Chapter 3

Emma

"You look so tense, Emma. Is everything okay?" Grandpa Demos asked.

I forced a small smile, hoping it looked convincing. "Grandpa, I'm very fine," I replied.

Grandpa Demos was the only person in Jake's family who had ever treated me with kindness. If it wasn't for him, Jake and I would have never gotten married.

Four years ago, my family's business collapsed. We were drowning in debt, and we owed Grandpa Demos fifty million dollars. As if that wasn't enough, my mother became seriously ill at the same time. Her medical bills kept piling up, and there was no way we could afford them.

Grandpa Demos made me an offer that changed my life. If I married his grandson, Jake, he would erase every cent of my family's debt. He also promised to pay for my mother's treatment until she recovered.

I had no choice, I agreed to the marriage, even though it wasn't built on love or even mutual interest. I convinced myself that things would get better with time. I believed that if I loved Jake enough, if I treated him well and became the wife he wanted, one day he would finally see me.

Instead, the opposite happened. The harder I tried, the colder he became. Every effort I made only seemed to push him further away.

"You should be asking why she still isn't pregnant instead," Maria, Jake's mother, said sharply.

She looked at me with the same disgust she always did. Sometimes I wondered if she hated me even more than Jake did.

"All she does is spend my son's money. Tell me, why is it so difficult for a woman to get pregnant after three years of marriage?" she continued.

"We are working on it, Mom. Soon, Emma is going to be pregnant," Jake said.

He turned toward me and gave me a hard look that sent a warning through my body before facing his family again. "We were only taking our time, but we are ready now," he added.

Grandpa Demos nodded thoughtfully. "Well, you know taking over the company depends on having a child. That's the only way I can be sure you are responsible enough to take over our family's legacy," he said

We continued eating in silence. The only sounds in the dining room were the soft clink of silverware against plates and the quiet hum of the air conditioner.

After a few minutes, Grandpa Demos set down his fork and looked around the table.

"The reason I called everyone here tonight is to discuss the company," he said. "As you all know, we are getting dangerously close to debt. If we don't find an investor soon, this company may not survive what's coming."

Jake straightened in his chair. "I have already started looking for investors," he said quickly. "With a little more time—"

Grandpa Demos cut him off before he could finish. "We don't have that time, Jake," he said firmly. "I have already found someone. Liam Windsor. I'm sure you have heard of him. He's currently looking for businesses to invest in. If we can convince him to invest in ours, our future will be secure."

The name alone was enough to make the room fall even quieter. Everyone in New York knew who Liam Windsor was. He was the richest man in the state and one of the most powerful businessmen in the country. Yet, despite his influence, no one knew what he looked like. After taking over his father's business empire several years ago, he had kept his identity out of the public eye, rarely appearing in photographs or attending public events.

"Grandpa, have you heard how difficult it is to get him to invest?" Jake asked. "It's almost impossible just to meet him, let alone convince him to put money into our company."

Grandpa Demos suddenly slammed his hand against the dining table. The sharp sound echoed through the room, making everyone go silent.

"Don't be a weakling, Jake," he said. "I worked my entire life to build this company into what it is today. All you have to do is find a way to meet Liam and convince him, using everything you have got, to do business with us."

Jake lowered his eyes without saying another word. "The Carlos family is hosting a banquet, and I received an invitation," Grandpa Demos continued. "I need you to attend in my place with Emma. Liam will be there. That will be your opportunity. Meet him and convince him to invest in our company." His tone left no room for discussion.

A few days later, I stood at the bottom of the grand staircase, waiting for Jake so we could leave for the banquet Grandpa Demos had asked us to attend together.

I had finished getting ready several minutes ago, but Jake was still upstairs. I glanced at the clock for what felt like the tenth time.

For someone who always complained about women taking too long to get dressed, he certainly wasn't any faster. A few moments later, footsteps echoed from the second floor.

I looked up, Jake finally appeared, but he wasn't alone. One of his hands was wrapped around Rachel's waist as he guided her down the stairs as though she belonged there.

I stared at them in confusion. Grandpa had specifically told Jake to attend the banquet with me. If he had already decided to take his mistress instead, then why had he told me to get ready?

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Rachel slowly looked me up and down. Her eyes settled on my red dress, and she shook her head with fake sympathy.

"Oh, Emma, you should have told me you didn't have a nice dress. I have some old dresses I don't wear anymore. Even those would look better than this."

She slipped her arm around Jake's and smiled at him. "Thank goodness you have me. Can you imagine showing up at a party with your wife dressed in something so cheap?"

Jake chuckled. "I'm trying to convince a multibillionaire to do business with me. Do you really expect me to parade her around looking like that?" he said.

My eyes dropped to my dress, it was a simple red evening gown. There was nothing wrong with it, in fact, it was the most expensive dress I owned.

Jake had never bought me clothes throughout our three years of marriage. He had never bought me jewelry, shoes, or even the smallest gift. I wasn't allowed to work either, so I had no income to buy the kind of expensive designer outfits his family expected me to wear.

I slowly looked back at him. "Why am I coming with you if you have already decided to take her?" I asked.

Jake looked at me without the slightest hint of guilt. "Well, I told you a few days ago that I was going to find a man to do the job of getting you pregnant, didn't I?" he said casually.

He smiled as though he had just said something amusing. "Let's just say I found one. Don't worry, he's exactly your type, and he's going to be at the party."

The moment he finished speaking, Rachel threw her head back and burst into laughter.