My Fiancé Went Back to His First Love—So I Married Her Billionaire Fiancé Instead
Chapter 5
Emily spent the night at Alexander’s penthouse.
Not because she wanted luxury.
Because Alexander insisted she was no longer safe.
Jacob was taken to a private hospital.
Security surrounded the building.
Emily sat by the window, staring at the city.
“My father left me twenty million dollars.”
Alexander stood behind her.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t I know?”
“Your father established the trust before he died.”
“And my lawyer never told me?”
“Your access was conditional.”
“On what?”
“Your thirtieth birthday.”
Emily laughed bitterly.
“I turned thirty two months ago.”
Alexander nodded.
“The restriction lifted recently.”
“Then why didn’t I receive anything?”
“Because someone filed a legal objection.”
Emily turned.
“Who?”
Alexander looked at her.
“Victoria.”
Emily stared.
“Why?”
“Because she claimed your father owed her family money.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“I checked the records.”
Alexander sat down.
“Your father had business dealings with the Sinclair family.”
Emily remembered.
Her father had warned her about them.
He had said only once:
“Never sign anything with the Sinclairs.”
She had never understood why.
Now she did.
The next morning, Emily met with the trust attorney.
She learned the twenty million dollars was only the visible part.
Her father had also left her shares in a private company.
Shares worth nearly eighty million.
Emily was stunned.
“I never wanted any of this.”
The attorney smiled.
“Your father wanted you protected.”
“What does that mean?”
“He knew someone might try to take control of the company.”
“Who?”
“The Sinclair family.”
Emily looked at Alexander.
He had already suspected.
The company her father left behind owned a small but strategically important technology firm.
That firm controlled a patent used by several major corporations.
Including Blackwell Industries.
Emily finally understood.
Victoria didn’t want Jacob because she suddenly loved him.
She wanted access to Emily.
And through Jacob, she hoped to gain influence over Emily’s inherited assets.
But there was another problem.
Alexander’s company was already tied to Emily’s father’s company.
The two businesses had the potential to create a massive empire.
The Sinclair family wanted control of both.
Alexander looked at her.
“They’ve been planning this for years.”
Emily shook her head.
“Then why did Victoria return now?”
“Because the trust restriction ended.”
That answer made everything click.
Victoria returned because Emily had just turned thirty.
Jacob was only the tool.
Emily’s fiancé had been manipulated.
But that didn’t erase what he had done.
That afternoon, Alexander took Emily to his company headquarters.
He led her into a private conference room.
“You need protection.”
“I can hire security.”
“I wasn’t talking about security.”
“What then?”
Alexander leaned against the table.
“The best way to stop Victoria is to make it impossible for her to isolate you.”
Emily looked confused.
“What does that mean?”
“She believes you have no allies.”
“Because I don’t.”
“You do now.”
He paused.
“Marry me.”
Emily stared at him.
“What?”
“Marry me.”
She laughed in disbelief.
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am.”
“You barely know me.”
“I know enough.”
“You’re suggesting marriage as a business strategy?”
“Partly.”
“Partly?”
Alexander stepped closer.
“And because you need someone who will stand beside you.”
Emily looked at him.
“You’re asking me to marry you because our exes betrayed us.”
“Yes.”
“That sounds insane.”
“Probably.”
“And what would you gain?”
“Protection from the Sinclair family.”
Emily frowned.
“You need me too?”
“My father’s company needs access to your patents.”
She stared.
“So it’s a business deal.”
“At first.”
“At first?”
Alexander looked into her eyes.
“I don’t know what happens after that.”
Emily walked to the window.
She should have said no.
Every logical part of her mind screamed no.
But then she remembered Jacob leaving.
She remembered Victoria smiling.
She remembered the men attacking her.
And she realized something.
She didn’t need revenge.
She needed control over her own life.
She turned back.
“What are the conditions?”
Alexander’s expression softened.
“You set them.”
Emily thought for a moment.
“No lies.”
“Agreed.”
“No pretending in private.”
“Agreed.”
“No controlling me.”
“Agreed.”
“And if either of us wants out, we walk away.”
Alexander nodded.
“Agreed.”
Emily held out her hand.
“Then we have a deal.”
He took it.
Neither of them knew yet that the deal would become the most important decision of their lives.
