The Accidental Bride: A BWWM Billionaire Romance

by Tiana Cole

  He leveled his gaze at her. “Then I suggest you ignore my hideous scowl and my low opinion of you and tell me this truth you came to tell me.”

  “Very well.” For the second time she found herself trying to tell the story, but this time she went chronologically from front to back without embellishment. She resisted the temptation to explain anything. It made no sense to spin things even if she knew a good spin. She was there to present the story in detail. So she told him the story the way she had watched it unfold, about Alan approaching her at the hospital, about meeting James at the club, and the marriage.

  “Which brings you to the present, and what seems to be a rather untenable situation for you both. I imagine it would be difficult for there to be any trust between you now.”

  “Perhaps not. But we are accepting what happened and building new bridges. I have told him everything, just as I told you, and we are talking, trying to decide on an honorable course of action.

  “Would that not be to have this arrangement that was arrived at under false pretenses annulled?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. That seemed to be everyone’s initial response, but is it honest to pretend that the marriage didn’t happen? A divorce ends the marriage rather than denying it, but it suggests the marriage failed. This one happened, and it hasn’t failed, although that might a reasonable ending.

  I’m willing to acknowledge that James was not thinking clearly when he insisted that we marry and that is grounds for annulment. I’m not quite sure James knows what he wants. So we are talking about it, openly, and I think we’ll figure it out.”

  A waiter entered the room with a service cart, bringing food. “I took the liberty of ordering us some food,” Liang said. “I need some time to consider what you have told me.”

  She nodded, but the smell of the food was making her feel ill. “I’m afraid…” She hopped up before she could finish speaking and ran to the bathroom, holding her hand over her mouth, certain she would throw up.

  She made it to the bathroom and vomited violently. After washing her face, she returned to the room, feeling weak. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “That came on suddenly. I’m not feeling well. I’d better go.” The food smells were nagging at her again.

  “Should I call a doctor?”

  She was unsteady, queasy, that was all. “No, I’ll be okay. It seems to be passing.”

  “I understand,” he said. “I have only one question before you leave. What do you wish me to do with the information you’ve given me? Are you asking me to think better of James, or less of Mr. McCabe?”

  “No, sir. I’m not asking you to think anything at all. I asked you for a chance to tell you the truth and you gave it to me.”

  “And why was that important?”

  “James thinks incredibly highly of you and is mortified that he let you down. I care about him and feel it’s unfair for him to be judged without you knowing my role and Mr. McCabe’s in that stupid and unforgivable game we played. I wanted to tell you myself so that you would believe it.”

  “And if you are worried about his reputation, why haven’t you gone public with this?”

  “It isn’t public opinion that James cares about.”

  “I see.” Shen Liang cleared his throat. “And what will you do?”

  “About what?”

  “About your life.”

  “My first concern is my sister. I’ll spend what time she has left with her. Then, I’ll try to get my life back on track. What that means depends a great deal on what James decides.”

  “You care about him a great deal.”

  She smiled, noting the scowl had faded somewhat. “He’s growing on me. Yes, I do.”

  Her phone rang. A quick glance told her it was Alan. “It’s Alan McCabe,” she said. “He keeps calling.”

  “Don’t answer,” Liang said sternly. “If you believe what you have told me, you will never talk to McCabe again.”

  “I won’t.”

  Liang nodded and walked her to the door. “You are a lovely lady with a good spirit. I hope you feel better soon.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You should mention this stomach problem to your husband.”

  “Why?”

  “Are you not rebuilding trust by communicating things of importance?”

  “You’re right.”

  “I wouldn’t worry. My limited understanding is that it is usually mornings that are the problem and then it passes.”

  As she went down the elevator she wondered what he meant by that.

  * * * *

  James came into Shen Liang’s suite at the Royal and took the offered seat. The older man smiled. “Thank you for coming.”

  “Of course.”

  “Do you know why I wanted to meet again?”

  “No. I am hoping it is because you are still considering working with me. I hope it is because you somehow found more puzzle pieces.”

  She smiled. “Yes. I believe I have. This woman you married…”

  “Deja.”

  “Is she a good person?”

  The question floored him. Of all the questions he could expect Liang to ask him, the nature of his wife was not on the list. “Yes. I think she is.”

  “But you feel she tricked you, yes?”

  “She was part of a trick. Still, I can’t put all the blame on her.”

  “Why not?”

  “She was more of a catalyst than the cause.”

  “Then who is to blame?”

  “I am. No one forced me to do anything. She didn’t get me drunk. I can’t fault her for being terribly attractive and appealing to me.”

  “So you like her?”

  This didn’t make any sense. Why was his wife suddenly so important to Shen Liang? Was there something he didn’t know about her? Or was Liang simply fishing for more puzzle pieces?

  “I think I do.”

  “You haven’t filed for an annulment.” Then he smiled. “My people checked.”

  “It seemed foolish to rush to a solution, even if it seemed like an obvious one. The mistake was rushing into something in the first place. Also, I don’t see that staying married for a time does any harm.”

  “You might compromise your case for an annulment.”

  “There is always divorce…if that’s necessary.”

  The man nodded. “I see. Since you have brought your lawyer out here, I assume you are considering all your options.”

  “And hers. We got into this together.”

  “Do you know why she married you? I’m quite curious about that. Regardless of whose idea it was to marry, do you know why she married you?”

  James sat back in his chair and steeled himself. The man knew something. He had no idea what it was or how he got his information, but he certainly knew something about what had happened. Honesty was generally the best policy in business if he wanted a long-term relationship, and at the moment, telling the truth could end this deal. Admitting that a young woman could con him so easily made him look a fool. Lying about it, salvaging his pride and using falsehoods to rescue the deal, just wasn’t going to happen. Shen Liang was a straight shooter.

  “I know exactly why. She was paid to marry me.”

  Liang didn’t seem surprised. “A great deal of money?”

  “She said she was supposed to get fifty thousand dollars.”

  “And why so much money for a foolish thing?”

  “She was told it was one rich man playing a prank on another—settling a personal score. But the man knew about the treatment for her sister and I suspect he offered that amount because he knew it was enough to pay for it.”

  “But it wasn’t a prank at all, and not a personal thing at all.”

  “Well, it was personal. He wanted to ruin my business, partly to get the deal himself, I suspect, but also as revenge for my winning a contract away from him. Regardless of the motives, it was intended to do exactly what it did—expose my foolishness and make me seem unfit to be your partner.�
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  “And yet, you haven’t pointed a finger at anyone.”

  “That makes no difference, really.”

  “Was it McCabe?”

  “She said it was. I know he is in town and we went drinking together that night.”

  “Why didn’t you warn me that McCabe betrayed you this way?”

  James sighed. “Then I’d be acting foolish again—blaming him as if his actions excused mine. Even though I think he set things up, he didn’t make me do what I did. I would never go running to you with such a self-serving story.”

  “Tell me about your wife’s great need for fifty thousand dollars.”

  “As I said, her sister is dying. There is a new treatment, but the insurance won’t pay for it. The doctor believes it could save her life, and it costs that much.”

  “And you’ve verified this?”

  “I’ve check it all out personally. Her immediate concern is about her sister.”

  “She is staying with you?”

  “Yes. She has her own room at the hotel.”

  “I understand that she left for some time?”

  Shen Liang always had more information than you expected. It let him control the direction of the conversation. “A day. Before I knew about her sister, she took some time to think things over. She was tempted to continue with the game. All she had to do was stay out of sight for a week to get the money for her sister. At least so she was told. In the end, she returned to tell the truth.”

  “To what end?”

  James sighed. “He approached her after she’d left to talk. As she got to know him, she decided that she had been used. To be honest, I’m certain she realized that she wouldn’t get the money she was promised.”

  “The entire idea that someone would play such an expensive and elaborate trick on you seems odd. Is this woman extremely gullible?”

  “I don’t think she is, normally. She’s very clever.”

  “So what was there about McCabe’s scheme that made her act so foolishly?”

  “The quick payoff. The worry that her sister would die without treatment soon made her willing to believe almost anything that would get her the money.”

  “I see. And you understand that? You are willing to forgive her duplicity?”

  “I’m beginning to understand. Family means a great deal to her, much more than I would have believed before now. I think she never even considered her own honor or happiness before she acted. She simply saw the opportunity and took action.”

  Liang got up and walked deliberately to the window. He put his hands in his trouser pockets and James heard the jingle of the change in them. “Personally I have never cared much for Mr. McCabe.” He turned to face James. “I mean, he isn’t a person I would like to spend time with. His manner is abrasive and I don’t find him at all agreeable. But then, for my business needs, that is less important than finding someone who is resourceful, wouldn’t you agree?”

  The ping pong track of the conversation still seemed baffling. From Deja to McCabe…Liang had to be filling in small pieces of the puzzle he had chosen. “I suppose that’s true up to a point.”

  “And what is that point?”

  “For me, I’d say that if I were choosing a partner, of course he must be resourceful and effective. But I’d also care what he uses that resourcefulness to accomplish and how he uses it. I want to know if he left good or ill in his wake.”

  “I see. Would that same criteria apply to a wife?”

  The question made James burst out laughing. “I suppose so.”

  “So what will you do? Not about our deal, but what will you do about the domestic situation?”

  “I haven’t decided.”

  “And you say your wife’s sister hasn’t much time.”

  “Not unless she gets the treatment soon.”

  “And your wife has no money.”

  “Not anywhere near enough.”

  “It would be sad if she died for a stupid reason like that.”

  “Her sister is an incredibly brave person, and rather likable.”

  “You met your wife dancing?”

  “Yes.” The oddness of the conversation still puzzled him. They had said almost nothing about the deal.

  “Is she a good dancer?”

  James coughed. The question summoned up a memory of them on the dance floor, her melting in his arms, the feel of her delicate body, and her sexy perfume. “A wonderful dancer.”

  “I haven’t danced in years. I seem to stay too busy. The demands of business, you know.”

  The comment stung. He hadn’t neglected business. “Shen Liang, I—”

  “Let’s talk again in a few days, Mr. Andrews. We both seem to have a great deal of thinking to do. You decide what you must do about your wife, and even her sister, and I will decide what I must do about my business. Then we can talk again.”

  “I don’t see what my wife or her sister has to do with this, sir.”

  “I know you don’t.” He turned back to the window. “I think we must both come to understand how much time we should give to our business and how much to dancing.” Then he led James to the door and opened it. “The answer to that puzzle is not as obvious as it seems. Only lesser men would think this a simple question, and we cannot afford to be lesser men, Mr. Andrews. Can we?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Do you want to tell me anything else?”

  James hadn’t wanted to mention the last visit to the hospital with Kieran. To tell Shen Liang would make it sound like a cheap trick being performed for his benefit. Still, he was asking into these matters and it was up to James to provide those elusive puzzle pieces. “Barbara, Deja’s sister, is going to get the treatment in a few days. The doctor who developed the treatment is coming from UCLA to perform the procedure.”

  Shen Liang nodded as if he already knew. “Then you don’t worry that perhaps everything that happened was simply to trick you into paying for this treatment?”

  “Worry? No. The truth is that I don’t care.”

  “And this has nothing to do with what happens between you and your wonderful dancer? You aren’t using this as a payoff?”

  “She doesn’t know Barbara is getting the treatment yet. Even then, she’ll be told that the money came from a UCLA grant.”

  “Did it?”

  “A rather new one that was established for Barbara.”

  Shen Liang laughed. “A different sort of resourcefulness. When is the surgery?”

  “I’ll be taking her to the hospital later today for what she thinks is a normal visit, but we will arrive when Barbara is prepped for the procedure, so the doctor can brief Deja on what is happening.”

  “So she gets what she wanted.”

  “I suppose that’s true.”

  “Then you should go and play Good Samaritan. Let me know how it works out.”

  “I will.”

  “I heard your wife was having a little sickness of her own.”

  James started. “It comes and goes. I think she’ll be fine.”

  “I think you might be as well.”

  As the door closed behind him, James knew he’d missed something in that meeting. There had been a shift in the feeling in that room to something he didn’t understand at all. He had no idea if he’d been reprimanded, congratulated, or something in between. Whatever had happened, James had to put it out of his mind for now. What mattered was finding out what this new treatment could do for Barbara.

  * * * *

  Alan sat in the chair across from Shen Liang feeling like things might finally be going his way. “So James is still undecided about his new wife? Not sure what to do with her?”

  “It would seem that way.”

  “I always thought he’d lose his touch when it came to women. He’s gotten this far by avoiding entanglements and never learned how to deal with them.”

  “Perhaps. But what would you do in his shoes?”

  The question caught him off guard. “I wouldn’t let myself be
in that spot.”

  “Suppose it happened. Hypothetically. If you found yourself married to a woman you admired, but hardly knew, and you were in charge, what would you do?”

  That didn’t take much thought. “I’d send her packing.”

  “Without any support?”

  “Hell no. Anyone tries to take advantage of you, when you catch them at it, the last thing you want to do is reward them for it.”

  “What if, as in this case, you learned that she was doing it for a selfless reason?”

  “Same thing. Her reasons don’t matter.”

  “I see.”

  Alan was growing tired of the Chinaman’s studied, inscrutable face. “What the hell does it mean that you see?”

  “It means that I understand what you are saying.”

  “That’s it? Do you agree?”

  “I’m not discussing this with you, I just wanted your opinion.”

  “Why? It has nothing to do with me.”

  “It’s a piece of the puzzle.”

  “What puzzle?”

  “The one I need to solve to make my decision.”

  “Look, Liang, you have a big operation. Your business is big time and you need someone willing and able to play hardball. There’s no room for a lot of crap about feelings in that kind of negotiation.”

  “You attempted to make James Andrews look like a fool.”

  “I helped show you that he was foolish. I pushed it along.”

  “And then you made it public. It wasn’t enough for me to know.”

  “I was making sure.”

  “You promised the woman a great deal of money. You got what you wanted. Why haven’t you paid her?”

  “There was nothing it writing about it. She’s got a rich husband. If she needs money, she can get it from him.”

  “So your word means nothing?”

  Suddenly Alan felt trapped. “I played the game and won. Sure I tricked a couple of people—a couple of losers. They deserve each other.”

  “That piece doesn’t fit well into my puzzle, Mr. McCabe. I can’t condone doing business with a man with no ethics.”

  “So you’ll give James the deal? Even though he’s weak, a sucker, you’ll give it to him because he’s all smooth and mannered?”

  “I don’t know if I will give it to him, Mr. McCabe. I’ve only decided that you and I won’t be doing business. And while it isn’t on account of your lack of manners, you might want to consider improving them if you want people to choose to do business with you.”