Chapter 3

The main doors of the Maxwell manor flew open, banging against the stone walls with a violence that made the crystal chandelier tremble.

Rain and wind swept into the grand foyer.

Darcie stood on the threshold. Her hair was plastered to her skull, the gray jumpsuit was soaked, and she was shivering. But she didn't look down.

She looked straight at them.

The family was gathered in the living room like a coven of vultures. Gwendolyn, Hugh, Preston, and Mr. Sterling.

"You!" Hugh roared. He lunged across the room. "You bitch! You have the nerve to come back?"

"Stop!" she shouted.

Darcie held up the parchment.

"One step closer, Hugh, and she rips this original document in half. The ink is a hundred years old. It will crumble."

Hugh froze.

Mr. Sterling stood up, his eyes narrowing. "Hugh, stand down."

Gwendolyn stepped forward, her heels clicking on the marble. "What do you want, Darcie? Money? An apology? We can write a check."

Darcie walked to the fireplace. The fire was roaring, offering the only warmth in this cold, hateful house. She stood with her back to it, using it as a shield.

"I want to fulfill the contract," she said. Her voice was steady, surprising even her.

Hugh let out a bark of laughter. "I knew it. You can't walk away from the money. You're just a greedy little hillbilly."

"Not with you," she said softly.

The silence that followed was heavy.

Darcie looked at Sterling. "The covenant says 'direct male heir.' It doesn't specify which generation."

Sterling's face went slack. He looked from Darcie to the document, his legal mind racing.

"Fleet Maxwell is a direct heir," Darcie said. "In fact, as the former CEO and Hugh's uncle, his claim supersedes Hugh's."

"You're insane," Gwendolyn spat. "Fleet is a vegetable! He's brain dead! He can't consent to marriage!"

"Actually," Sterling interrupted. His voice was quiet, calculating. He pulled out his tablet. "Under the state's conservatorship laws... if the marriage is deemed in the 'best interest of the estate' and the patient... a legal proxy can sign."

"Best interest?" Gwendolyn screeched. "How is marrying this... this gold-digger in his best interest?"

"The stock," Darcie said.

Everyone looked at her.

"The stock is tanking because of a sex scandal," Darcie explained, channeling every ounce of math-brain she had. "Imagine the headline tomorrow: 'Devoted Bride Stands by Family Hero.' 'Darcie Mayo Marries Comatose War Hero to Honor Alliance.' It's romantic. It's tragic. It cleans up Hugh's mess instantly."

Sterling looked at the stock ticker on his phone. It was down 40%.

"She's right," Sterling said. "The narrative works. It saves the merger. It saves the liquidity."

"I won't allow it!" Gwendolyn yelled. "Fleet is my responsibility!"

"And I want to be near him," Darcie said, forcing a tremor into her voice, playing the part of a lost, desperate girl. "He was always kind to me. It feels... right. To honor the agreement this way."

"Absolutely not," Gwendolyn said, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Darcie let the parchment drift closer to the fire, the heat curling its ancient edge.

"Gwendolyn, stop," Sterling commanded, seeing the bigger picture. "We need to control this. If she marries Fleet, we contain the damage. For this to be legally binding and satisfy the trust, she would require proxy rights. Medical power of attorney would be a necessary component to legitimize her role as caregiver and seal the PR narrative. We give her a cage, but it's a gilded one we control."

He looked at Darcie. "We'll grant you residency in the East Wing and the necessary legal authority. In return, you save this family from ruin."

Darcie looked down, hiding her triumphant smirk. She let a tear roll down her cheek. "Thank you," she whispered. "I just want to take care of him."

"Fine," Gwendolyn hissed through gritted teeth. "Marry the corpse. See if I care. Sterling, when he dies in three months, the contract is fulfilled, we keep the land, and she gets nothing. Make sure that's ironclad."

Hugh looked at Darcie, disgust curling his lip. "So what do I call you now? Auntie?"

Darcie gave him a razor-sharp smile. "Not yet, nephew. But soon."

Sterling was already typing on his tablet. "The chaplain is on his way. We'll do it in the East Wing ICU. Thirty minutes."

Darcie turned to look out the window, hiding the trembling in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Fleet," she whispered to the reflection in the glass. "But I need you."