Sham Marriage Quit Real Heiress Strikes Back novel Chapter 5

Chapter 5 The Kingsleys Take This Wedding Seriously

Nathan said, “Right.”

Victoria felt her lower back twinge with pain. She was starting to regret sending Camille away earlier–her poker friends were still waiting on her at home.

But now she had to grit her teeth and keep looking after Nathan.

Meanwhile, Elena wasn’t exactly relaxing either. She had to deal with a man, yes, but work couldn’t be put on hold. By the time she walked out of Swiftline, it was already 7 p.m.

A sleek black Mercedes–Maybach pulled up in front of her.

The window rolled down, and a man in a black suit stepped out, bowing respectfully toward her. “Miss Sterling, I’ve been asked to escort you to see Mr. Kingsley.”

Elena looked at the understated luxury of the car in front of her and simply nodded. The driver opened the rear door. Once she was seated, the car pulled away smoothly.

She thought they’d be heading to the Kingsley estate.

Instead, the driver pulled up at an upscale private restaurant. A server led Elena down a quiet corridor to a private dining room.

The door opened. Sitting by the window was a man in a deep navy suit. His hair was neatly trimmed, and a pair of gold–rimmed glasses rested on his nose.

She stepped in, cutting straight to the point. “Alexander’s not coming?”

Ryan froze for a second.

Then he smiled slightly. “What made you think I’m not Mr. Kingsley?”

“I heard Alexander isn’t doing well physically. You seem full of energy.”

Elena sat across from him without a trace of awkwardness.

Her long, thick curls fell down her back. She wore barely any makeup, and her features weren’t exactly striking–there was a softness to them. But the sharp glint in her eyes made it clear she wasn’t someone to push around.

“I’m Alexander’s assistant. You can call me Ryan.”

“Nice to meet you. So, why did you ask to see me?”

He was being polite, so Elena wasn’t going to be rude.

“Mr. Kingsley wanted to come himself, but he wasn’t feeling well today. So he asked me to speak on his behalf.”

“He couldn’t even make it out the door?” Sound serious.

Elena frowned. Her instinct kicked in. “Is he… dying or something?”

She raised an eyebrow. Her meaning couldn’t have been more obvious.

Ryan’s smile faltered. He hadn’t expected Elena to be so different from how she seemed on- screen. He rubbed his forehead and explained, “No, you’re overthinking it. Mr. Kingsley has an old condition, but nothing that would lead to an early death.”

Elena simply said, “Oh.”

“Mr. Kingsley’s family places great importance on this marriage. I’m here to ask what you’d prefer in terms of a wedding dress and ring.”

He pulled out two elegant books and handed them to her.

“These are the designs Mr. Kingsley had commissioned. You can pick whatever you like, so we can get the process started.”

Inside were more than a dozen wedding dress sketches and dozens of ring designs, every piece breathtaking.

They were all custom work by top designers. Elena felt a wave of bitterness rise in her chest.

Her wedding to Nathan had no gown, no ring ceremony. Just a quiet meal between both families. The ring had been a cheap silver band.

Back then, Nathan had said, “I made this ring myself. There’s only one like it in the world. It belongs only to you.”

Whether they wanted her as a caretaker or not, she still had to marry him. There’s no point agonizing over it now.

“This one.”

She started coughing hard, probably from getting too worked up.

“Get back here. And tomorrow, take me to see Dr. Mercer.”

Her tone sounded more like a boss speaking to a maid. Elena smiled faintly. “I’m busy.” Then she hung up.

Not even a full minute passed before both Victoria and Victor started blowing up her phone. If she hadn’t already blocked Nathan’s number, he’d probably be calling too.

Elena calmly stared at the screen lighting up and going dark, leisurely savoring her dinner. She even ordered dessert.

But for some reason, she felt a chill on the back of her neck. Like someone was watching her.

She shifted in her seat and glanced behind her. A translucent folding screen stood at the back of the room. Is someone behind it?

She gave it a look, puzzled, but then Ryan’s voice cut in. “Miss Sterling, I need to get back to report to Mr. Kingsley.”

He didn’t sound as composed as before. Actually, he sounded nervous.

Elena didn’t think much of it. Maybe Alexander was the kind of perfectionist who demanded his staff report down to the minute.

She put down her spoon, grabbed her purse, and headed home–ready to face the firestorm from the Hawthorne family.

Once she was gone, Ryan returned to the private room.

The screen was now closed. Behind it sat a man in a carved mahogany chair, his long legs crossed. His face was sharply handsome, his features cold and distant. Even a simple black button–up looked starkly restrained on him.

“Sir, Miss Sterling has left.”

Ryan lowered his head respectfully. This was Alexander Kingsley, the man in charge of the Kingsley family now–the CEO of Pinnacle Group.