GREEDY BILLIONAIRES CLAMOR FOR MORE, the headline proclaims in capital letters.
The rest is just as lurid, but the basis for the ridiculous spin is accurate. It details the deal Julian has with his children, and how Ryder and Elliot married already to get paintings that are worth millions.
Why marry for a reason as crude as money when they already have so much? the article asks toward the end.
"Oh my god, how did they find out?"
"My guess is Annabelle Underhill. Paige said she seemed to know."
"Is this some kind of payback for the exposé?"
"Probably." Elliot puts his hands on my shoulders and pulls me gently toward him. "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too. What are we going to do?" I hug him, drawing strength from his warmth. "Oh my god, Elizabeth. She'll be hounded by men. And your brothers … "
"Lucas and Blake can handle themselves. But Elizabeth … " Elliot runs a hand over his face. "Yeah."
"How's Nonny?" Given that she hasn't come out to greet me, she can't be reacting well.
"She's at a friend's. Maria, I think. But first things first."
He leads me to the dining room. Chinese takeout with my favorite sweet and sour chicken and shrimp fried rice is waiting for me. He has duck and some stir-fried greens.
"You actually want to eat?" I ask incredulously.
"Can't fight on an empty stomach. Sit down." He pulls out a chair. "Please."
I sit. He's right; not eating will only hurt me. He opens the sweet and sour chicken and pushes it my way, along with some utensils.
"How are we going to fight?" I ask. "The deal is true."
He points to my food. "Eat, woman."
Making a face, I pop a piece into my mouth.
Only then does he say, "We have to make people believe it's not true."
"You're going to lie?"
"We don't have to lie. The premise that our father is forcing all of us to marry in the next six months to inherit the paintings is already pretty far-fetched."
"But true."
"That's not the point."
I think it kind of is the point, but ask, "Okay, so what are you going to do?"
"We're going to talk with my siblings and figure out how best to approach it. As a matter of fact, we've been waiting for you to come home so we can make sure you'll be on board as well."
"I'm fine with whatever you decide." And I mean that. I trust Elliot will do what's best.
Cradling my face, he kisses my forehead. "Thank you for your faith in me."
"Let's eat fast, if they're waiting."
But even as I smile for his benefit, I feel queasy. This is Annabelle Underhill's second attempt to drag me through the mud. She promised she would. And I hate that her hatred of me is going to hurt Elliot and his family.
* * *
Elliot
It doesn't take long to wrap up dinner. Neither of us has much appetite. We pack up the leftovers and put them in the fridge for later, then go to the couch in the living room. We have three minutes to the call, and I dial in.
Others hop on within seconds. Ryder, Paige and Elizabeth are the first to join, then Blake. His voice is cold and low, and that tells me he's too furious to yell.
"Fucking Julian," he says. "It's gotta be him."
"Annabelle Underhill knew we had to marry," Paige points out. "She said as much at the charity dinner Elizabeth organized with Nate Sterling."
"If it's Annabelle Underhill, I'll take care of it," I say. Paddington sent me the recording. I'm forwarding it anonymously to Stanton Underhill, illegally made or not. After that, it'll be up to the old man to decide what to do about his psychotic wife, but I doubt he'll shrug it off. A man like him doesn't get to be where he is by being overly understanding and forgiving.
"How about Mira? Didn't she know?" Elizabeth says.
"She did," Ryder says, "but she wouldn't spill the beans. Her agent contract came with an ironclad NDA. She might be a backstabbing bitch, but she wouldn't do something to make me an enemy for life."
Suddenly the line beeps, alerting us to another person joining the call.
"How the fuck did you get this to leak?"
My wife's eyes widen. I rub the back of my neck. "Hello, Lucas. I didn't realize you were going to join us."
"I wouldn't normally, but did you have to fuck this shit up? What the hell is wrong with you guys?"
"Inbox bursting with marriage proposals?" Blake says sarcastically.
"No. I was on the verge of … Fuck!"
"Just tell her the truth and get her to sign an NDA and prenup," Ryder suggests. "Women aren't stupid. They're gonna know if you're faking affection."