Olivia My legs shake the entire way to the chamber indicated in Prescott’s text. Yes, Liam is
in the diamond business, but I know how precious a red diamond like this can be. Mom
loved colored diamonds, and she sighed once that red stones are impossible to come by.
“The biggest is only five carats, and worth more than some people’s yachts. Can you believe
it?” The rock Liam put on my finger has to be way bigger than five carats. Maybe it’s from
his lab? Regardless, it’s stunning, the color de eply saturated and almost ruby-like in its
redness. It’s truly the kind of ring that makes a statement—that I’m his. My heart throbs
because... he isn’t exactly wrong. I am his as long as we’re married. I wouldn’t give him
anything less for agreeing to do this for me, not when he could’ve married any woman he
wanted—someone who could love him openly and warmly. Wistfulness rises in my chest
until it hurts. If Hugh hadn’t betrayed Mom, I could’ve been exactly that woman. I look
again at the stone and the flowers. He knows exactly how to make a woman feel like the
center of his universe. When we reach the chamber, Liam opens the door. Voices drift out.
“Can’t believe he invited you to be the witness,” Jeremiah grouses. “It was Olivia. My
client.” Prescott’s extra-dry voice. “I thought Liam would have a real wedding.” I scowl, the
red diamond glinting in my peripheral vision. This is a real wedding, hello! “It’s legally
binding,” Prescott points out. Thank you! “You know what I mean. Is this the trend among
young people now? Ares, Bryce and now Liam?” “Josh had a real wedding ceremony. And so
did your son.”
“Yes, but he had to.” A pause. “I was looking forward to drinking Liam’s champagne.”
“Jesus, don’t you bill him and his family enough to buy an entire vineyard?” “It’s possible,”
she says. The moment Liam and I st ep inside, the lawyers immediately quiet down.
Jeremiah’s in a red suit that matches her hair and the bright lipstick on her mouth.
Samantha has a r eputation as a legal shark, but Jeremiah is a legal Terminator. “This isn’t
what I meant when I said invite me to your wedding,” she says to Liam. “I’ll send you a
bottle of Dom,” he says. “Besides, you’ve been granted special status.” He leans toward her
and lowers his voice slightly. “Not even Czarina is here.” Her mouth twitches into a
reluctant smile. Finally, she rolls her eyes. “Fine.” “Who’s Czarina?” I ask. “Sorcha
Kingswood,” Jeremiah answers. “You’ll know what we mean when you meet her. She’s a
character.” Prescott turns to me with a warm, almost paternal smile. He’s the only one who
knows exactly what I’m about to do, but I need his legal expertise to make sure my revenge
will work. “Ready?” “Yes.” The third person who’s been waiting—the commissioner—st eps
forward. He has the kind of wiry body you get from hours of biking. Although his suit fits
him a little awkwardly, it doesn’t seem to bother him. His face is leathered from too much
sun, but the smile on his face couldn’t be more genuine. “My name is Gerald Castillo. And
you are?” “Liam Kingswood.” “Olivia Desmond.” “You make a beautiful couple. I love seeing
people take their ceremonies seriously, even if they can’t make a lavish show of it. Gorgeous
flowers, by the way.” I flush. “Liam gave them to me.” “Sir, you have great taste. Ready?”
“Yes.” Liam hands him our marriage license. He nods judiciously. “Good. A confidential
marriage license. Good call if you care about privacy. Everything’s in order.” His eyes drop
to the ring
on my finger. “Wow. Must’ve been some proposal.” My cheeks warm. Although Liam didn’t
make a formal proposal, the moment he put the stone on my finger I felt like a woman
worthy of the best from him. “Yes.” Liam seems a bit stiff. Maybe Gerald bringing up the
proposal is bothering him. I reach for his hand and squeeze. Formal or not, it was still
beautiful. And his sincerity beats any flashiness. “It was.” “You have to say yes to a rock like
that,” Jeremiah murmurs. “I would have.” Gerald laughs. “Absolutely.” Then he begins the
ceremony. He doesn’t talk much, just going for the bare minimum to get it done. Not sure if
it’s his MO or something Prescott requested since he knows this isn’t a love match and
wants to spare me any awkwardness. “We are gathered here today to witness the union of
Liam Kingswood and Olivia Desmond.” My heart pounds. This is it—overcoming one of the
biggest hurdles to achieving justice for Mom and Pochi. Finding a husband who would not
only stand by my side but also never turn against me has been hard. Although I was a little
short with Simon, he probably couldn’t have done any better. But now I have Liam. We
never dated at Stanford or anything, but he was always around. I saw how he was with his
friends and brothers in college, and now he’s built an incredible business on his own rather
than just living off his family’s money. A man who doesn’t take shortcuts is someone I can
count on. Still, my hands grow clammy with nerves. Liam threads his fingers through mine,
as though to communicate that we’ll be all right. I should know better, but I still lean on his
strength. Just for this moment. Any woman would be anxious in my place. “Do you take
Olivia Desmond to be your spouse?” Liam looks at me for two beats, his eyes shining softly.
Blood roars in my head, screaming—he’s too sweet, too kind. Can you ke ep him safe? It’d
kill me to see him hurt due to my quest for vengeance. The image of Mom lying at the
bottom of the staircase flashes through my mind. A mental picture of the broken fountain
where Pochi got hit. “I do.” His voice, so certain, cuts through the apprehension in my head.
All the noise inside me abruptly dies, leaving only peace.
“Do you promise to love, honor, and respect Olivia Desmond for as long as you both shall
live?” “I do.” Liam’s answers couldn’t be more resolute. They’re an anchor— reassuring me
that everything will be fine, that he’s on my side. Gerald turns to me. My heart starts
pounding. “Do you take Liam Kingswood to be your spouse?” My mouth dries, but I manage
to ke ep my voice steady. “I do.” “Do you promise to love, honor, and respect Liam
Kingswood for as long as you both shall live?” I look at Liam, study his strong, sensitive
features. Our eyes lock. “I do.” The moment the words leave my mouth, my heart pounds
with finality. For better or for worse, Liam’s my husband for six months after the birth of
our first child. I clench my hands around the bouquet to hide the tremors. Gerald signals
Liam with his eyes. “These rings are symbols of the vows you’ve made here today.” Liam
pulls out a pair of platinum bands, simple and elegant, designed not to compete with the red
diamond. But they’re solid enough to make a statement: we are in a committed relationship.
“This ring is the symbol of the vow I made here today.” He slides the slimmer one onto my
finger. I take the other one, warm from his body heat, and turn it a little. A simple
engraving winks from the inside: Always yours. My breath catches, and my eyes fly to his
face. He looks back at me like nothing’s wrong. My palm prickles. What does my ring say?
Jeremiah coughs quietly, jerking my focus back to the present. “This ring is the symbol of
the vow I made here today,” I say shakily, then place the ring on his finger. This is it. No
turning back. Now it’s full speed ahead, all the way until justice is served. “By the power
vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you married.” Gerald smiles. “You
may kiss your bride.” My nerve endings prickle—in apprehension or something else. Anxiety
winds through me, and I clench my hands even tighter around the bouquet. It’s just a kiss.
You have to do more than kiss to make a baby. I try to steady my heart, which feels like it’s
about to break free and tumble around inside my chest. Then, holding the white dahlias like
a shield
between us, I turn to him, my mouth slightly parted. A lopsided grin tugs at his mouth
before he bends down. He doesn’t devour me like I half expect. His mouth is dry and soft,
his tongue flicking over me briefly for a taste. But my heart jolts like he’s sent an electric
shock through my body. He pulls back, then places another one—tenderly—on my forehead.
The air catches in my throat, and I can’t breathe. He looks down at me like he’s holding the
most precious treasure in his hands. Butterflies suddenly swarm in my belly. I blink up at
him in confusion. How can such a chaste kiss on my forehead feel so intimate? The sound of
the iron wall around my heart cracking echoes through my entire being. Shivers spread
down my spine, and I clench my jaw, determined to master myself. I can’t afford to be
carefree and get sw ept up in the make-believe. Although marrying Liam is a major st ep and
it needs to look real to everyone, I still have a few more moves left to execute. Hugh won’t
surrender without a fight. Deena and Brielle won’t kneel without kicking and screaming
first. Gerald brings out our marriage license. I sign it first, my hand stable, then watch as
Liam signs his name in a bold scrawl. “That was short but lovely. But why are we here if you
have a confidential marriage license?” Jeremiah says. “Just because I want privacy doesn’t
mean I don’t want important people at the wedding,” I say. Hugh will try to contest the
validity of the marriage, probably calling me crazy or addicted to drugs or alcohol or of
unsound mind since Mom and Pochi died. After all, I’ve accused Deena and Brielle of
murdering Mom, then called Brielle a “dog killer.” But... Good luck, parasite. Both Prescott
and Jeremiah Huxley bore witness to this ceremony. He’ll never be able to claim that the
marriage was a sham to kick him off the trust, not with these formidable attorneys and the
unassailable r eputation and power of Huxley & Webber behind them. It’s no accident I
asked Prescott to attend today. However, I’m getting the feeling that even if I’d picked two
homeless people off the street as witnesses, Liam would never allow Hugh to trash our
marriage.