Page 17 of The Devious Husband

My hands begin to shake as I unfold the documents, fearing what I’ll find. I’ve never seen Grandma look at me that way — with such regret and heartache. I read the words over and over, but no matter how badly I wish they would, they don’t change. I look up with tears in my eyes, my heart breaking. “Colon cancer?” I ask, my voice breaking. It can’t be. Is this a ruse, an attempt to convince me to marry Xavier?

“I accompanied her to the doctor this morning,” Val murmurs. “She brought me with her because she didn’t think any of us would believe her otherwise. It’s true, Sierra.”

Grandma’s gaze moves around the room, a sweet smile on her face. She looks at us like it’s the last time, like she wants to memorize every last detail about it, and it breaks my heart.

“How long have you known?” Lex asks, his voice hoarse, devoid of his usual lightheartedness.

“About a year. I’m old, Lex. I’ve accepted that my time has come, and I don’t want to spend the few months I have left becoming even sicker and frailer from chemotherapy. It’s okay, truly.”

She’s been sick for a year, and none of us knew? How much has she been through all by herself, suffering silently? I bite down on my lip in an attempt to hold back my tears, but they fall anyway. I was so young when a plane crash took our parents from us that I barely remember them. Grandma is the one who raised me, and I can’t lose her. She’s everything to me — my role model, my only parent figure, and my biggest supporter. I’m not sure who I even am without her cookies, her laughter, our weekly family dinners.

“I know you think you hate him,” Grandma says, her voice filled with understanding. “But he’ll love you like you deserve to be loved, Sierra. Xavier will protect you, and he’ll continue to be by your side when I’m no longer able to. I know you don’t want to marry him, but sweetheart… this is my last wish.”

Sixteen

Xavier

“Explain that discrepancy to me,” I tell my team, pointing at the slide they presented to me.

Farhana, my CTO, instantly begins to type furiously. “That doesn’t look right to me,” she agrees.

Mitch, my CFO, leans in to look at Farhana’s screen. “Let me recalculate that,” he says, his voice trembling. “I have no idea how this could have happened.”

“How the hell did none of you spot this when I noticed the figures couldn’t be right at a glance? I’ve told you countless times how important this project is — especially as it’s a joint one with Windsor Real Estate and Thorne Developments. These kinds of elementary mistakes make us look bad not just in front of the client, but in front of our peers, our competitors. No one is leaving this room until these figures are resolved and these slides are presentable.”

As if on cue, the doors to my conference room swing open. “I’m afraid I can’t just let you enter,” Sam says, his voice frantic, but there’s no stopping my future wife.

Sierra walks in, her beautiful eyes tinged red, like she’s been crying. My heart wrenches as I rise from my seat, the implication clear. She found out about our engagement, and she isn’t just unhappy about it, she’s devastated. For once, she’s caught me entirely off guard. I didn’t think she’d respond well to the news, but I never expected it to make her sad.

“Sierra,” I say, nodding politely, my tone mellow, cautious.

Her eyes roam over my board members, and her cheeks turn beautifully rosy. “I’m sorry, Mr. Kingston,” Sam says. “I told her to wait, but the meeting lasted longer than expected, and she thought I was just stalling?—”

“— you made her wait?” I ask, my tone carrying a hint of danger. He should know better than to make Sierra wait, but then again, she’s never walked into my office during office hours. She’s only ever broken in, wreaking havoc for me to find the next day.

“Xavier,” she says, her tone weary and lacking its usual fire.

“Get out.”

She recoils and I instantly realize she misunderstood. “I need to speak to?—”

“— get out,” I repeat, glancing at my board members. “I need a word with Ms. Windsor, in private. You have until tomorrow to sort out the figures we just discussed.”

My team all breathe a sigh of relief, no doubt grateful for the reprieve. The door closes behind Farhana, and I take a step toward my fiancée. Her breath hitches when I come to a stop in front of her, leaving nothing but an inch between our bodies. I thought she might step back, but she faces me head-on, her expression unwavering.

“Why did it have to be you?” she whispers, sounding pained.

I thought she might try to convince me to speak to her grandmother and end our engagement — I did not expect quiet acceptance.

I push down a hint of panic and try my best not to overthink my response. “Why not me? This merger would make our joint company unstoppable, and though you might not want to acknowledge it, we’re better off working with each other, instead of against each other.”

“You’d marry me for the sake of your business? Xavier, you already have over half the market share. There’s no need?—”

“I want more,” I say, knowing full well she’ll misunderstand. She always does.

She turns her back to me and runs a hand through her hair, her face tipped up toward the ceiling. I’ve never seen her look quite so helpless. It isn’t a look I like on her, and I fucking hate that I’m the cause of it.

“I’ll marry you,” she says, turning to face me, her expression crestfallen. “If that’s what my grandmother wants, I’ll do it, but I hope you know it’ll never be a conventional marriage.”

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