Cassandra's POV
Elijah calls the next morning at exactly 9 AM.
Cassandra. Did you sleep?
Not really. You?
No. He pauses. I've been thinking about your proposal all night.
My heart hammers. And?
And I think we should meet. Today. With lawyers. If we're going to do this, we need to do it right.
Okay. Where?
My office. Eleven AM. I'll have my attorney present. You should bring yours.
I will.
Cassandra? His voice softens slightly. Are you sure about this?
Are you?
I asked first.
I close my eyes. I'm terrified. But yes, I'm sure. We both need this.
Then I'll see you at eleven.
The line goes dead.
I immediately call my lawyer, Patricia Chenno relation to Jordan, though they've become friends over the years. She's handled all my business contracts, but this might be her strangest case yet.
You want to do what? Patricia asks when I explain.
A contract marriage. Ninety days minimum. I need it reviewed and made legally binding.
Cassandra, this is
Insane. I know. But it's also my only option. Marcus will take Hayes Tech in fifty-nine days if I don't find a husband. Elijah Morgan needs a wife for a custody hearing. We're both desperate. We're both willing.
Patricia is quiet for a long moment. You're serious.
Completely.
Fine. Send me the address. I'll meet you there. But Cassandra? Be careful. Marriage, even a fake one, has real legal consequences.
I know.
At 10:55 AM, Patricia and I walk into Morgan & Associates.
Elijah's assistant a professional woman in her forties named Sarah greets us warmly. Miss Hayes, right on time. Mr. Morgan is in the conference room. This way.
We follow her down a hallway lined with glass offices. People are working, focused, professional. This is a real company. A successful one.
Not the office of a con artist or a scammer.
That's something, at least.
Sarah opens a conference room door. Mr. Morgan, Miss Hayes and her attorney are here.
Elijah stands. He's in a charcoal suit, crisp white shirt, no tie. He looks good. Too good. His dark eyes meet mine and something passes between us recognition, maybe. Or fear. Or both.
Cassandra. Thank you for coming. He extends his hand. I shake it. His grip is firm, warm.
This is my attorney, Patricia Chen.
Patricia. Elijah shakes her hand too. This is my attorney, David Wu.
David is older, maybe fifty, with sharp eyes and an expensive suit. He assesses us both with the look of someone who's seen everything and believes nothing.
Please, sit. Elijah gestures to the chairs.
We sit. Cassandra and Patricia on one side of the table. Elijah and David on the other.
Like we're negotiating a merger.
Which, I suppose, we are.
Let's get started, David says, opening a folder. I've drafted a preliminary marriage contract based on what Elijah told me. Patricia, I sent you a copy this morning.
Patricia nods. I reviewed it. We have some concerns.
I'm sure you do. David's smile is professional, cool. Let's go through it point by point.
He slides copies across the table to us.
CONTRACT MARRIAGE AGREEMENT
I read through the terms:
Duration: Minimum ninety (90) days from date of marriage, with option to extend or terminate by mutual written agreement.
Purpose: Party A (Cassandra Hayes) requires marriage to fulfil inheritance conditions. Party B (Elijah Morgan) requires marriage to fulfil custody requirements.
Cohabitation: Mandatory. Both parties agree to reside at Party B's residence for the duration of the marriage to maintain appearance of legitimate union.
Sleeping Arrangements: Separate bedrooms. No expectation or requirement of physical intimacy.
Public Appearances: Both parties agree to attend social, professional, and family events together as reasonably requested to maintain appearance of genuine marriage.
Financial Arrangements: All finances remain separate. No claims to each other's assets, income, or debts. Each party maintains individual bank accounts and financial independence.
Fidelity Clause: Both parties agree to maintain appearance of monogamous relationship during marriage duration. No public dating or romantic relationships with others that would compromise the perceived legitimacy of the marriage.
Child Custody: Party B maintains sole legal custody of minor child (Mia Morgan, age 5). Party A agrees to act as stepparent for appearance purposes but makes no claim to legal custody or parental rights.
Termination: Either party may request divorce after ninety-day minimum period. Both parties agree to file jointly and not contest. Divorce proceedings to be handled amicably and expeditiously.
Confidentiality: Both parties agree not to publicly disclose the contractual nature of this marriage. Breach of confidentiality results in financial penalty of $1,000,000 payable to the non-breaching party.
It's thorough. Clinical. Completely unromantic.
And it makes this feel terrifyingly real.
My main concern, Patricia says, is the cohabitation clause. You're asking Cassandra to move into a stranger's home.
I understand, David replies. But for the marriage to appear legitimate especially for custody court evaluation cohabitation is essential. The judge will likely visit the home. Social workers will inspect. They need to see an established household.
What about safety? Patricia presses. Background checks? References?
I'm happy to provide whatever you need, Elijah says, speaking for the first time since the meeting started. He looks at me. I'm not asking you to trust me blindly, Cassandra. I'll give you full access to my background, my finances, my life. You should know who you're agreeing to live with.
Something in his directness eases the knot in my stomach.
I appreciate that, I say.
I also want to add a clause, Elijah continues. An exit provision. If at any point either of us feels unsafe or uncomfortable, we can terminate immediately. No penalties. No questions asked.
David looks surprised. Elijah, that weakens your position significantly.
I don't care. I won't trap someone in a situation they want out of. His eyes are on mine. This only works if we both feel safe.
Patricia and I exchange glances. She nods slightly.
I'd like to add something too, I say. About Mia.
What about her? Elijah's voice sharpens slightly. Protective.
I don't want her to feel like a pawn. Whatever happens between us whatever this arrangement is she shouldn't suffer for it. I want a clause that prioritizes her wellbeing.
Elijah's expression softens. Agreed.
David makes notes. I'll draft language around the child's welfare. Anything else?
The confidentiality penalty seems high, Patricia observes. One million dollars?
The stakes are high, David counters. If this marriage is exposed as fraudulent, Cassandra loses her company and Elijah loses custody of his niece. The penalty reflects that.
He has a point.
We go back and forth for another hour. Debating clauses. Adjusting language. Ensuring both sides are protected.
Finally, David and Patricia step out to make revisions.
Leaving me and Elijah alone in the conference room.
Awkward silence fills the space.
This is surreal, I finally say.
Elijah leans back in his chair. Completely.
Are we really doing this?
I think we are. He studies me across the table. Can you really do this? Live with a stranger? Pretend to be married? Act like we're a family?
Can you?
He smiles slightly at having his own question turned back on him. For my niece, I can do anything. Even this.
For my grandfather's company, so can I.
We look at each other. Really look at each other.
He's handsome, yes. But more than that, he seems... solid. Steady. Someone who keeps his word.
I hope I'm right about that.
Tell me about Mia, I say.
Elijah's expression changes. Softens. She's five. Loves tea parties and stuffed animals. Her favorite is a purple rabbit named Mr. Hopps. She's smart, funny, stubborn as hell.
Like her uncle?
Probably. His smile is real now. Warm. She's been through so much. Lost her father two years ago. Lost her mother ten months ago. The Whitmores barely know her but they want to take her away from the only stable family she has left.
That's awful.
It is. Which is why I'm willing to do this crazy thing. Why I'm willing to marry a woman I barely know if it means keeping Mia safe.
I understand that.
Do you? Really?
My grandfather-built Hayes Tech from nothing. It was his life's work. He trusted me to carry it forward. If Marcus takes it, he'll destroy everything my grandfather built. I can't let that happen.
Elijah nods. So we both have something worth fighting for.
We do.
And we're both desperate enough to take a massive risk.
We are.
More silence. But it's more comfortable now.
When would we get married? I ask. If we go through with this?
As soon as possible. The custody hearing is in twenty-nine days. I need the marriage to look established before the evaluation.
So what, next week?
This week. Thursday if we can get the license expedited.
My breath catches. That's three days away.
I know. Too fast?
Yes. Way too fast. Completely insane.
But what choice do I have?
No, I hear myself say. Three days is fine.
You'll need to move in immediately after. Pack what you need. We'll make it work.
Okay.
Okay.
The lawyers return with revised contracts. We review them. Sign them.
Just like that, I'm committed.
In three days, I'll marry Elijah Morgan.
A man I've met three times.
For ninety days minimum.
Living in his home. Pretending to be his wife. Acting as stepmother to a five-year-old girl I've never met.
Patricia and I leave at 1 PM. In the elevator, she turns to me.
Cassandra. Last chance to back out.
I'm not backing out.
This could go very wrong.
Or it could work.
You're gambling your entire life on a man you don't know.
I'm gambling my entire life on losing everything if I don't try.
She sighs. At least the contract protects you. Somewhat.
That's something.
We step out into the San Francisco afternoon. Bright. Beautiful. Normal.
While my life is anything but.
My phone buzzes. Text from Elijah:
Thursday, 2 PM. City Hall. Bring a witness. And Cassandra? Thank you. For giving Mia a chance to stay with me.
I stare at the message.
In three days, everything changes.
And I have no idea if I'm making the smartest decision of my life.
Or the biggest mistake.