Page 28 of The Rancher's Plain Jane Wife

"Enough to get rid of him?"

"I..."

Damian looked as if he was about to strangle her. "What the fuck is there for you to hesitate for? Do you really love him that much?"

Sarah didn't dare let herself speak. Damian knew her all too well, after all, and if she wasn't careful, he'd end up tripping her into telling the truth like he always did.

"Give me his name—-"

"Damian? Sarah? What the hell are you two doing up there?"

The sound of Josiah's puzzled voice distracted Damian, and Sarah didn't waste time in seizing the chance to escape. Shoving him off, she quickly ran down the steps to join her stepfather in the landing.

"Sorry for going MIA," she apologized quickly. "Damian and I just had a bit of an argument, and we thought it would be better to keep it from the public eye."

Josiah glanced at his son, who was coming down the steps with a shuttered exprssion, and then back at his stepdaughter, who had just finished sliding her tiny feet back into her glittery heels. "Is it something I should meddle with?"

"Yes."

"No."

The two had answered at the same time, but what stunned Josiah was who had said what, and Damian, who normally asked him to mind his own business, was now suddenly singing a different tune and wanting him to get involved.

In times like this, it was best to side with the woman, and so Josiah simply said, "Let's head back before Naomi reports us missing."

"I agree," Sarah said quickly, and because she had yet to ask Damian not to say anything about Hardy to anyone, she held back to wait for Damian and curved her arm around the billionaire's as soon as he reached her side. "It's best to present a united front tonight of all nights, don't you think,big brother?"

The subtle warning wasn't lost on him, and Damian's lips curved in a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Quite right,little sister." But the moment Josiah turned and started walking ahead of them, he said under his breath, "Don't even fucking think this is over."

"Just please don't tell Josiah or Mom about this," she please. And as all eyes turned to them as they followed Josiah up the ballroom stage, she whispered, "Please, Damian. This is my problem to solve—-"

"Just give me his name," Damian murmured as they took position, "and he'll cease to be a problem."

He means he wants Hardy to cease existing at all,Sarah thought, but this she could only keep to herself as the live orchestra had already started playing and it was time for both Damian and her to join their parents in tonight's opening waltz.

Unlike Sarah, whose attention was focused intensely on not missing any steps, Damian hadn't any problems multitasking, and the billionaire continued to brood over Sarah's surprising show of stubbornness towards the other man. That it was possible for Sarah to actually have fallen in love with another man, Damian refused to consider at all.Sarah was his, dammit. Always had been, always would be, and no other fucking man, a married douchebag least of all, would change that.

When the music finally ended, a plan had already formed in the billionaire's mind, and no time was wasted in executing it. As soon as they finished making their bows to the stage and the curtains fell behind them, Damian drew Sarah close, and ignoring their parents' curious looks, took her with him to one of the rooms backstage.

The hallway backstage was dimly lit, and Sarah's heart started beating harder and faster for no reason.

Damian opened the first door to their right and flipped the light switch open, saying, "We'll talk here."

Since it was to her advantage that neither of their parents accidentally hear anything about Hardy, Sarah forced herself to nod and followed the billionaire inside the empty dressing room. She watched nervously as he closed the door shut, but as soon as he turned to her, anxiety simply got the better of her, and she blurted out, "I mean it about Hardy. If you tell Josiah or Mom about him, I willneverforgive you."

The tremor in her voice told Damian how serious she was, and it was exactly what he didn't want...butneededto see.

"I can give you my word that I won't say a word to our parents under one condition."

For some reason, Sarah suddenly felt like she was about to enter into a bargain with the Devil, but a quick, wary glance at his features achieved nothing. His handsome face was a completely expressionless mask, and it left her no choice but to say slowly, "Alright. What do you want in return?"

"Something quite simple—-"

"I doubt that—-"

"Marry me."

Twelve

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