Chapter 5
Rachel went to Jettridge International Airport herself to pick up Lydia.
Inside the fancy van, Lydia looked way too plain in jeans and a white shirt.
They hadn’t seen each other in years, and whatever bond they had as mother and daughter was almost gone. The air in the car was cold and awkward.
Rachel gave Lydia a quick once–over, her face full of disapproval. Then she bent down, pulled out a shopping bag from behind her seat, and handed it over, breaking the silence. “Change into this. You’re going to see Hayden right after.”
Inside the bag was a purple spaghetti strap dress with a ridiculously loose neckline. Lydia took one look and tossed it back. “You want me to go on a date or be a prostitute?”
They hadn’t lived under the same roof in forever, and the gap between them was already huge. Lydia’s blunt, crude words only made Rachel more annoyed.
“Drop the wild act,” Rachel said. “Even if you’re not blood, you still represent the Hollander family. If you screw this up, forget about getting anything your dad left behind.”
Lydia looked at the woman in front of her–the one who was supposed to be her mother. Rachel was almost fifty, but looked thirty thanks to all the upkeep. She was elegant, polished, dripping in jewels.
But the warmth Lydia remembered from childhood was gone. All that was left in Rachel’s eyes was cold sharpness and
calculation.
Lydia gave a crooked smile, full of sarcasm. “Hayden’s legs don’t work. He can’t do anything in bed. Even if you strip me
naked and toss me in, it wouldn’t matter.
“If I’m marrying him for the Hollander name, I’m the one who should be calling the shots. Not you.”
Rachel was so angry that she tossed her fancy purse aside. “That old house sits on valuable land now. You want it? Trade me those antiques you’re holding onto.”
Just thinking about those antiques being in Lydia’s hands made her furious.
Patrick had been a historian–stiff, boring, obsessed with dusty old books and pottery. Rachel had never liked him..
But once she married into the Hollander family and entered high society, she found out those rich men didn’t care about diamonds–they loved the very antiques she used to roll her eyes at.
A few paintings she’d shoved into a storage room had ended up helping her land some major deals.
She’d always regretted letting Lydia take the rest. If she could just get them back, everything in the Hollander family would belong to her husband and son.
But Lydia shattered that dream right then. “I want Dad’s old house. And I want the six paintings you took from him. Give them back, and I’ll marry Hayden right away.”
19:58 Fri, 15 Aug
Chapter 5
Rachel was fuming. But after a second, she calmed down and said, “Go meet him first. If he doesn’t like you, all this talk means nothing.”
Lydia knew–even if Hayden was a vegetable, there’d still be women lining up to marry him. If it weren’t for the Hollander family, this chance would’ve never come to her.
“Fine,” Lydia said.
Half an hour later, Lydia walked into the most luxurious hotel in Jettridge, wearing the spaghetti strap dress. She brushed past Henry Zimmerman, who was walking in a hurry.
It took Henry about ten yards to realize what had just happened. He suddenly turned around and looked toward the
lobby.
His assistant, walking beside him, looked confused. “Mr. Zimmerman, what’s wrong?”
Henry glanced around, then shook his head, puzzled.
He thought he’d just seen Lydia. But dressed like that–so sexy and bold–it didn’t seem like her at all..
As he started to doubt himself, his phone rang. It was Michael.
He quickly pulled his mind back and answered the call before Michael could even speak. “Michael, Lydia’s still in Raventon, right?”
“Of course she is. Why do you ask?” Michael sounded annoyed after a short pause. Lydia still hadn’t replied to his messages, and he didn’t want to be the one to reach out again.
Henry figured he must’ve imagined it. “It’s nothing. I thought I saw someone who looked just like her. Thought maybe you guys were here in Jettridge too.”
“Anyway, I found out what you asked me to check on. That project you’re interested in–it’s a long shot.
“Just in Jettridge alone, there are several companies bidding. The Hollander family has the strongest hand, and they’re trying to use a marriage deal to win over the Leonard family.
“Hayden Leonard is ruthless. His only weakness is his grandma. I heard she’s really sick now, so the marriage might actually happen. If the two families team up, no one else stands a chance.”
Michael stared at the proposal on his screen, one he had gone over again and again. His brows drew together. “I’ll head there as soon as I can. The Finnian Group has to win this project.”
He was already running the Finnian Group, but it still wasn’t certain if he’d be named the heir of the Finnian family. Once Dennis passed, no one could say for sure what would happen to the company.
Right now, nothing in his plan could afford to go wrong.
As for Lydia, he figured he’d win her back once this storm passed,
2/4
19:58 FTI, 15 Aug
Chapter 5
In the presidential suite at the top of the hotel, Lydia met Hayden–the legendary heir of the Leonard family.
He sat in a silver–gray wheelchair, a black blanket covering his legs all the way to his feet, hiding the condition of his lower
body.
He had broad shoulders and sharp features. Even though he was disabled, he didn’t seem weak. He carried the quiet pressure of someone in power. His face was calm, but his presence was intimidating.
“You’re Lydia Sullivan?” Hayden looked her over. His voice was deep, steady, and smooth. Clearly, the Hollander family had already sent her info to the Leonard family.
The Hollanders were using someone not even related by blood to seal this business deal. To Hayden, it was an insult.
But just like Rachel had said, his grandmother Harper was seriously ill, and her last wish was to see him married.
Hayden didn’t have time to play games with the Hollanders. They could afford to wait–he couldn’t. That was why they had the guts to pull this move.
He thought they were just as shameless as ever.
Lydia looked back at him, her eyes clear and honest. “You’ve got your reasons to rush into marriage, and I’ve got mine. After we get married, I’ll play the role of your wife in front of others.
“When we get divorced someday, I won’t ask for anything from the Leonard family.”
Hayden’s fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of his wheelchair. His deep eyes held something unreadable.
“Ms. Sullivan, I heard you had a fiancé back in Raventon,” he said. “It’s true I need to get married fast, but even in a contract marriage, my wife must be fully loyal to me.”
Lydia wasn’t surprised he knew about Michael. Someone like Hayden would never make a move without knowing everything first.
“He cheated on me, so I dumped him,” she said.
The blunt answer made Hayden curve his lips slightly. There was a trace of amusement in his expression.
“So, you don’t love him anymore?” he asked.
Lydia nodded, a little confused why he kept bringing it up. This was their first meeting, and the marriage was out of necessity–love had nothing to do with it.
“Mr. Leonard, if you’re okay with it, I’m ready to get the license anytime,” she said..
The smile in Hayden’s eyes deepened. “You’re not asking for anything?”
Lydia thought he meant the engagement gift. In big family marriages like this, gifts were a given. But no matter how much there was, none of it would be hers. She didn’t plan to let the Hollanders benefit.
“I don’t want anything,” she said. “But if the Hollanders ever mess with me, I want to be able to say I’m your wife to scare them off. Is that okay?”
3/4
19:58 Fri, 15 Aug
Chapter 5
The amusement in Hayden’s eyes grew. “Of course.”
They set the license date for three days later. Lydia let out a breath of relief, didn’t stay long, and left soon after.
As her figure disappeared through the door, Hayden turned his wheelchair toward the floor–to–ceiling window.
“Is the company Henry’s trying to bring in the Finnian Group from Raventon?” he asked.
His assistant, Zachary Young, bowed slightly. “Yes, but the Finnian Group isn’t the strongest among the competitors.”
Hayden smiled, a little too knowingly. “I think that group is a better fit than the Hollander Group.”
Zachary paused, then nodded with quiet understanding.
The Hollander family had sent Lydia to embarrass Hayden. But knowing Hayden, he would find a way to embarrass them
even more.
AD
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Chapter 6
