“Five million dollars for one year of marriage? That’s ridiculous. I don’t want anything to do with that.”
“If we pull this off, I’m inheriting my aunt’s entire estate and all her ANS stock. That’s somewhere in the ballpark of two billion dollars. I’d gladly give you ten million if you wanted it. Why not take it?”
“Because it makes me look like a gold digger, Liam. It’s bad enough that we’re getting married knowing it’s just for show to make your aunt happy. If people find out I walked away after a year with five million bucks in my pocket…I just…” She picked up her plate and dumped rice onto it with an angry thump of the spoon. “It makes me feel like some kind of a call girl.”
“Whoa,” Liam said, putting his hands up defensively. “Now back up here. If we were getting married because we were in love, we’d probably have the same prenuptial agreement. Why would that be any different?”
Francesca shook her head. “I don’t know. It just feels wrong.”
Liam took the plate from her hand and set it on the counter. He wrapped his arms around Francesca’s waist and tugged her against him. When she continued to avoid his gaze, he hooked her chin with his finger and forced her face to turn up to him. He wanted her to hear every word he had to say. “No one is going to think you’re a gold digger. You will have earned every penny of that money over the next year. And not,” he clarified, “on your back. As my wife, you’re like an on-call employee twenty-four hours a day for a year.”
He could tell his explanation both helped and hurt his cause. It justified the money but reduced her to staff as opposed to a wife. And that wasn’t true. She was more than that to him. But if she was having confusing feelings about their relationship, would telling her make it worse?
“This isn’t just some business arrangement anymore, Francesca. We’re getting married. It may not be for the reasons that other people get married, but the end result is the same. You didn’t have to agree to do this for me or for the network, but you chose to anyway. You’re…important to me. So I’m choosing to share some of the benefits with you. Not just because you’ve earned them or because you deserve them. And you do. But because I want to give the money to you. You can donate every dime to charity, if you’d like. But I want you to have it regardless.”
That got through. Francesca’s expression softened and she nodded in acceptance before burying her face in his chest. Liam clutched her tightly and pressed a kiss into the dark strands of her hair.
It wasn’t until that moment that he realized what a large price they were both paying to save the network and protect his dream. The reward would be huge, but the emotional toll would be high.
Five million didn’t seem like nearly enough to cover it.
Eleven
Liam stood at the entrance to the terrace where the ceremony would take place. As instructed, he was wearing a black tuxedo with a white dress shirt and white silk tie and vest. A few minutes earlier, Ariella had pinned a white gardenia to his lapel. He looked every bit the proper groom, even if he didn’t feel quite like one.
Beyond the doors was possibly the greatest wedding ever assembled on such short notice. Rows of white chairs lined an aisle strewn with swirls of white and pink rose petals. Clusters of flowers and light pink tulle draping connected the rows. A small platform was constructed at the front to allow everyone a better view of the ceremony. A large archway of white roses and hydrangeas served as a backdrop and were the only thing blocking the view of the city and the sunset that would be lighting the sky precisely as they said their vows.
About an hour ago, Ariella had given him a sneak peek of the ballroom where the reception would be. It seemed as if an army of people was working in there, getting everything set up. The walls were draped in white fabric with up-lighting that changed the colors of the room from white, to pink, to gray. Tables were covered with white and delicate pink linens with embroidered overlays. Centerpieces alternated between tall, silver candelabras dripping with flowers and strings of crystals and low, tightly packed clusters of flowers and thick, white candles in hurricane vases. In the corner was a six-tiered wedding cake. Each round tier was wrapped at the base with a band of Swarovski crystals. The cake was topped with a white and pink crystal-studded C.
It was beautiful. Elegant. And completely wasted on their wedding, he thought with a pang of guilt.
Nervous, and without a herd of groomsmen to buy him shots in the hotel bar, he’d opted to greet guests as they came through the door. The wedding party itself was small with no attendants, but there were nearly a hundred guests. It had been a lightning-quick turnaround with electronic RSVPs, but nearly everyone invited had said yes, even if just out of morbid curiosity. So far, no one had asked any tacky questions at the door, like when the baby was due, but he was certain talk was swirling around the crowd inside.