The Tie That Binds

by Maura, Catharina

  “Do you know more about the will yet?” she all but shouts, her face crunched up in what I assume is worry. My eyes automatically find Dominic’s. I can’t believe he told her that. When I told him what Vincent said to us I told him it was confidential. Her shouting what she did could easily cause more unrest amongst our biggest shareholders, many of whom are present today.

  Some of the women in the kitchen pause and tune into our conversation. I sigh uneasily, surprised at her lack of sensitivity.. and, well, her common sense. Sometimes I wonder if my dad was right about her when he called her a dimwit.

  Daniel glares at Lucy and puts his hand on my shoulder, reassuring me wordlessly. He exchanges a look with Dominic that tells him just what he thinks of Lucy’s behaviour and Daniel lowers his eyes in shame.

  Lucy trembles and starts crying as she throws herself into Dominic’s arms. I’m not even sure whether she’s crying because of the funeral or because Daniel just glared at her. Somehow Dominic ends up consoling her instead of the other way around. Dominic lost a father figure today yet he’s wiping away her tears instead of shedding his own.

  I take a step back and look at the two of them together. I could never compare to Lucy with her supermodel figure and her long blonde hair. In comparison I look like an Oompa Loompa, with my overly full unfashionable curves and my petite stature. It’s no wonder Nic never fell for me the way I fell for him.

  He pats Lucy’s back as she cries on his shoulder but his attention doesn’t seem to be on her. He’s looking at me, his eyes filled with worry and sorrow.

  I turn away and glance at the window to find Daniel leaning against the kitchen counter. He’s looking at me with a pained expression and I can’t help but wonder whether he knows how I feel about his little brother. Whether he understands how much it hurts to need Dominic so badly yet having to watch him hold someone else instead.

  Daniel holds his hand out and I bridge the few steps that separate us. He takes my mug from my hands and wraps his arm around my shoulder, offering me a little bit of consolation. He stares at Lucy and Dominic disapprovingly as he takes a sip of my tea. Daniel usually mostly ignores me, but I’m happy he’s showing me some solidarity today.

  “I don’t think we should wait till tomorrow,” I say softly. Daniel looks at me with a knowing look in his eyes. I don’t need to explain what I’m talking about. He knows. Thanks to the rumours Lucy has just helped spread we’ll need to take action as soon as possible. The uncertainty we currently face might be harmful. He knows just as well as I do that my dad always had something up his sleeve. It’ll be the same now. We’ll both rest easier if we know what it is, especially if it pertains the company.

  Daniel nods. “I’ll call Vincent.”

  3

  Another two hours of fake tears and gossipy whispering pass at an excruciatingly slow pace. When the last guests leave only Daniel, Vincent, my grandmother and I remain. I asked Dominic to stay and be there with me when the will is read but he told me he needed to drive Lucy home. I didn’t have the energy to beg for a little bit of consideration. He’s made it quite clear where I stand in his life now. I can’t keep clinging to him the way I have been. The small amount of pride I still have won’t let me.

  Daniel leads us to my father’s home office as though it’s his own, navigating my house with ease. It should be weird that he’s been in there more often than I have, even though I live here, but it’s not. It’s just what Daniel and my dad were like.

  He walks to the little bar in my dad’s office and pours us both a shot of whiskey. He hands me the glass and we both empty them in one go. My throat burns as the liquor goes down and my discomfort must have been obvious because Daniel chuckles. It’s the first time I’ve heard him laugh in weeks.

  I roll my eyes at him and walk towards the plush sofa in the corner. I plop down unceremoniously and wait for Daniel to sit down next to me.

  “Alright. Let’s get this over with,” Vincent says, sounding tired. I know this isn’t easy for him. My dad has always been a close friend of his. Dad was one of Vincent’s very first clients before he made him our legal council. Vincent runs a hand over his face and then inhales deeply before speaking.

  “Mr. Moriani is leaving the cottage in France to his mother. Everything else goes to his only daughter, Alyssa Moriani.”

  He clutches the will in his hands, indicating that things aren’t as simple as that. He’s about to elaborate when my grandmother jumps up, her eyes flashing with anger.

  “That can’t be all he left me. That little cottage? What about money? Who is going to pay me my monthly stipend? I assume he expects Alyssa to be responsible for that now?”

  My heart sinks with disappointment. I’d been trying to convince myself that she was here to mourn her son and to be with me. I’d been hoping I was wrong about her even though every little sign told me she was just after my father’s connections and money. She disgusts me. I’m trembling with anger and can’t wait for her to leave. She should count herself lucky my dad left her anything at all.

  Vincent stares at the will for a few seconds before responding. “The only thing he left you is the cottage. There is no request for Alyssa to pay for your maintenance.”

  She looks at me with a calculative look in her eyes and I can pretty much guess what’s on her mind. She’ll try to milk me for all I’ve got. I’ll be lucky if she returns to France at all.

  She smiles to herself and nods. “Very well,” she murmurs. She glances at me one more time and then walks out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She’s undoubtedly already hatching some sort of plan.

  Vincent sighs and shoots me a wary look. I tense, bracing myself for the worst. “There’s a clause in the will, Alyssa. It’s about your father’s shares in the company.” Vincent speaks softly, carefully, and it only worries me even more. I freeze, mentally preparing myself for whatever bad news he’s about to spring on me.

  “The clause states that your shares are to be given to your grandmother unless you marry the man of your father’s choosing within a month from now.”

  Daniel inhales sharply and closes his eyes in resignation. He leans forward and holds his head in his hands. This news is just as bad for him as it is for me, worse perhaps. If she gets her hands on those shares she’ll run my father’s company to the ground. Everything Daniel and my dad have worked for will be for nothing.

  I shake my head. “That can’t be,” I whisper. “I’m only twenty-two. I just graduated from university. I can’t get married. My dad always discouraged getting married too young. There’s no way he’d ask it of me now. No way he’d put his company on the line to make it happen.”

  I stare at Vincent, half expecting him to smile and tell me that this is his weak attempt at a joke, but I’ve never seen him look so grim before. He hesitates and looks at Daniel before continuing.

  “Your father’s wish is for you to marry Daniel. There isn’t anyone he trusts more with his company and his daughter.”

  I sit there in shocked silence and slowly turn to Daniel. He looks distraught and furious but he doesn’t look surprised.

  “Did you know about this?” I ask, my voice dangerously soft.

  He shakes his head. “Lately your father had been making some strange remarks. He kept pushing me to take you out for dinner and continuously insinuated that he thought we’d make a good couple. I never expected this though.”

  “I can’t believe this,” I murmur. “You’re ten years older than me. And he knows. He knows I—“

  He knows how I feel about Dominic so how could he ever expect me to marry his older brother? How could he do this to me?

  I start pacing the room, a million thoughts running through my mind. I feel the rage course through me and embrace it. I latch onto it and let it drive away the pain I’m feeling.

  “Show me that,” I bite out, ripping my father’s will out of Vincent’s hands. He looks at me apologetically even though it isn’t his fault, and I instantly feel bad a
bout snapping at him. I pause as I read through the will, my heart sinking. Daniel reads through it over my shoulder and curses. The will clearly states that my father’s last wish is for me to marry Daniel and to continue my training to take over my dad’s role as CEO as soon as the board and Daniel deem me ready.

  I want to be angry at my dad. I want to shout at him and ask him whether he’s lost his mind. I want to ask him what day and age he thinks we’re living in and why he doesn’t trust me enough. Why he feels the need to entrust me to Daniel, rather than trusting I can stand on my own two feet. But I can’t ask him any of those questions, because he’s gone. I’ll never get the answers I’m seeking.

  Daniel runs a hand through his hair and closes his eyes. “What was that old man thinking,” he whispers to himself. He walks back to my father’s bar and pours himself a tall drink and empties his glass in one go. He turns and leans back against the drinks cabinet, his eyes on me. He looks at me with a pained expression as his eyes trail down my body slowly before he looks away. He clenches his teeth and inhales deeply.

  I’m suddenly overcome with an intense sense of rejection. It’s clear the mere idea of being with me disturbs him and whether I like it or not, I’m instantly reminded of Dominic. Does he feel the same way when he looks at me? What will he say when he finds out about the will? I wish he’d been here with me. He would’ve known what to say and do.

  “We can’t lose those shares. If they fall into her hands the company will never recover. It’ll never be the same again.”

  I stare at my feet, knowing that he’s right. How could my father do this to me? To us. Did he have no faith in me at all? Did he do this because he didn’t trust me with his company? How could he possibly have trusted my grandmother more than me?

  “He always wanted you as his son. I guess he’s getting his wish granted in death,” I say bitterly. I feel hurt and part of me blames Daniel for what’s happening. He glances at me and starts pacing like I had just been.

  “We can do a paper marriage, Alyssa. We can both keep our lives. Nothing needs to change. You won’t have anything to worry about. We’ll have an iron-clad prenup so you’ll be protected. Whatever you own, you’ll keep, including your shares. I won’t take advantage of you in any way. We’ll divorce in a year and you’ll have your estate and anything you might have earned during our marriage.”

  Daniel sounds unwilling and detached, as though he’s discussing a minor business deal that’s a waste of his time. His attitude annoys me even further.

  Vincent clears his throat and looks at us with a cautious expression. “There’s more,” he says. I look at him, wariness clouding my vision. Of course there’s more. This is my father we’re talking about, after all. If he wants us together he won’t make it easy for us to escape his wishes. When my father wants something to happen, he’ll get it done.

  “The two of you will have to live together and stay married until Alyssa either becomes CEO or turns twenty-five. If you two separate or divorce before then the shares are still to be given away. We could potentially contest the will, but I’ll honestly tell you now that I won’t be the one to take that case on. I won’t disrespect your father’s last wishes like that.”

  I always thought my father loved his company more than he loved me and this just seems to prove it. What was he after when he wrote his will? He raised me to be independent yet his last wish is for me to get married to a man I didn’t even choose. A thousand questions flash through my mind, each making me feel worse than the last.

  Daniel and I both sit in my dad’s office for what feels like hours. Neither one of us knows what to say or what to do. I hadn’t even noticed Vincent leaving.

  “I can’t believe he’d do this to us,” I whisper for the third time. Daniel runs a hand through his hair. I look up and stare at him for a couple of seconds. He looks so tired and sad.

  “I know you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, Alyssa. You either marry me and lose a part of your personal life and a chance to make that unrequited love of yours work. Or you lose the company that’s rightfully yours. It’s a tough situation but it’s no walk in the park for me either. The last thing I need is to be saddled with a teenybopper for the next few years. However, I will marry you if you’re willing. Even if it’s just to honour your father’s last wish. He’s never asked anything of me before today and I won’t let him down now that he finally has.”

  I cross my arms and glare at him. “Teenybopper, really? Okay, boomer. Don’t forget that you’re getting something out of this too. If you don’t marry me the company is doomed and so is most of your fortune.”

  I ignore what he said about pursuing my unrequited love. I didn’t know that he knew about that. If he knows, who else does? I thought I kept it hidden really well. Have I been making a fool of myself unknowingly the entire time?

  Daniel looks at me with an amused expression. “Yes. I won’t deny that there are benefits to this for me too. The last thing I want is to lose the absolute control your father and I had over the company. We had a vision that I intend to realise, but I can’t do it without major interference. And yes, if your grandmother were to interfere with the way the company is run the share price would be likely to drop, which would indeed affect me financially.”

  My dad always told me how important it is to him that I never sell his shares so why is he now choosing to give them away to the one person he ruthlessly cut out of our lives? Did he regret cutting her off in the end?

  Daniel and I are at an impasse and neither one of us seems to know how to move forward.

  “I guess we’ll have to get married,” I murmur. Daniel looks away and nods. He stares out the window and sighs, a wistful expression on his face.

  “I guess there’s only one thing left to do.”

  He walks to me and drops down on one knee in front of me. I’m so startled that I freeze in disbelief. He grabs my hand and looks into my eyes with an intensity I’ve never seen before.

  “Alyssa Moriani, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?” he asks, his voice soft but clear.

  I inhale deeply and nod, praying to god that I’m doing the right thing.

  4

  I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I’m wearing a white knee-length dress with my favourite old nude stilettos that make my legs look endlessly long. I’m wearing blue underwear and borrowed Mary’s earrings. I’m not sure why I even bothered with the old tradition, but it just seemed wrong not to.

  The dress I’m wearing is gorgeous and figure hugging but it isn’t a wedding gown. It’s something I could easily wear to the office without feeling overdressed. It certainly isn’t what I imagined I’d be wearing on my wedding day.

  I feel numb. It doesn’t feel like I’m getting married and I definitely don’t look like a bride. I can’t believe I’m doing this. I’m about to get married to the wrong Devereaux. In every single marriage fantasy I’ve ever had it’s always been me getting married to Dominic. Becoming Mrs. Devereaux in my mind always meant becoming Dominic’s wife.

  Who would’ve ever thought I’d end up marrying Daniel instead. Daniel, who has always only just barely tolerated me. Daniel, who is ten years older than me and who is rumoured to have bedded half of London. I know this isn’t a real marriage but my nerves are feeling pretty real.

  I turn when someone knocks on the door. Dominic walks in, his eyes widening when he takes me in.

  “Wow. You look stunning,” he whispers. The way he’s looking at me right now is how I’ve always wanted him to look at me. Granted, I rarely wear clothes that are this fitted, but still. I look away and try to smile but fail. It hurts to see him today. It hurts to know that today marks the end of any feelings I’ve ever had for him. Once I marry his brother Dominic will never see me as a woman again. He’ll be out of my reach entirely. I feel like I’m losing everything in life today. I lost my father and now I’m losing my first love. Why couldn’t it have been Dominic? Why couldn’t my father have asked me to
marry the man he knew I loved. If it’s a way to unite the Devereaux and Moriani families then asking me to marry Dominic would’ve sufficed. I don’t understand what my father was thinking at all.

  Dominic walks up to me. His eyes are filled with the same heartache I’m feeling and for just a second I wonder if he ever saw me the way I see him. Did he ever wonder what we could have been? Did he ever consider stepping over the boundary we drew between us as kids?

  He cups my cheek gently and looks into my eyes. I see the love and regret that I’m feeling reflected in his eyes as he rests his forehead against mine.

  “I can’t believe you’re marrying Daniel,” he whispers. I close my eyes and inhale deeply. “I can’t believe it either,” I whisper back. Dominic pulls back and hesitates before he speaks.

  “Couldn’t it have been me? If all you had to do was marry a Devereaux, then why not me?” he asks, his voice breaking. I swallow hard as tears start to gather in my eyes.

  Dominic buries his hands in my hair, messing up my hairstyle. His eyes are filled with an anguished expression I’ve never seen before. He’s so close yet so much further away than he’s ever been.

  “It’s not just any Devereaux, Nic. The will specifically states that I had to marry Daniel. Besides, you’ve got Lucy. I’d never ask something like this of you. I wouldn’t dare.”

  Dominic inhales deeply. “She’s not you, Alyssa. She’ll never be you.”

  I don’t know what to make of his words and I don’t dare to hope anymore. Not now. Not when it’s already too late.

  Dominic leans into me, his lips only an inch from mine. The energy between us sizzles with love, desire and heartache. He moves closer to me slowly, millimetre by millimetre. My eyes fall closed as I wait for the moment his lips finally touch mine, the moment I’ve waited for pretty much all my life.