Wed or Dead

VI

"What's your name?"Rafael asked calmly in a polite manner.

"Eliana Snow "

"Miss Snow, please explain to me your presence here"

"I needed to talk to you"

"Many people want to speak with me yet no one was rude enough to break in and show up in front of me without an invitation. That's a first"

"It was really wrong I'm truly terribly sorry" her eyes were fixed on the floor. She felt awful as if she committed an unforgivable sin and now she should beg on her knees for forgiveness. Technically Eliana was on her knees there was something in his harsh voice that triggered this reaction in her.

"It must be some very important matter, otherwise you wouldn't waste my time, right? "

"Yes of course I just... um... I" her face became red. Holy shit She couldn't even form a sentence in front of him.

"Why don't you tell us who you work for, kitten?" Asked the man in the white suit.

Eliana touched the top of her head and she fucking forgot to remove that cat-ear headband. She felt like dying out of embarrassment right now.

"Who do I work for?" she was confused. "Currently, I'm unemployed but so far I was working at the coffee shop," I said truthfully not understanding the question.

"Lorenzo honey, is she stupid, or is she faking?" Catia asked in a rather unpleasant voice.

Oh, so this was Lorenzo. Shit.

"I don't know Sunshine, wait," Lorenzo stood up, came closer to her, and crouched down.

"We ask, my dear, who sent you here. Who are you spying for? You have the last chance to give an honest answer, or we will have to stop being nice"

That was their idea of nice?

"I am not a spy!"

"Don't raise your voice, bitch," Antonio growled, and he was already raising his hand, Eliana closed her eyes tightly preparing herself mentally for the upcoming strike. Automatically she covered her face but the strike never came.

"Antonio, now is not a time to react with violence" Rafael chastised his employee "Miss Snow if you are not a spy, tell me, what is your reason to be here?" His voice was neutral. Cold and distant. She wanted to run away somewhere, but she had no choice but to start explaining herself. There was no turning back.

"I'm afraid you won't take what I have to say now seriously because my story is rather unusual. I am about to inherit a large sum of money, for someone is trying to force me into giving up my inheritance rights under the threat that he will hurt me if I won't do as I'm told"

"Let's say that is the case, what would you want me to do about it?"

"I was actually hoping you'd help me to find someone who would be willing to stay married to me for six months. Until the inheritance case is closed. It would serve as a good deterrent for my uncle to continue bothering me if there was another person with the right to inherit. In exchange, I would pay to you and to that person money for... your services?"

The man in the background cackled: our services! Rafael on the other hand remained cold and collected.

Eliana was embarrassing herself, probably.

"I'm surprised. I thought you would ask me to kill a person who wants to take your life" Eliana looked at him with a surprised and horrified expression because that thought never crossed her mind. Kill someone? No, that's so abstract, evil, and wrong. Then I saw it. Something in his expression shifted and his eyes started showing sparks of amusement as the corners of his lips lifted gently. "How interesting" he muttered. "How did you come to the idea that your husband would help?"

"Because then my uncle would have two people to kill? I want to make it harder for him to attack me"

"If he's ready to kill one person does it really matter that there's a second or third to get rid of? In all cases, he gets life in prison for murder if he gets caught"

Well, what a practical and morbid way of thinking.

"I'd like to think that people consider murder as a last option for various reasons not only because they can end up in jail for it"

"That's adorable. You want me to find you a husband, fine. That's easy. Of course, assuming that I will agree I have still yet to forgive you for trespassing. Tell me what's the name of a man who wants to kill you? "

"Harvey. Harvey Snow"

Suddenly Rafael became serious and an emotion I couldn't name appeared in his eyes. He wasn't laughing anymore.

"So you belong to that family. I remember the news about your parents' accident, my condolences," said Rafael. "Has your inheritance involved SFM company?"

"All of it will belong to me"

"That really makes things interesting. You about to inherit the largest firearms manufacturing company in the country"

"Yes. Harvey only runs it, but he doesn't own it, he has decision-making power since my father died that would change right after I inherit"

"There's something I cannot understand. Why do you want a husband, not bodyguards?"He asked calmly, taking a sip of his whiskey.

"I told you I want to make things easier for Harvey, killing one person is easier than killing two. And if I die but my husband survives he will have the right to inherit what technically belongs to me. I'd rather a strange man have assets than a family member that hates me enough to murder me. There's also another reason - I have temporary custody over my sister, I'd like to become her permanent guardian and it's substantially harder when I don't have a partner"

"If your husband has the right to inherit what's stopping him from making a deal with your uncle and murdering you for the money?"

"I- I don't know for sure. I thought that if we make a fair deal that person will not want to betray me. Especially if there is someone who oversees that both sides fulfil the terms of the agreement, someone like you"

"You're sweet, innocent little girl aren't you Miss Snow? But I am touched by your faith. You're offering me and the person who would pose as your husband money I'm not interested in this offer. SFN of the company is another matter"

"You want my parent's company?"

"I want shares. Let's say 40%"

"That's... a lot"

"Indeed. But you won't need to pay any additional person for pretending to be your husband"

"I'm not following... why?"

"Because I will be the one marrying you"

_____
Dear Readers,

Please let me know if this story interests you. I don't know if this idea is good enough to continue and I have other stories posted I can invest my time into so I would appreciate your opinion.