Chapter 2

Bethany walked out of the city hall with the man at 5:30 pm with her marriage certificate. Without sparing it a glance, she tucked it into her bag. Even after leaving the building, it all still felt unreal. Just like that, she was married. Hadn't it all happened a bit too fast? A faint smile tugged at the man's lips. "What, are you having second thoughts?" Bethany shook her head. "No. I have something to take care of, so I'll take my leave now." "Hold on." The man reached out to stop her. "What's your number?" Oh, right. They were married. It would be strange not to exchange phone numbers. Bethany gave him her number, and he called her on the spot. She hadn't caught his name earlier. "Cyrus—" "Silas." "Which one?" Bethany handed her phone to him. His cool fingertips brushed against her skin, making her feel faintly uneasy. After reading his name clearly, she nodded. "Alright. Shall we head our own merry way, then?" Bethany still had to rush to Noah's place to move her belongings. Silas Brennan nodded. "Would you like me to give you a ride?" he asked indifferently. "I'm good. I'll just take a cab." With that, the newlyweds parted ways. Not long after, she received a friend request on WhatsApp from her husband in name. His direct message was blunt. It read, "Your husband." Her cheeks burned a little as she accepted the request. When she saved his contact, she hesitated for a moment before keying in "Dear." They had agreed to play the role of a loving couple for one year. He had helped her out of her predicament, so she would play her part appropriately. It was merely a contact name. It didn't mean anything. That said, Bethany still hadn't received a response from the man she had pinned to the top of her chat list for three years. She let out a derisive chuckle before unpinning his chat and blocking him. Noah was now out of sight and out of mind. … Bethany fiddled with the marriage certificate in her hand and called Diana. "I've met him, Mom. I'll go through with the marriage alliance if that's what you want. But I'd like to change what you promised me before about joining Dad's company." Jack had been an only child. He didn't have any cousins to speak of. Hence, upon his passing, the hotel he founded was managed by his mother on his behalf. After Diana remarried, she lost interest in running the hotel and handed it over to her younger brother's family, though she still retained control. "What do you want?" Diana frowned. A trace of mockery curled at Bethany's lips. "I want all the shares of the hotel under your name. Also, Ella has to move out of Bellecourt." Bellecourt was the small villa her parents had lived in when they were first married. It held all of her childhood memories. Later, she moved into a small apartment in the city with her grandparents, and Bellecourt sat vacant for several years. Then, two years ago, Diana had actually given Bellecourt to Ella to use as a practice studio. It was now filled with Ella's belongings. Bethany wanted to reclaim everything her father had left behind for her. Diana didn't care about the small villa. After all, the Reids weren't short on money. She merely thought that Bellecourt had a nice view, nestled among the mountains and waterfalls. "I can transfer Bellecourt to your name, Beth. But aren't you being a little greedy with the shares?" Bethany let out a mirthless chuckle. "Grandma and I both have a rightful share of Dad's inheritance, Mom. How does that make me greedy?" Diana's expression shifted, and she couldn't be bothered to argue further. "I'll transfer them to you once your marriage into the Brannon family is finalized!" Bethany hung up on her, not at all worried that Diana would go back on her word. If she did, Bethany wouldn't hesitate to divorce her husband in name. … Silas drove his flashy Bugatti back to the Brennan residence. The moment he walked in, he saw his father, Jeremy Brennan, standing there with a grim expression, waiting for him. Jeremy flung a gossip magazine at his feet. "Last time, it was a no-name model. This time, it's a celebrity. Are you trying to drive me to my grave?" Silas chuckled, bent down to pick up the magazine, and dusted it off. "Not at all. If you drop dead from anger, who's going to keep hounding me to get married?" Jeremy gritted his teeth. "What did I ever do to deserve this? You little scoundrel!" He wasn't furious about Silas' scandals. He was furious because his rumored partners were men. Silas could do anything he wanted, as long as it wasn't with a man. The Brennan family first rose to prominence through distinguished military achievements before entering business, laying the foundation for the empire they presently command. Brennan Group's operations spanned real estate, technology, finance, healthcare, and several other industries. Whenever Jeremy thought about his son, whom he had late in life, possibly being gay, his blood pressure spiked. "I don't care about what you want. You're getting married this year! "I hear that the heir of the Vazquez family is about to form an alliance with the Reid family. What about you? Are you really going to let me lose to the Vazquezes?" The Brennan and Vazquez families had been at odds for decades. Jeremy's late wife had been Morris Vazquez's first love. From that moment on, the two families became lifelong rivals. The Brennans and the Vazquezes competed over whose businesses were larger, whose families had more children, and now even over which troublemaker would get married first. Jeremy had always managed to stay one step ahead of Morris. He had no intention of letting his youngest son ruin that record. Silas smirked and drawled. "Well… I've already gotten married. My marriage certificate is fresh out of the city hall. Would you like to take a look?" Jeremy's expression changed drastically. "You're married?" His eyes widened as he demanded, "Where's the certificate? Let me see it!" Silas handed over the freshly issued marriage certificate. "Can you see it, or do you need me to get your reading glasses?" "Go away," Jeremy huffed. "Keep your mouth shut while you're at it!" It was an actual marriage certificate. The photo looked freshly taken, and Silas was wearing the same clothes he had on now. "You didn't get a fake certificate to fool me, did you?" Jeremy was still skeptical. Silas responded, "I don't have time for that. If you don't believe me, I'll introduce her to you later." "Alright. She's a looker. It's a shame she ended up with you." Silas smiled meaningfully. "You'll need to put on your best behavior when you meet her, Dad. Don't scare my wife away." The only question was how long it would take for Bethany to realize that she had married the wrong man.