Chapter 7 Doubling The Price

Maddie might have whispered the news into his ear, but Brad dismissed it outright. That so-called marriage certificate had to be a sham. Kiera would never abandon him-certainly not to tie herself to some stranger.

No one knew her like he did. After what she had endured years ago, she recoiled from men... all men except him. The thought of her actually being married to a stranger? Laughable.

Dragging his hand across his forehead, Brad let out a tired breath. "Kiera, quit making a scene. I've got deadlines stacked on my desk, and I don't have the patience to deal with your tantrums on top of it."

It was the same tired excuse he had thrown at Kiera more times than she could count. And every single time, she had convinced herself the flaw was hers. That maybe she was imagining the way Maddie hovered too close. That she was being unreasonable, paranoid.

She had bent over backward to be patient. To tell herself that he was just busy. That trust meant enduring the distance.

Despite Maddie constantly weaving herself between them, Kiera had been ready to marry him-not for wealth, not for obligation, but because she had loved him.

What did she get in return? Betrayal. Watching him turn away, letting her sink while he chose Maddie instead.

The memories cut through Kiera. Her chest clenched, and her eyes hardened to ice.

"And tell me, Brad, who's the one creating a scene? I'm here selling my own furniture in peace. You're the ex-fiancé storming in uninvited. You're the obstacle. Even a half-trained mutt knows when to move out of the way-pity you don't."

Brad's expression hardened, his fury simmering into something darker. Not once had she dared speak to him this way.

His eyes bore into her, storm clouds gathering behind them. But she didn't waver. Her chin lifted high, her stance unshaken.

"For the last time," she said, voice cutting like glass, her finger jabbing at her own chest with every word. "I, Kiera Gordon, have ended things with you. You and I are finished. We mean nothing to each other anymore. So stop clinging to me. If my husband comes by and sees this, what do you think he'll believe?"

That word-husband-hung in the air like a blade. Brad froze, then slowly glanced around her before scoffing, "Married, are you? Where is he, then? Why isn't this mysterious man here?"

"He's at work," Kiera replied, her tone flat and unbothered.

Brad let out a low laugh, mocking. "On a Saturday? He must be awfully dedicated to his job."

Her brows drew together, irritation flashing across her face. "Not everyone wastes their weekends chasing after an ex. Some people actually work for a living."

Instead of lashing out, Brad chuckled again, amused. To him, it was obvious-this so-called husband was a fabrication, a flimsy cover she had stitched together. Her bluff only made the situation more entertaining.

His expression softened into something deceptively gentle as he reached toward her hand. "Enough now. Quit being stubborn. Take the furniture back home, and we'll finish our wedding another day."

Kiera's eyes widened, disbelief flooding her. Did the man truly not understand her words, or was his arrogance so thick it made him deaf?

From the corner, Maddie chose her moment, her voice dripping with honeyed sweetness. "Kiera, you're being unfair. That day in the backyard, Brad only pulled me out first because I couldn't swim. He never stopped loving you. Why are you saying such cruel things to him?"

Maddie's soft, pleading tone only made Kiera's coldness stand out sharper, and the contrast set Brad's temper on edge.

Still, with decades of history binding them, he forced himself to rein it in one last time. "Kiera, think about it. That day, Maddie was drowning, yet you could swim. What was I supposed to do, let her sink? That was her life on the line. You're being unreasonable."

Kiera's chest tightened at the words, as if a knife had twisted inside her. Once, long ago, she had been able to swim. But after that incident years ago, the water had become her greatest fear, leaving wounds that never healed.

Brad had known that. Or at least, the man he used to be had. Now, all he seemed to remember was Maddie's weakness. Not hers.

Kiera's lashes lowered, lips pressed together, silence weighing heavily between them. It was a silence filled not with surrender, but with grief and the faintest crack of something broken.

Brad mistook it entirely. Thinking he'd found her soft spot, he leaned in with words he'd rehearsed too many times. "You know me. You've always been the only woman I wanted at my side. No one else has mattered, not really. Tell me what it takes to earn your forgiveness, and I'll do it."

Kiera's irritation surged, but when her gaze flicked toward Maddie's sulking face, a new thought flashed in her mind. Slowly, she looked back at the furniture piled high around them, then locked her eyes on Brad.

"Buy it all," she said coolly. "Double what I paid. Do that, and maybe I'll consider giving you another chance."

Maddie's composure cracked instantly. "Are you out of your mind?" she blurted out.

The furniture had cost three million. Double would make it six. No one in their right mind would hand over that kind of money.

Brad didn't hesitate, not even for a heartbeat. "Alright."

Maddie's eyes flew wide, her voice cracking. "Brad, you can't-"

But he brushed her aside as if she weren't even there. With practiced ease, he pulled out his phone, tapped a few times, and finished the transfer.

Six million. The alert chimed in Kiera's account almost immediately.

Her fingers twitched against her bag as she fought to smother the laugh bubbling inside her. Unreal. How could he be so gullible?

Sliding his phone back into his pocket, Brad lifted his gaze, calm and commanding. "It's done. Now we're leaving. Together."

Kiera's grin spread, bright and merciless. Mischief glimmered in her eyes as she leaned forward slightly. "Oh, you really thought I'd forgive you? I said I'd think about it. And after some very careful thought, my answer is still no. Keep dreaming, Brad."

The composure on his face shattered, fury twisting every line of it. "Kiera Gordon!"

She beamed back at him, radiant in her mockery. "The furniture's all yours now. As for me? I'm going home. Alone."

Snatching up her phone and bag, she spun on her heel, her steps light and careless, as though she'd just won the sweetest game.

"Don't you dare walk away from me!" Brad shouted, storming after her. His hand shot out and clamped around her wrist like iron. "Whether you like it or not, you're coming with me!"

The money wasn't what stung. He could burn through millions and barely notice. What seared him was the humiliation she had carved into him, and that he would never forgive.

Kiera jerked against his hold, her voice rising, sharp as a whip. "Enough! I told you already-I'm married. Get your hands off me!"

Brad's eyes burned as he retorted, "Fine-prove it. Call this husband of yours. If he doesn't show up right now, you're not going anywhere."

Kiera's jaw tightened, frustration simmering. Jasper was at work, and dragging him into Brad's tantrum wasn't an option. "Let go, or I'm calling the police."

Brad threw back his head and laughed, the sound sharp and cruel. He bent toward her, hand tightening as he tried to pull her close. "Enough of this charade. There is no husband. Stop playing games and come home where you belong."

Before she could answer, the low growl of an engine tore through the tension. A black luxury car whipped around the corner and braked hard in front of them, the screech of tires slicing through the air like a blade drawn across steel.