Dumped by the Heir, Claimed by his Brother

"To Marcus and Cassie," someone called out, and the sea of champagne flutes lifted in unison like a choreographed wave. The sound of glass clinking filled the air in celebration, each clink another nail in the coffin of Cassie's composure.The crystal chandeliers of the Grand Rosewood Ballroom cast a thousand rays across three hundred of Manhattan's most influential faces, and Cassie Reeves thought she might vomit all over her Vera Wang engagement gown.She stood beside Marcus Hale at the head table, her hand resting in the crook of his elbow because that's what fiancées did at engagement parties. Right?They smiled and they glowed and pretended the weight of a three carat diamond didn't feel like a shackle around their ring finger.But Marcus's jaw was stiff. She'd noticed it an hour ago when his mother Eleanor had made that comment about "finally settling down with someone appropriate," but she'd written it off as typical Hale family tension.The Hales were old money, the kind that

Cassie blinked and suddenly burst into a sharp and disbelieving laugh. "What?""You heard me.""This is insane, you're insane.""Probably." Dom shifted, still crouched at her level, his expression serious despite the absurdity of what he was proposing. "But think about it. Marcus wanted you for the business merger with your father's company, right? Your father's contract specifies marriage to a Hale son but it doesn't specify which one."Cassie stared at him. "You're really serious about this?"Her breath caught somewhere between a laugh and something closer to panic. The champagne in her system wasn't even helping and neither was the way he was looking at her like this was the most rational thing he had done his whole life."Completely.""Why would I even possibly agree to that?""Because you want revenge," Dom said simply. "Because you want to save face. Because marrying me means Marcus doesn't get what he wanted, your father still gets his merger, and you get to walk back into that

They pulled up to a high-rise building in Tribeca. It was made of glass and steel and had modern architecture. A valet appeared immediately, and Dom tossed him the keys without looking."Mr. Hale," the valet said with a nod."Jeremy." Dom came around to open Cassie's door, offering his hand again. She was starting to notice he did that, the small courtesies that felt at odds with his reputation.The lobby was understated luxury, all marble and subtle lighting. The few people present didn't stare, too well-trained or too disinterested to care about the disheveled woman in the engagement dress being escorted by Dominic Hale.They took a private elevator to the top floor, silence settling between them again. Cassie caught their reflection in the mirrored walls— her makeup smudged and her hair falling out of its careful updo while he looked like he'd just stepped out of a magazine shoot.They looked nothing like a couple, they looked like a beautiful disaster.The elevator opened directly

Cassie stared at the ringing phone with her mother's name on the screen, waiting to be answered and her finger hovered over the accept button.This was it.The moment where she either committed fully to this insane plan or cracked under the pressure and let everyone see the truth that she was terrified and didn't know what she was doing and she'd agreed to marry a man she barely knew for revenge and survival.Dom's hand covered hers, warm and grounding."You can do this," he said quietly. "You're stronger than they think."Cassie took a breath and answered the call.Her mother's face filled the screen, perfectly made up despite the early hour, but her eyes were red-rimmed and her expression was a careful mask of concern that didn't quite hide the fury underneath."Cassandra," Margaret said through the phone screen. "We need to talk about what you've done."Cassie's throat went dry. Her mother's face was perfectly made up despite the early hour, but her eyes were red-rimmed, obvious th

Dom immediately masked up his emotions and cleared his throat but Cassie caught the flash of raw appreciation before he could lock it down.She walked toward the full-length mirror Margot had positioned in the center of the room, suddenly hyperaware of how the silk moved against her skin and how the dress seemed designed to draw eyes.In the mirror's reflection, she could see Dom behind her on the couch. He'd put his phone down entirely now, his attention fixed on her with an intensity that made her skin prickle."Turn, please" Margot said. She hadn't shown any reaction to the fit yet.Cassie turned slowly, watching Dom's reflection as she moved. His jaw had gone tight, his fingers gripping the arm of the couch just a little too hard.When she faced him directly, their eyes met and something electric passed between them. His gaze dropped from her face to the dress, tracing the lines of it in a way that felt almost physical. There was nothing polite or professional about the way he was