Chapter 3

“And, what's the problem with that?”

“Allison, what do you mean ‘what’s the problem with that’? Neo is Anna's husband to be! They're supposed to be married in two damn days! Me taking her place doesn't feel right! It feels like betrayal!”

“You didn't put your sister in a coma, did you? And you weren't the one who proposed the idea, were you? So why should it even feel like betrayal? If anything, it should feel like a chance to ‘hold the fort’ for Anna until God knows when. Look at it this way: Anna wakes up and sees you with Neo; you'd simply explain and step aside. But if she sees someone else with Neo, who neither knows nor cares about her, Neo's gone forever.. By marrying Neo, you're actually helping Anna, Irina!”

Allison Shultz had been Irina's best friend since she (Irina) moved to the United States at age 14. They'd gone to middle and highschool together and knew everything about each other. Allison, the German American, was a tall, assured blonde who had a thriving career as a salesperson, hence her convincing tone. Allison was the second person who Irina had reached out to immediately she could, and she'd rushed down with tons of provisions.

Irina snacked on one of the sandwiches that Allison had brought her, while contemplating the issue. Neo McKinney had asked her to be his bride in place of her now comatose sister, because he apparently needed a bride to seal his seat as CEO at his father's company, but she didn't know if she wanted to do it.

“Okay, then, let's say Anna's part of this thing is settled, then what about Zachary?”

Allison, who'd been drinking some coffee, gave Irina a look of incredulity before replying, “Irina.. Zachary was the first person you called to pass the information that you were here. According to you, you reached out to him one hour before you did me. One full hour, Irina! And yet, where is he now?”

Irina was speechless. It was true. Zachary really didn't care so much.

“And you want to pass up a chance to help your sister over some dude who could be right across town, now, with his dick teasing some bitch’s clit? Girl, please!” Allison didn't like to talk about Zachary, hell, she didn't even like to look at him; he annoyed her.

Irina wanted to protest and defend him - AGAIN - but she remembered what happened the last time she did that and decided to let it slide before a plane would crash in and kill her and Allison.

“Okay, let's say I agree to do this.. How am I going to go about it?” She asked Allison.

“Simple.. Neo is a billionaire.. So you're not going to do this ‘for the Lord’, no.. Get something in writing.. A contract.. He has to pay you for this. Make it big, say, ten million dollars.”

“Allison!” Irina gasped.

“What? You have to understand how deals work! Once one party lets you in on their desperation, you have to capitalize! He's told you how desperate he is, needing a bride in two days for his company to be intact, you have the upper hand because time is against him, so.. Capitalize! Besides, think of the countless things you could do with that amount of money.”

She continued, “For starters: some fine investments, saving up and smiling at your interest, of course, my cut for coming up with the idea. And know this, it's a win-win for you because when Anna wakes up, even if it's two days after the wedding, you get to walk away ten million dollars richer.. You just say the word and in ten minutes, I'll have my people draft up an agreement and they'll even deliver it to Neo's freaking doorstep..”

Irina smiled shrewdly. It looked like a good deal. “A win-win,” she muttered to herself, before saying out loud, “Call your people.”

***

“This is ridiculous! How dare she make such demands?” Margaret McKinney barked.

As it turned out, Allison's people had indeed whipped up the agreement in record time and a courier had delivered it to the McKinney Mansion. Neo and his mother had sat down with it, digesting its contents, and Sasha, who didn't understand these sort of documents, waited patiently for someone to explain.

“What is it, mom? Who is it from, anyway?” She asked.

“It's the girl we asked to take her sister's place. Irina, I think.. She's requested the marriage to be done on a contract basis, and she's set her compensation f*e at ten million dollars! Ten motherfuckin million dollars!”

Sasha was speechless for a moment before saying, “That's bullshit, mom! Yeah, who the hell does she think she is! And she was looking all gentle and butter bellied at the hospital yesterday, so how did she even come up with this?”

“She didn't,” Neo replied; his demeanor was a sharp contrast to his mother and sister’s, he had a smile on his face. It wasn't a sarcastic smile, either, it was genuine, as though he couldn't help but be impressed by the business sense. “There's an entire legal team involved, she contacted  a lawyer. You have to admit, it's a smart move.”

“What? Neo, don't tell me you can't see this gold digger's attempt to finesse us!” Sasha bellowed.

Neo looked up from the document to address his sister's ignorance.

“If you were asked, by a billionaire, to marry him impromptu because his initially arranged bride has become incapacitated, would you, having had a fairly humble background, do it for free?”

At this point, Sasha went silent; she hadn't thought of it that way. But she was determined to insist. “Okay, okay, I wouldn't do it for free, but I won't ask for ten million!”

“You know, that's actually true, Sasha, you wouldn't ask for ten million,” Neo concurred, “you'd ask for twenty. How much do your quarterly vacations cost? Or those highly unnecessary parties that you throw for your friends, who have achieved absolutely nothing except for being the offspring of so-so? Or the rent for the exquisite apartment you live in, while we have this spacious mansion? How much?”

At this point, Sasha had no more to say, but Margaret McKinney did.

“Neo, stop slating your sister. She is right, you know, ten million is too much.”

Neo looked at her. “Mother, ten million is nothing to us, we're good for it.. Besides, we don't really have time to request amendments, do we? She has the advantage, and she knows this. When she marries me and I get a grip on the company, we'd make this money back a thousandfold. I'm signing it, mother.”

And he did.

***

Back at Golden Gate Hospital, Irina's leg had been freed up and she was now sitting up on her bed and in conversation with Allison and Zachary - yes, the man had finally shown up, dressed in a suit and tie.

“I'm so sorry I couldn't come earlier, babe,” Zachary started, “one of these fellas who I owe took me to court and I had to appear. I was thinking of you all along, but I had to see out the hearing.”

Allison was on her phone, disinterested in whatever Zach had to say, but Irina paid full attention. She loved him, and just seeing him had lifted her spirits. “It's okay, I'm not mad anymore. What did the court rule?”

Zach scratched his head, which was full of dark, shiny hair, “They gave an order.. I have to pay up in two weeks or I'm going to jail. So, now, I have to cough up three hundred thousand dollars.”

Irina cleared her throat before replying, “Well, provided everything goes to plan, the money won't be a problem..”

“What do you mean, Irina? Three hundred thousand dollars IS a problem!” Zach said, in disbelief.

“No, silly, listen to me.. I and Allison have a little something going on. You know Anna is in a coma, and she was supposed to marry some billionaire guy, right?” Irina started.

“Well, yeah, I know that,” Zach replied.

“Okay, so the man, Neo, has asked me to marry him in her place, until she wakes up. So Allison here suggested that I make it legal, so I can get compensation.”

Zach nodded his head slowly; it was starting to make some sense. “Okay, so how much compensation are we talking about here?”

“Ten freaking million,” Irina replied with a giggle.

Zach froze and then burst into laughter. He couldn't believe it. But, then, he paused abruptly.

“But, wait, if you're marrying him, it means you're going to be doing wifely duties, right? So she's going to have to fuck him, right?”

While Irina stuttered, realizing that she hadn't yet thought of that, Allison stepped in:

“Why don't we focus on what's important, Zach? When Neo signs the papers, which I know he will, Irina would be able to give you enough to pay your debt, keep your butt out of jail and even set you up in a business. Why don't we focus on that, huh?”

Zach rubbed his chin, “Well, I guess you're right, Allison. Just don't want to lose her, you know.”

“Babe, you're not losing me.. I'd be in touch and definitely make time to see you every now and then.. I'm only marrying him, not falling in love with him,” Irina said, confidently.

At this point, the door opened and Neo walked in, holding the document in his hand and being trailed by a woman with glasses who Irina hadn't seen before. He nodded in the directions of Allison and Zachary, an acknowledgement, before handing the document over to Irina.

“It's been signed, and your terms have been agreed to,” he said before gesturing to the woman who'd come with him, “This is my accounts officer, Mrs Ariana. She will take your account details, and you will have your money before the day's end.”

Irina smiled and took the document from him. He wasn't done speaking, though:

“I trust that I don't need to reiterate that the wedding is in two days?”

“You don't, we're well aware,” Irina said.

“Well, then, it's settled. Nice doing business with you,” Neo said before shaking her hand, and then he added, “However, Miss Irina, ten million is no child's play. I hope you're prepared to earn every dollar.”

Irina's demeanor changed immediately: what did he mean by that?