I’ll just have to do the same now.
I tap out a quick text to Vivian, my father’s secretary, to get me Serena’s number ASAP. I’d ask my own assistant, but it’s easier not to open that can of worms until Monday.
“You want me to make you lunch today?”
“No. I’m meeting Connor later.”
“Steak and cauliflower rice for dinner tonight?”
“Sounds good.”
“All right, I’m getting started on laundry then. See you tomorrow morning.”
She exits the kitchen and I take a long draw from my smoothie, contemplating how exactly I’ve found myself in this mess. Sure, Gabriel said he wasn’t into this girl, but goddamn. What prompted him to call the wedding off at the worst possible time? And just when it seemed like we were starting to understand each other a little better too.
I polish off the rest of my meal and head into my home office to catch up on some things before the workweek starts tomorrow, surfacing hours later when I realize I’m running late to meet my brother for lunch.
I stride into the restaurant only a few minutes after I was supposed to, spotting Connor’s dark head at one of the back tables, ignoring the curious glances of other diners as I pass by.
“Archer,” he grins when he spots me, standing and giving me a bone-crushing hug. I return it cautiously, a bit surprised since he didn’t hug me at the rehearsal dinner Friday night. Then again, Gabriel beat me to it.
“When do you fly back?”
“Tonight. Seventeen straight hours of fun.”
I wince, thankful once more Dad sent my youngest brother to the Philippines to oversee our business interests there rather than me.
Taking a seat, I pick up a menu, squinting to see what they have. Why do they make the print on these so damn small?
“Oh, there he is.”
I glance up, following Connor’s gaze to find Gabriel winding his way through the tables to our spot, a frown settling over my mouth.
“He’s our brother,” he whispers.
I wipe my face clear, his gentle chastisement leaving an unsettled sensation in my stomach. “He was also just disowned by Dad.”
“He wasn’t serious about that.”
“Oh, he was,” Gabriel says, pulling out a chair to sit down. “If we didn’t already have plans, I’d have no way to say goodbye.”
“What?”
“He had his goons take my phone, along with everything else.”
Connor’s eyes widen in surprise, but the news isn’t shocking to me. I heard the if Gabriel screws this, so help me spiel from Dad more than once over the last month, enumerating the many things he’d take from him. To be honest, I was a little alarmed with how vindictive he’d sounded. Gabriel’s been better lately, lightyears away from the angry teen after-
Nope, not thinking about that.
“He actually took your stuff?” Connor asks. “So, what, you’re just sitting in an empty apartment?”
“There is no apartment,” I say softly when Gabriel merely looks down at the table. “He was evicted. Dad wasn’t bluffing. He-” I clear my throat. “He said he only has two sons now.”
Tensions were running high when he declared that, though, during a brief moment he pulled me aside at the reception. Maybe his anger’s reduced some in the light of day.
Gabriel gives a rueful smile. “Think he’ll let me keep the last name Bishop?”
Connor cracks a grin, but I’m not exactly in the mood for jokes. He’s put me in a hell of an awkward position.
His mirth fades when he realizes I’m unamused. “Thank you, Archer. I mean that sincerely.” He folds his hands in front of him, glancing down briefly before meeting my gaze. “You stepped up making sure the deal went through and saved Serena a lot of embarrassment. And I’m going to do what I can, so there’s as little backlash as possible.”
I take a sip of water as the server finally comes by to fill our glasses and put bread on the table, silently acknowledging my thanks, then order, waiting till we’re alone to speak again.
“I actually have a meeting with Dad about next steps after this.”
Gabriel blows out a breath. “Too bad I’ll have to miss that.”
“So… we’re good then?” Connor glances between the two of us, ever the peacekeeper.
I give a single nod, ready to put this behind us. “Who are you staying with?” I may not be completely happy with him right now, but he’s still my brother.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Is it that woman you told me about?”
We both turn heads toward Connor, who immediately goes sheepish as Gabriel shoots a death glare at him.
“I said don’t worry about it,” he grits out.
My eyes flick between the two of them. “You were seeing someone else the whole time?”
“No,” he insists, running a hand through his dark hair, tugging at the ends. “Listen, I have to go.”
“Sit down.”
He pauses from halfway out of his chair and plops back down, heaving a long sigh.
“You can trust Archer,” Connor murmurs, guilt all over his face from spilling the beans about whatever secret this is they’re in on together.
Gabriel purses his lips, staring at his untouched glass in front of him. “I fell in love with someone else after Serena and I became engaged. We didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did.”
I suck in a breath. He’s always been more cavalier in his dating life than me, but he’s never mentioned love. Never even dated anyone more than a week or two as far as I know.
“Don’t ask me who. Please.”
“I won’t snitch to Dad if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“There’d be consequences,” he says in a low voice. “I’m not telling anyone until it’s safer.”
“Safer?” Is this woman in the witness protection program or something?
“Just… until some time has passed. I’m not excluding you, I promise.”
I nod, sensing his resoluteness. Maybe the less I know, the better. Deniable plausibility if Dad questions me about it.
“I never wanted to put you in an awkward position - either of you. But this is something I had to do. And honestly, I’m fine. More than that actually. I’m… alive.”
He smiles, some kind of inner peace radiating from him I’ve never seen.
It’s weird.
“Well, if you need somewhere else to stay, you can always use my place,” Connor says, dipping a hunk of bread in the bowl of olive oil and herb mixture on the middle of the table. “Dad doesn’t have to know.”
“Didn’t you just hear Archer? Dad wasn’t bluffing when he said he’ll take everything away. I don’t want anything from either of you.”
A small part of me eases at his words. I was half afraid when he walked in he’d ask for a handout, dreading having to deny him. I may not always have been the best brother, but the recent interactions we’ve had over the last month during his wedding planning seem to have… changed something between us.
But it’s not only a matter of me or Connor snitching. Dad has eyes everywhere.
“I did manage to grab a few things out of my apartment unnoticed.” He reaches in his pocket to extract a diamond ring set in a gold band, which he places carefully on the table.
I tug at the neck of my shirt, the air in the restaurant unbearably thick.
“Is that…?” Connor asks, wonder in his voice.
“I didn’t intend to give Serena this. She didn’t even want a ring from me at all. But I thought you might-”
“No,” I choke out. “Excuse me.”
I push back from the table, my chair screeching loud enough to cause several surrounding diners to look at me in alarm. Running a hand down the buttons of my Oxford shirt, I stride toward the bathroom, catching sight of my pale face in the mirror. Fuck.
I wash my hands, scrubbing harder than necessary, giving myself time to calm down. How did he even get Mom’s ring? I
thought they buried her with that.
I take a long inhale through my nose and hold it for a count of five, then exhale slowly, repeating the process till I’m centered.
I avoid catching anyone’s eye as I make my way back to the table, and note that the ring is absent now, probably tucked away in Gabriel’s pocket. Good. That’s where it belongs. He should give it to whoever this woman is he’s in love with. Something like that doesn’t belong anywhere near this business deal of a marriage.
“Tell us what you have going on in the Philippines,” I request of Connor as I take a seat, even though he already spoke of it at the rehearsal dinner.
He glances between me and Gabriel before letting loose an easy grin, proceeding to regale us with a few new stories that are a bit more risque than the ones we heard previously.
The tension in my shoulders lessens, and I peek over at Gabriel to find his gaze on me, sharper than I’d like. My muscles tighten back up, but he remains silent, eventually turning his attention to Connor.
We settle into our familiar dynamic as lunch goes on, Gabriel the self-deprecating middle child, Connor the jovial, lighthearted baby. And me, the watchful eldest brother, a weight of responsibility on my shoulders these two will never understand.
I make my excuses an hour later to get to my meeting with Dad, hugging both my brothers before leaving. There’s a ready made reason for embracing Connor. With him being overseas, who knows when I’ll see him again?
But Gabriel? The one I hardly see despite living so close? The one I’ve come to realize I don’t know as well as I thought I did? The one I failed when Mom-
My body is stiff at first as my middle brother’s arms encircle me, but soon eases as he seems to sense what I can’t outright say.
“Thanks, Archie,” he whispers, a broad grin on his face as he lets go of me.
I roll my eyes, clearing my throat loudly. “I’ll see you… sometime.” It’s not like he’ll be around the office. Dad might even have him banned from there.
“Sometime,” he agrees, giving me a mock salute.
I meet James, my driver, at the curb, checking my email on my phone in the backseat as we drive the short distance to Bishop Industries. We’re almost there when a text comes through from Vivian with Serena’s number, my stomach sinking at the reminder that I need to call her.
My finger hesitates over the green phone icon on the screen, recalling how we parted last night. She told me I could leave whenever, her tone begging me to go. I know I wasn’t her first choice, but I hoped we could at least be civil to one another.
Best to rip it off like a band-aid then, bringing the cell up to my ear.
“Serena, hi,” I say as she answers. “It’s, uh, Archer.” I swallow, my throat suddenly parched.
“Hi.” Her voice is sweet, the same way it was last night thanking guests for coming to the wedding. Her green eyes had sparkled then, her lithe body leaning into me, the picture of a woman in love. A one-eighty from how it’d been in the hotel room afterward, muscles rigid, back hunched.
I shake my head to clear it. Why am I dwelling on that? “Are you able to meet me at Bishop Industries now? I’m heading into a meeting with my dad about next steps.”
“I’m across town. I just left the hotel.”
“Right.” I tap my thumb against my knee, flicking a piece of lint off my pants. “Well, we should probably go over some ground rules soon.”
“Rules?”
“You know, expectations we have of each other and the… situation.”
There’s silence from the other end, and I’m just about to repeat myself when she finally whispers, “Okay.”
I rub my temple, wishing I could see her to gauge what she’s thinking. “Can you come over to my place tonight? Maybe around seven?”
“I’d like that.” There’s that sweetness again. How can she switch between that and cold dismissal so easily?
“We, uh, never discussed living arrangements-”
“I want to live with you,” she interrupts in a rush, leaving me blinking. “I mean, it wouldn’t seem like we’re in love if we lived separately in the same city.”
“That makes sense,” I manage to get out, my world abruptly shifting. Not only married but now living with a woman I barely know. At least I have a guest room. “When do you think you’ll move in?”
“I’ll need to go through my stuff and decide what I want to keep and get rid of. I’m assuming it’s okay to bring some things with me?”
“Yeah, of course.” My head spins, already jumping ahead to the logistics of accommodating her belongings and making space in the apartment.
“Maybe a couple weeks then?”
“Take as much time as you need.” Seriously.
“Thank you.”
“I’m on the top floor of Bishop Plaza. I’ll let the doorman know to expect you.”
“Okay.”
There’s an awkward pause as my mind blanks on what to say. Everything is moving so fast.
James pulls up to the curb and I jump on the opportunity to tell her I have to go, relief settling over me as I end the call.
The building’s almost empty with it being a Sunday, but Bishop Industries is never fully closed. Dad expects twenty-four seven performance from his employees.
“The will’s been changed,” he states upon my arrival, his stare as icy as ever. “You and Connor will split the inheritance originally meant for Gabriel.”
I carefully take the seat across from him, the hard back digging into my spine. “You might not want to be so hasty-”
“Like I told you last night, I only have two sons now.”
So it seems time hasn’t lessened his anger.
I clasp my hands in front of me. “It’s your decision.” That’s become my go-to phrase over the years when I privately disagree with him. He’s not the type to take verbal dissent well.
“Has he reached out to you? Asked for money? A place to stay?” The energy surrounding him is almost manic, so different from his normal severe demeanor.
“He met Connor and me for lunch just now.” There’s no way I can lie to him. It’d be too easy for a photograph on some gossip site to pop up proving me wrong. “But he made it very clear he wouldn’t ask anything of us.”
The grooves next to his mouth deepen, almost like he’s displeased that Gabriel is following the stipulations he set. “Why are you meeting with him? Didn’t I just say he’s not a part of this family?”
I take a moment to collect my thoughts, but ultimately decide I can’t keep this from him. “Whether or not he’s your son, Gabriel’s still my brother.” I’m twenty-nine years old. It’s not his place to tell me who I can and can’t see. “But I promise not to financially help him.”
His lips thin. “And you understand the consequences if you do?”
Jesus Christ, I just said I wouldn’t help him, didn’t I? I’d never say that aloud to him, though. That was Gabriel’s problem. He never learned when to keep his mouth shut around Dad.
I nod. “So about this marriage…”
His face pinches even more. “This whole thing is a clusterfuck. I’ve had the PR team on it all morning, but they’ve barely come up with anything useful.” I don’t point out it’s Sunday and they’re probably unhappy to work on the weekend. “You’re my successor. You need someone by your side with the right image, the right connections.”
Her father owns a successful multi-million dollar tech company. What’s not to like? Besides, this is the first I’m hearing about needing a certain type of woman. If anything, Dad’s always discouraged me from dating. There are too many money-hungry women out there, according to him.
“I thought I was doing what you’d want. I kept our end of the bargain with Montague.”
His gaze narrows. “And now it looks like you were going behind your brother’s back having an affair with her.”
I fight the instinct to sputter. Any sign of weakness in front of Dad is grounds for punishment. Some le
ssons from childhood never leave you, no matter how old you are.
“I’ve spoken to Gabriel. He says he’ll work with us to minimize backlash.”
He stabs his finger against his polished oak desk. “He betrayed us.”
“If I’m seen out with him,” I continue, “it’ll help. Show there’s no animosity, no resentment on his part.”
“Send it to PR,” he grumbles, calming down. “See how they can spin it.”
“Serena’s moving into my apartment soon, we’ll attend some public outings together, some charity events. Enough to assure people we’re in… love.” The word leaves a funny taste in my mouth.
He sighs, folding his hands over his stomach. “I’ll have a judge I know change the marriage license. Make it legal.” He leans forward and presses the intercom button on his phone. “Vivian, send Angelina in.”
I guess that means we’re done with any personal conversation.
Our public relations expert comes in and briefs us on what her team has come up with, marketing us as star-crossed lovers. And in opposition to how Gabriel and Serena were labeled as an intensely private couple due to a lack of photos of the two of them together, her and I need to be a splashy, seen all about town pair, unable to hide our love for one another.
I swallow, unsure how well I can pull this off. Besides having no formal acting skills, I work at least sixty hours a week. I don’t have time to gallivant all across New York pretending to be in love.
But I was the one who offered myself up. I deserve this.
Now to just get Serena on board.
Chapter Three
Serena
I hang up my phone and stow it in my purse, allowing myself a small smile. Maybe all hope isn’t lost. Yes, our conversation had been a little awkward, but at least Archer is trying. Not because of me specifically - I’m not that delusional anymore - but for his wife and this situation we’ve found ourselves in.
Marrying the Billionaire (Bishop Brothers Book 2) Page 2