Forget The Cheater, Marry The Mafia King

Kendra Scott's POV:

The impact sent me straight into darkness.

When I finally came to, pain tore through every part of my body.

A woman sobbed somewhere close to me.

"What am I supposed to do now? Fine, I'd had a few drinks, but I didn't know she'd be standing there. If she wakes up and reports me, my life is over. Everyone will know what happened, and Mom and Dad won't give me the shares they promised."

My fingers moved slightly. That voice belonged to Elaine Scott, the sister my parents had adopted. She was always a loving younger sister who followed me everywhere.

"Calm down, Elaine," said a man quietly. "We just have to make sure she doesn't wake up."

I recognized the voice, and the betrayal hurt almost more than my broken body.

It was Vince Clarke, the man I was supposed to marry in three months.

They kept talking. His voice remained gentle, even as every word revealed how cruel he truly was.

"Did you forget what we agreed on? After Kendra marries me, we'll keep her hidden somewhere. Then you'll get the surgery and take her place. We grew up together, Elaine. You're the woman I always planned to marry. You would've been my wife if Kendra hadn't suddenly returned. She disappeared for years, but the moment we were about to get married, she came back and ruined everything."

Sorrow and anger churned inside me.

The Scott family had found me and brought me back home only a year ago.

Elaine had cried while promising that we would be closer than real sisters, even though she'd taken my place after I disappeared.

She'd also encouraged me to honor the marriage agreement between the Scott and Clarke families. After that, she'd brought me into her circle of friends and introduced me to Vince.

Not once had either of them mentioned that they'd been a couple.

Vince had even claimed he needed a wife with my background. According to him, Elaine could never fill that role because she was adopted and wasn't related to the Scotts by blood. He'd deliberately treated her badly and insisted that she deserved it after taking my place in the family.

I thought his resentment toward her was my fault, and the guilt had eaten away at me. That was why I'd secretly convinced my parents to give her shares in Scott Group.

The truth was clear now. They'd lied to me from the very beginning. Every move they'd made was part of a plan to let Elaine replace me, claim my identity, and take everything that belonged to me.

I forced my anger down and opened my eyes just enough to see them.

Vince and Elaine stood close together beside the bed. He reached into his pocket and took out a small bottle of pills.

"You don't need to worry anymore, Elaine. Kendra won't be around much longer. Everything the Scotts have will belong to you, and then you can finally marry me."

Elaine couldn't hide the excitement on her face as she stared at the bottle.

"What did you bring, Vince?"

He walked toward me while gripping the bottle in one hand.

"Sleeping pills and a few... hallucinogens," he said with open malice. "I'll force her to take all of them, and she won't wake up again. After that, I'll make everyone believe she got high, stole your car, and crashed it. Your adoptive parents are overseas on vacation, so no one will even notice whether she survives."

Fear broke through the haze of pain. Vince planned to end my life for Elaine.

There was no way I would let him succeed.

Vince leaned over and tried to shove the pills into my mouth, but I opened my eyes before he could.

I met his stare and saw the intent to kill written clearly across his face.

He immediately reached for my neck.

His fingers were inches away when I gave a weak cough and looked at him as though I didn't recognize him.

"Who... who are you?"

His hand stopped in the air. He looked over at Elaine, and they exchanged a glance filled with surprise and barely contained excitement.

Elaine rushed to my side at once. Tears poured down her cheeks while she put on a convincing show as my terrified, loving sister.

"Kendra, what's happening? You're really scaring me. Don't you know who I am?"

Her voice carried the same warmth she'd always used around me. However, her watchful eyes studied every change in my expression.

My body was too weak to fight back or expose them. I pressed my nails into my palm and made sure my face gave nothing away.

"I don't think so," I answered uncertainly. "What is this place? And who are you?"

Another thrilled look passed between them, though both of them struggled to hide it.

"Kendra, did the accident erase your memory? I'll get a doctor right now!"

Elaine ran out of the room to find one.

Every test came back normal, and my vital signs showed nothing unusual. Still, I pretended that I couldn't answer any of the doctor's questions.

The act seemed to convince him because he eventually replied, "It looks like Ms. Scott developed temporary memory loss after the accident."

Elaine staggered at the news. She placed one hand over her chest before falling into Vince's arms.

"No, this can't be happening. I refuse to believe it. How could Kendra suddenly forget everything?"

Watching her ridiculous performance made my stomach turn.

Still, I couldn't risk giving myself away, so I kept staring at them with an empty, confused look.

"I lost my memory? No, that doesn't make sense. I can remember... I..." I winced. "My head hurts..."

Both hands flew to my head as I twisted beneath the sheets and pretended the pain had become unbearable.

Vince kept one arm around Elaine as he looked down at me without the slightest concern.

"If you can't remember anything, then I'll explain it to you. Your name is Kendra Scott, and you're the Scott family's adopted daughter. The woman beside me is Elaine Scott. She's younger than you and their only biological child. I'm Vince Clarke, her fiancé. Three days ago, you got drunk and tried to run her over because you were jealous. She escaped without getting hurt, but you were injured in the crash. Even after what you tried to do, Elaine still brought you here and made sure you received treatment."

Every lie came out with such calm certainty that I might have accepted his story if my memory were truly gone.

Disgust and rage burned inside me, along with the bitter sting of betrayal.

The sight of them clinging to each other strengthened my determination.

They had trapped me with lies and fake affection. Soon, I would show them just how foolish they'd been to underestimate me.

Kendra's POV:

"Thanks, Elaine."

I made sure I looked grateful enough to fool them while still letting a little fear show. They bought it completely. Vince even looked at me as if he'd already won.

"Kendra, you need to start appreciating what Elaine's done for you. And you need to stop treating her like you used to," Vince said. "She's the real Scott heiress, but she's still helped you over and over again. Most people wouldn't do that for someone who came from nowhere."

I gave him a quick nod and pretended his warning had scared me.

Elaine kept comforting me for a few more minutes, though every kind word coming from her felt fake. Then she took out a piece of paper and a pen and pushed them toward me.

"Kendra, we both know what happened that day. You tried to hit me with your car," she said softly. "I'm not trying to make things harder for you, but the police already know about the accident, and they'll want an explanation."

She gave me a concerned look before nudging the paper closer. "I'm not going to press charges. Just sign this, and we can finally put the whole thing behind us."

One look at the statement told me exactly what they were trying to do. It had already been written from my point of view. According to the confession, I'd been drunk behind the wheel and caused the crash myself.

So that was their plan. Elaine had been the one who hit me, but now she wanted me to admit that I'd caused everything. If I signed my name, I'd be taking responsibility for a crime I hadn't committed, and that lie could follow me for the rest of my life.

There was no way I could sign it.

My fingers relaxed around the pen, and both of them noticed my hesitation almost immediately.

"What's the problem now?" Vince asked impatiently. "You're not seriously going to pretend you didn't do it, are you? Elaine's already letting this go when she doesn't have to. The least you can do is stop making things difficult."

His words hurt more than I wanted to admit. Vince used to tell me I was the most important person in his life, and he'd promised that he'd always protect me. Whenever people looked down on me because of where I'd come from, he'd stand up for me. He'd even spent time teaching me how to carry myself so I could become a proper heir.

I never thought all those promises would mean nothing less than a year later, or that he'd end up helping another woman ruin me.

I lowered my head so they wouldn't see what I was feeling. Then I pressed the pen to the paper and dragged it across the page for a few seconds, leaving behind nothing but a crooked line.

"What are you doing?" Vince grabbed my wrist and glared at me. "Are you screwing around with us?"

I swallowed my anger and quickly pulled back as if he'd scared me. "I'm sorry. I... I don't think I can write with this hand anymore."

They called the doctor back into the room, and his explanation was simple.

"The accident may have damaged some of the nerves in her hand," he said. "That can affect movement and coordination. It's not uncommon after a serious crash."

Elaine's irritation disappeared almost at once, and a pleased look crossed her face. She gently took my hand and went right back to pretending she cared. "Don't worry, Kendra. We'll figure this out. You should get some rest. Vince and I need to talk to the doctor for a minute."

A short while later, they left the room. My entire body still ached, but I forced myself out of bed and made my way to the door. I opened it just enough to hear them talking outside.

"Looks like luck's finally on our side. Kendra can barely use her hand now, so what good is she to the family? We might not even have to push her out. There's no way the Scotts would make her the heir like this. Elaine, this is our chance. Before they come back, we need to make sure everyone hears about her memory loss and what happened to her hand. Then when they have to choose between Kendra, who can't remember anything and can barely use one hand, and an adopted daughter who's healthy and has never caused them any trouble, who do you think they're going to pick?"

Vince kept his voice down, but the excitement in it was impossible to miss.

"But she's still Mom and Dad's biological daughter," Elaine said. "What if they feel sorry for her and still make you marry her?"

Vince reached for her hand. "Then we'll give them a reason not to. We'll make it look like she's seeing someone else and let the whole city know. And I already know who we can drag into it. Rhett, my father's illegitimate son. He's been trying to find Rhett a wife from a decent family anyway. If everyone starts believing something's going on between him and Kendra, we can dump them on each other and be done with both of them."

Elaine leaned into him. "You really do think of everything. But how are you going to get Rhett to go along with it?"

"Don't worry about him. He's spent most of his life outside this world. He doesn't know how any of this works." He sounded completely sure of himself. "I'll offer him something he wants, and he'll take the bait. By the time he figures out what's happening, it'll be too late."

Vince pulled Elaine closer and kissed her. The sound carried through the quiet hallway.

My hands started shaking as I slowly closed the door. I couldn't stand there and watch them hold each other like that.

Three days ago, I'd still believed Vince loved me. I'd thought I was lucky enough to have a fiancé who cared about me and an adopted sister I could trust.

Now I knew exactly what both of them were.

I fought back the tears and curled my fingers into my palm until my nails dug into my skin. Whatever they were planning, I wasn't going to let them win.

I was done letting them decide what happened to me. Once I got out from under their control, I'd make sure they paid for every single thing they'd done.

Vince's POV:

Once Elaine was gone, I called Rhett Clarke.

"Rhett, I have an offer for you. I'll give you one of the company's biggest projects if you help me with something."

I hid my dislike for him and kept my tone friendly. "My fiancée, Kendra, is the Scott heiress, but she's having memory problems right now. Until she gets better, I need you to pretend you're her fiancé."

I was sure he wouldn't turn me down. He'd only recently started working at the company, and he badly needed a major project if he wanted to prove himself.

Just as I expected, Rhett agreed without much hesitation.

"Fine. I'll do it."

Rhett showed up sooner than I thought he would. He wore a suit that looked custom-made, and I could smell cologne on him as soon as he arrived. Clearly, he'd made an effort for the occasion.

I looked at him with quiet contempt. What a pathetic bastard. He was taking a woman I'd already cast aside and acting like he'd somehow won something valuable.

I kept those thoughts to myself and brought him straight to Kendra's hospital room. The moment the door opened, I saw the surprise on her face, and a sense of satisfaction rose inside me.

"Kendra, this is Rhett Clarke, your fiancé," I said. "He's also my illegitimate younger half-brother."

Kendra's POV:

The moment I saw Rhett, I found myself at a loss for words. He was undeniably handsome, with a tall, broad-shouldered frame and an imposing air that naturally drew attention. Yet there was something almost dangerous about the way his eyes rested on me, as though a predator were quietly studying its prey and calculating its next move.

"It looks like my fiancée approves of what she sees."

His deep voice held a trace of teasing amusement, while his steady gaze made it strangely difficult for me to look anywhere else.

For a moment, I just stood there, not knowing how to respond.

Vince and Elaine had actually gone as far as finding someone to pretend to be my fiancé. What shocked me even more was that Rhett had willingly gone along with their absurd arrangement. He slipped into the role so naturally, as though he'd been playing it for years.

I quietly examined his face, trying to figure out what was going through his mind. Before I could make sense of anything, however, Vince reached over and covered my eyes.

"Kendra, what are you looking at? Have you never seen a man before?"

The annoyance in his voice was obvious, and his fingers pressed so tightly against my face that I winced. I was just about to pull his hand away when Rhett grabbed Vince's wrist and yanked his hand back.

"She's my fiancée, Vince. Is it really that surprising she takes an interest in me?"

Rhett slid an arm around my waist before leaning down and pressing a kiss against my cheek. The gesture was so natural and intimate that anyone watching us might have assumed we'd been a couple for years.

With his arm securely around me and the faint fragrance of his cologne drifting around me, I immediately felt heat spreading across my face.

"You're standing too close," I whispered, attempting to push him away. Instead of letting me go, Rhett tightened his hold.

"You're cold." His voice was low as he spoke beside my ear. He then shrugged off his jacket and gently placed it over my shoulders.

The warmth of the jacket wrapped around me, along with the unmistakable sense of his presence.

It had barely settled around me before Vince angrily snatched it away.

His face was twisted with jealousy and fury as he tried to pull Rhett away from me. "What exactly do you think you're doing, Rhett? Don't forget what you came here for."

Rhett didn't show the slightest sign of being intimidated. He remained beside me, calm and unshaken, like a guard determined to stand his ground.

"I haven't forgotten. I know perfectly well why I'm here. I'm Kendra's fiancé, and there's nothing inappropriate about me showing some affection toward the woman I'm supposed to marry."

Vince looked furious, far more enraged than I'd ever seen him. He opened his mouth as though he wanted to argue, but in the end, he stopped himself and let out a disdainful scoff.

"Some people spend their entire lives picking through another person's scraps until they start mistaking leftovers for treasure." His expression turned even more contemptuous. "But I suppose an illegitimate son without any status and some nobody from the backwoods are a fitting pair."

"Vince, you shouldn't say things like that so bluntly. You might hurt their feelings," Elaine said, pretending to sound concerned.

She immediately wrapped herself around his arm as though deliberately reminding everyone that he belonged to her. Vince didn't push her away. Instead, he casually pulled her closer, the familiarity of the gesture making my stomach churn.

Knowing that the two of them had been intimate with each other behind my back throughout my relationship with Vince made me want to rip them apart. But this wasn't the moment to lose control. I dug my fingernails into my palm and forced myself to stay composed.

Both Vince and Elaine wanted me dead. I had no idea what Rhett's intentions were, but at this moment, he was the only person who could possibly help me get away from them.

I deliberately turned my gaze away from Vince and Elaine, and then slipped my arm through Rhett's.

Forcing a faint, bashful smile onto my face, I said, "Whatever people may think about Rhett's background, he's the man I love. In my eyes, no one could ever be better than him."

Vince stared at me as though he'd just heard something impossible. He even pulled his arm free from Elaine's grasp before reaching toward me.

"Kendra, what the hell are you saying? You have no memory of anything, and you're saying you love this bastard-"

Before he could get any closer, Elaine grabbed his hand and held it tightly.

Then she let out a soft, pitiful whimper in that delicate voice of hers. "Babe, Kendra and Rhett are together. As long as they're happy, shouldn't we be happy for them too?"

Vince didn't say another word, but his eyes remained locked on the arm I had linked with Rhett's. The look he gave me was almost accusatory, as though I were the one who had betrayed him.

It was ridiculous. This entire arrangement had been Vince's idea in the first place, yet somehow, he seemed to be the first person incapable of maintaining the act.

Rhett reached out and gently held my face, turning my attention back to him.

"Don't keep looking at other men when your fiancé is standing right beside you. I already spoke with your doctor about your condition, and you've been cleared for discharge. Come on, Kendra. Let's go home."

He then turned toward Vince and smiled politely. "Thank you both for informing me that my fiancée needed me. I'll take her home now."

Rage darkened Vince's face. He squeezed Elaine's arm, not even noticing until she winced and cried out.

I paid them no attention and allowed Rhett to lead me away. We were almost at the hospital entrance when Elaine suddenly hurried after us.

"Kendra, your phone was damaged in the accident, so I bought you a new one."

She held out the phone with a concerned expression.

After finally seeing Elaine's true colors, I was certain she wouldn't go out of her way to help me simply out of sisterly concern. There was no such thing as a free favor from someone like her. Even so, I accepted the phone and returned her smile.

"Thank you, Elaine. You're so thoughtful. Rhett and I are going home now."

I then followed Rhett into his ordinary black sedan. As soon as the car door shut, I pulled out the new phone and immediately began inspecting it.