Chapter 8 - Emily Asked the Question Neither of Them Could Answer
For the next three days, Cassidy stopped reading the internet.
That was Rachel's advice.
It was also impossible.
She would open her phone to check Emily's school schedule and see a headline.
WAITRESS'S MIDNIGHT MARRIAGE DEAL.
BILLIONAIRE'S BRIDE CAUGHT ON TAPE.
CUSTODY QUESTIONS SURROUND VALE WEDDING.
The recordings had been edited.
Not fabricated.
That almost made them worse.
Cassidy really had said she needed a husband.
Dominic really had offered an arrangement.
Nobody included the parts about independent employment.
Or honesty in court.
Or Cassidy's refusal to accept control over Emily.
The public version had become simpler.
Poor waitress meets billionaire.
Poor waitress needs child custody.
Billionaire needs inheritance.
They marry.
Scam.
Rachel filed a notice with the family court explaining the media situation before the judge learned about it elsewhere.
The court scheduled a review.
Cassidy barely slept.
Emily noticed.
One evening she found Cassidy sitting on the edge of her bed.
“Are we moving again?”
Cassidy looked up.
“Why?”
“You make that face when we're moving.”
“What face?”
“The one where your mouth smiles but your eyes don't.”
Cassidy's chest hurt.
“No. Not tonight.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I don't know.”
Emily sat beside her.
“Did I do something?”
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
“Nothing. Ever.”
“Then why does everybody keep deciding where I sleep?”
Cassidy had no good answer.
She wrapped an arm around her.
“Because adults made the rules badly.”
Emily accepted that.
After a minute she asked, “Is Dominic going away?”
Cassidy looked toward the bedroom door.
“No.”
“After six months?”
“I don't know.”
Emily frowned.
“You say that a lot.”
“I know.”
“Does he like us?”
“Yes.”
Cassidy stopped.
She had answered too fast.
Did he?
He protected them.
He arranged childcare.
He burned pancakes.
He remembered Emily's lunchbox.
He listened when Cassidy argued.
But liking someone was different.
Emily looked toward the hall.
“Can I ask him?”
Cassidy almost said no.
Instead she said, “Sure.”
They found Dominic in the library speaking with Mara.
Emily stood at the doorway.
“Can I ask you something?”
Dominic immediately stopped talking.
“Yes.”
“Do you like us?”
Mara became intensely interested in her laptop.
Dominic looked at Cassidy.
She gave him nothing.
He had promised not to lie to Emily.
“Yes.”
Emily tilted her head.
“Both of us?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
Dominic clearly had not negotiated this type of contract.
Cassidy covered a smile.
“Enough that I'd prefer you stay.”
Emily nodded.
Then came the harder question.
“Do you love Cassidy?”
Cassidy stopped breathing.
Mara closed the laptop.
“I suddenly have a phone call.”
She left.
Coward.
Dominic looked at Emily.
Then Cassidy.
“No.”
The answer landed strangely.
Cassidy knew it should not hurt.
They had known each other four days.
Of course he didn't love her.
Still, hearing it felt sharper than expected.
Emily processed the answer.
“Does Cassidy love you?”
Dominic wisely said, “You should ask Cassidy.”
Emily turned.
Cassidy stared at him.
Traitor.
“No,” she said.
Emily sighed dramatically.
“Then this is the weirdest marriage ever.”
“Yes,” both adults said simultaneously.
Emily giggled.
Then she looked serious again.
“Could you?”
Cassidy frowned.
“Could we what?”
“Love each other later.”
Silence.
Dominic looked at Cassidy.
She looked away.
Emily shrugged.
“You like each other.”
“We argue constantly,” Cassidy said.
“My friend Lucy's parents argue and they love each other.”
“That's not evidence.”
“You both look at each other when the other person isn't looking.”
Cassidy's face heated.
Dominic looked suspiciously composed.
Emily stood.
“I'm going to do homework.”
She left.
The room went silent.
Dominic looked down at his papers.
Cassidy crossed her arms.
“Don't.”
“Don't what?”
“Pretend that wasn't horrifying.”
“I've attended congressional hearings less aggressive.”
She laughed.
He did too.
The laughter faded.
Something remained.
Cassidy noticed Dominic's hands first.
He had taken off his watch.
The tattoos across his fingers were more visible.
The ring on his right hand caught the light.
She remembered the image from the diner.
A stranger.
Controlled.
Untouchable.
He no longer looked quite like that.
“Emily likes you,” she said.
“I know.”
“That sounded confident.”
“She told Nora I'm less boring than expected.”
Cassidy smiled.
“High praise.”
Dominic's expression became serious.
“The court review is Friday.”
“I know.”
“Rachel thinks the recording will be raised.”
“I know.”
“You need to prepare.”
“What does that mean?”
“Questions about motive.”
“My motive was to keep Emily.”
“Yes.”
“I'm not ashamed of that.”
“You shouldn't be.”
“They'll say I manipulated the court.”
“You told the court exactly what happened.”
Cassidy nodded.
Then she looked at him.
“What will they say about you?”
“That I manipulated you.”
“Did you?”
Dominic was quiet.
“No.”
“Did you choose me because I was desperate?”
He hesitated.
Cassidy's stomach tightened.
“Dominic.”
“I approached you because you were desperate enough to consider something most people wouldn't.”
She looked down.
“But I went through with it because you weren't easy to control.”
Her eyes lifted.
“What?”
“You argued every term.”
“You hated that.”
“Yes.”
“You looked like you wanted to fire me.”
“You didn't work for me.”
“Exactly.”
A faint smile touched his face.
“You insisted on independent employment. Your own attorney. Your own room. Your own transportation options.”
He stepped closer.
“You were desperate. You weren't weak.”
Cassidy didn't know what to say.
Dominic continued.
“My uncle thinks they're the same thing.”
“And you?”
“No.”
The answer was quiet.
Something moved between them.
Not love.
Not yet.
But no longer purely a contract.
Cassidy looked at his mouth.
Then immediately hated herself for noticing.
Dominic noticed her noticing.
Neither moved.
Then Emily shouted from upstairs.
“DOMINIC!”
He stepped back.
“What?”
“I NEED HELP WITH FRACTIONS!”
He closed his eyes.
Cassidy laughed.
“You own thirty-eight percent of a giant company.”
“Potentially.”
“And fractions scare you?”
“Seven-year-old fractions are designed differently.”
He walked toward the stairs.
Cassidy watched him go.
Her phone buzzed.
Rachel.
Cassidy answered.
“Hey.”
“Cass, we have a bigger problem.”
Her smile disappeared.
“What?”
“I received discovery from the county.”
Cassidy gripped the phone.
“And?”
“They have the full recording.”
Her stomach dropped.
Rachel continued.
“And somebody included a copy of your marriage contract.”
Cassidy slowly looked toward Dominic's desk.
Only a few people had possessed the contract.
Cassidy.
Rachel.
Dominic.
Mara.
Someone had leaked it.
Someone close enough to access their most private agreement.
May you like
And suddenly Richard Vale was not the only person Cassidy no longer trusted.
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