorney requested the Florida parole commission give her early parole. Alberta knocked that down real quick by attending the hearing and told them the woman would die in jail if left up to her. She also—”
“She said that?”
“That’s what I was told, but she also found proof that Nina’s parents had paid off cops in two previous incidents when she was a senior in high school.”
Scarlett’s hand went to her chest. “What?” she whispered.
This was news to her. She hadn’t attended the hearing because she no longer lived in Miami. Besides, the guilt she’d still been carrying at the time had been almost debilitating.
“Nina had received two citations, but they somehow disappeared from the database. One was for texting while driving. The other—though she tested under the legal limit—was for drinking and driving. That one resulted in an arrest, but it’s unclear why it wasn’t mentioned while she was standing trial for Ezra’s death.
“Alberta filed for a new trial, but it’s been pushed back a few times. Anyway, parole was denied and as of now, she’s still expected to serve a minimum of fifteen years.”
Heart pounding faster than it should, Scarlett sat stunned as she tried to process all he was saying. She still didn’t want Alberta and her husband anywhere near Bella, but she was glad the woman was continuing to get justice for Ezra’s death. It was the least she could do but hearing this brought back horrible memories of that night.
“Hey,” Antonio said, and Scarlett jerked her head up when he gently touched her arm. “If you’ve heard enough, I can—”
“There’s more?” she asked.
Yes, she’d heard enough, but she needed to know everything in order to determine what she might be up against in the future.
“There is and this next bit of information is a little troubling. It has to do with Theodore. Michael is looking a little deeper into some allegations regarding Ezra’s father, but his initial findings make him believe they are true. Over the years, Theodore has been the subject of multiple sexual harassment lawsuits. The lawsuits have been settled in some cases and dropped in others. Recently, he was accused of accepting bribes and influence peddling, but denies all accusations.
“Alberta is Theodore’s lawyer, and so far, he hasn’t been charged with anything despite other politicians saying he’s corrupt.”
“Wait. I thought Alberta was a corporate lawyer.”
“She is. She practices more than one area of law, including criminal law.”
Wow. No wonder the woman had a bad attitude. She probably puts in a hundred hours a week.
“My dad also mentioned there are rumors floating around that Theodore’s involved in an international bribery scheme, but right now those are only rumors.”
Scarlett’s head was spinning. She commended Alberta for fighting for justice for Ezra, but standing by Theodore, when it sounded like he had some corruption tendencies, was unconscionable. Yes, people should be considered innocent until proven guilty, but to even have his name mentioned in these instances is hard to ignore.
Either way, Scarlett believed Ezra and Cynthia regarding their personal experience and opinion when it came to Theodore and Alberta. She didn’t want these people in their lives, especially Bella’s life, and she needed to do whatever necessary to make sure it didn’t happen.
Scarlett rubbed her temples. “God, this is a lot.” It wasn’t just about all that Antonio just told her. The sudden stress also had to do with the red box sitting in front of her like a blinking neon sign.
“Baby, I know it’s a lot to process, but I don’t want us to sit back and wait and see. I want us to take action.”
He reached for the large envelope, and Scarlett’s pulse pounded loudly in her ear. After removing the document, he handed it to her. At first, she just stared at the stack of papers before accepting them.
“This is a contract between you and me. A marriage contract.”
Oh crap .
So much for tabling this discussion until… never. Of course, he couldn’t drop the subject. Antonio was a take-charge person, one of many things she liked about him, but this? This…
“I love you, Scarlett.”
Her gaze jerked to his, and the tenderness in his eyes matched his words, but… “Tony—”
“Let me finish,” he interrupted. “I am in love with you, and I know you’re the woman I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with. I also know we’ve only known each other a short time, and I know we don’t know everything about one another. That doesn’t stop me from loving you and wanting to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“I care about you,” she said, her words sounding feeble compared to his declaration, but she really did.
She more than cared. So much so, it would break her heart if things ever ended between them. It didn’t matter if it was only a friendship or something more. The thought of him not being in her life was scary as hell. He was a part of her. Maybe not in the way he wanted, but a part of her, nonetheless.
“I know you care about me,” Antonio said with confidence and lifted the small red box. “I can see that in the way you look at me, and I feel it in the way you treat me. I also know you want to be in love before even considering marriage, but I’d like for you to make an exception. I want you as my wife, Scarlett, and I want Bella to be my daughter. Yes, this might start as a marriage of convenience, but I know you’re going to fall in love with me at some point.”
She quirked an eyebrow and couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her lips. His confidence, with a tad of arrogance, was sexy as hell. Instead of saying that, she let him continue.
“That contract lays out everything I’m promising, including adopting Bella and officially making her my daughter. I’ll also cook for the both of you a minimum of four days a week, and I will support you both financially and emotionally. Whether you need me to or not. I promise you a minimum of two date nights a week, and a host of other things that are clearly laid out in the contract. Keep in mind, everything in the document is negotiable except for one thing.”
Scarlett swallowed hard, almost afraid to ask. “And what’s that?”
“We’d be married in every sense of the word.”
Tears crept into Scarlett’s eyes, and she quickly batted one away when it slipped down her cheek. Another one followed. Her heart felt as if it would explode from this man’s kind gesture, his sweet words, and from the way he made her feel—loved.
God, this was too much.
She cared for him deeply. No, actually she loved him, but it wasn’t enough. Was it? Scarlett couldn’t believe she was seriously considering marrying someone who she wasn’t madly and passionately in love with.
Antonio stood and moved around the table until he was next to her chair. When he dropped down to one knee and opened the red box, Scarlett’s breath caught. The platinum twin pavé crossover diamond ring was breathtaking. It was the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen.
“Scarlett Rowsey, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”