Exiled Heir Cuts Ties for Good

Jodie Stafford, the wealthiest heiress in Jensford, suffers a horrific car crash that leaves her paralyzed from the waist down, jeopardizing her claim to Stafford Corp. When the news reaches home, my adopted brother, Liam Gordon, drops to his knees in the living room and begs me to take his place in the arranged marriage. Holding my glass of water, I sneer as I take a step back. "Back then, you looked down on me—the real heir you brought back from the countryside—saying I was too uncultured to be presentable, so you forced the marriage alliance with the Stafford family on Liam instead. "Now that Ms. Stafford is paralyzed and a liability, you want me to take his place? Not a chance in hell!" As soon as I say that, my girlfriend, Vivian Collins, enters the room. She rushes to shield Liam and throws me a look of pure disgust. "Don't forget your place, Hank. That marriage alliance was yours to begin with. This is just setting things right. "We're done. I'm getting engaged to Liam tomorrow. Once the press gets wind of it, you'll be the only Gordon left to marry Ms. Stafford." I stare at the woman I grew up with, stunned by the sheer absurdity of it all. "The Staffords asked for the publicly recognized heir. I haven't even been legally registered as part of the family. You think they're stupid enough to accept a nobody?" Just then, my biological parents come down the stairs with cold expressions and toss a stack of legal documents in front of me. "As of tomorrow, your status is official. Liam has a bright future ahead of him. He's not wasting it tied to a cripple. Do your duty as a Gordon, marry Ms. Stafford, and enjoy life as their son-in-law." A harsh laugh escapes me as the last bit of warmth inside me dies. "Fine. I'll do it. Just don't come begging for me to come back later!"