After betrayed, I married the man in the Forbes

Leonard Peters spoke soft and steady, explaining, "My grandpa’s been on my back nonstop about getting married. He’s dying to see a grandkid before he gets any older. His health’s been shaky, and I just don’t want him to leave this world with any regrets."

Haven Peters paused, and the slow dawn of realization crossed her face. When Leonard finished talking, he looked back at her and went on, "Besides, I’m not marrying some random stranger. I know you, even if you don’t remember me."

Haven froze, stunned.

No wonder he’d known her last name when they talked earlier. No wonder he knew Nelson Carlson was her brother.

She blinked, studying his sharp, polished features as their eyes locked. This face was so handsome—she should definitely remember it, right? But she dug through every corner of her memory and came up empty. She’d never seen him before.

Leonard caught the confusion clouding her eyes and realized she had no clue who he was. His dark irises dimmed for a split second before he asked, "Have you given any thought to my proposal?"

Haven pushed her doubts aside, her brow furrowing slightly. She couldn’t let her mom stand alone at her fiftieth birthday, facing all the town gossip without a proper husband by her side.

An idea sparked out of nowhere, and her eyes lit up. "What if we swap? You pose as my husband when you meet my mom, and I’ll pose as your wife when you meet your grandpa. Sound good?"

"Nah. A fake arrangement is still just fake. If they find out the truth, it’ll be way worse. My wife has to be real. Our marriage has to be real."

Leonard paused, then added, "Not that…"

Haven jumped in quick, "Not what?"

"Not that we have to be in love. It’d just be a marriage of convenience. We can live our own separate lives, just help each other out with our families."

"A marriage of convenience?" Haven’s eyes blew wide.

Leonard nodded. "Yep. That’s all laid out in the agreement. If you’re down with it, sign here." He pulled a thick document out of his briefcase and handed it straight to her.

Haven’s gaze dropped to the papers, her expression turning serious. The agreement spelled out every boundary clear as day. Best of all, if either of us found real love, the whole thing would dissolve—and our marriage would end right along with it.

"Even if we’re technically married, this deal’s still gonna ask a lot from you. I said you’d be my wife, and you’ll have to play the part fully to convince my grandpa."

Leonard’s voice was low and sincere, it had an pull you couldn’t deny.

Haven thought it over hard, her gaze dropping to the floor. This agreement was no joke—were they really going to go through with getting married? Her own parents’ marriage had turned into a bad joke after her dad ran off with another woman, leaving her mom alone to deal with all the sneering from friends and relatives.

That memory twisted a sharp pain right through Haven’s chest, tangled up with guilt and a sick, uncomfortable ache.

After a long minute of silence, Haven lifted her head from the document, took a deep breath, and made up her mind. "Alright. I’ll marry you. It’ll put my family’s worries to rest. Let’s pick a time to go meet our elders."

Leonard picked up a pen and signed his name without a single hesitation. A deep, unreadable light flickered in his eyes, and his lips tugged up into an irresistible smile.

"So, you free tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I am. What for?"

Leonard answered, "Then bring your ID and meet me at the marriage registry first thing in the morning."

Haven stared, caught completely off guard. "The registry office? We already signed the agreement—we actually have to make it legal?"

Leonard’s face went serious, and he answered with total confidence, "You think my grandpa or your mom would believe our marriage is real if it’s not official?"

Haven remembered that clause she’d read in the agreement, and nodded reluctantly. "Okay. I’ll meet you at the registry tomorrow."

Right then, her phone rang in her purse. She fished it out and answered, her eyes pausing mid-conversation before she politely ended the call. She turned back to Leonard with an apologetic wince. "Sorry, I have to run. Let’s swap numbers."

Leonard’s gaze darkened, but he didn’t press her for details. He just reeled off his number in that low, smooth voice of his.

The second Haven left, Nelson Carlson tracked Leonard down. Seeing Leonard alone, Nelson paused before asking, "What are you doing here by yourself? Where’s my sister?"

Leonard took his time straightening the documents, tucking them back into his briefcase before he answered casual as anything, "She left."

Nelson’s jaw tightened, his mind jumping straight to the jerk who’d wasted five years of Haven’s life. Could that asshole have come back?

Outside the ballroom, Haven walked back in holding something. She was wearing an evening gown, and she turned every head the second she stepped through the door. No one could miss her.

The young woman was dressed in a lilac floral evening gown, the soft lavender satin glowing like a fresh spring garden. A thin white satin ribbon cinched her waist, showing off her perfect hourglass figure. Her skin was fair and smooth, her eyes deep and unreadable. She wasn’t wearing any jewelry, and it only made her look more ethereal, like she didn’t even belong in this room.

Joshua West couldn’t help but stare, surprised to see Haven looking so elegant. He never expected to run into her at Mrs. Porter’s party. As every man’s eyes glued themselves to her, his brow furrowed hard. What the hell was she doing here?

Sitting right next to him, Mrs. West recognized Haven immediately. Her face turned sour, and she spat out with total disdain, "What is Haven doing here? Her family’s firm is on the brink of collapse and she doesn’t even care. Now she shows up all dolled up like she’s showing off—what game is she playing at?"