NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Family Interrogations
Cora Hayes was no stranger to family drama, but walking into her family's mansion after her wild weekend in Vegas felt like stepping into a lion's den. Her brothers were waiting for her in the living room, their arms crossed and their expressions suspicious.
"Where have you been?" Daniel, the oldest, demanded as soon as she walked through the door.
Cora froze, her heart racing. She'd rehearsed her story on the plane, but now that she was face-to-face with her brothers, all her carefully prepared lies flew out the window.
"Vegas," she said, trying to sound casual. "Just a little weekend getaway. You know, blowing off steam."
"Vegas?" Michael, the middle brother, repeated, his eyebrows shooting up. "Since when do you go to Vegas alone?"
"I wasn't alone," Cora said, then immediately regretted it.
Daniel's eyes narrowed. "Who were you with?"
Cora hesitated, her mind racing. She couldn't tell them the truth—that she'd gone to Vegas with a man they'd never met and come back married. They'd lose their minds.
"Just… a friend," she said, avoiding their eyes.
"A friend," Daniel repeated, his tone dripping with skepticism. "What's this friend's name?"
"Jace," Cora said, then winced. Why had she said his name? Now they'd never let it go.
"Jace who?" Michael asked, leaning forward.
"Jace… Smith," Cora said, pulling the first last name that came to mind.
Daniel and Michael exchanged a look, and Cora knew she was in trouble.
"Cora," Daniel said, his voice low and dangerous, "if you're lying to us—"
"I'm not lying!" Cora said, her voice rising. "Why do you always assume the worst? Can't I just have a little fun without you two breathing down my neck?"
There was a long silence, and for a moment, Cora thought she'd won. But then Daniel stood up, his expression grim.
"We're just looking out for you, Cora," he said. "You know how much trouble you can get into when you're not careful."
Cora rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child, Daniel. I can take care of myself."
"Can you?" Michael asked, his tone skeptical.
Cora opened her mouth to argue, but then their father walked into the room, and the conversation came to an abrupt halt.
"Cordelia," Robert Hayes said, his voice calm but firm. "A word, please."
Cora groaned inwardly but followed her father into his study, bracing herself for another lecture.
Meanwhile, at Jace's Penthouse, Jace Hart was having a very different kind of family drama.
"So," his father said, leaning back in his chair and fixing Jace with a pointed look. "When are you going to settle down and give me some grandchildren?"
Jace sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He'd been home for less than an hour, and already his father was on his case.
"Dad," he said, his tone exasperated, "we've been over this. I'm not ready to settle down."
"Not ready?" Victor Hart repeated, his voice rising. "You're thirty-two years old, Jace. When I was your age, I was already married, and you were already born!"
"Times have changed," Jace said, trying to keep his temper in check. "I'm focused on my career right now. I don't have time for a relationship."
"Nonsense," Victor said, waving a hand dismissively. "You're never too busy for love. And besides, I'm not getting any younger. I want to see my grandchildren before I die."
Jace groaned and leaned back in his chair. "You're not dying, Dad."
"I might be," Victor said, his tone dramatic. "You don't know."
Jace rolled his eyes. His father had been using the same guilt trip for years, and it was getting old.
"Look," Jace said, trying to sound reasonable, "I'll think about it, okay? But you can't just rush these things."
Victor gave him a knowing look. "You say that now, but mark my words, Jace. One day, you're going to meet someone who changes everything. And when you do, you'll thank me."
Jace didn't respond. He couldn't. Because the truth was, he'd already met someone who'd turned his world upside down. And he had no idea what to do about it.
By the time Cora escaped her father's study, she was exhausted. The interrogation had been brutal, and she'd barely managed to convince him that her weekend in Vegas had been harmless.
But as she climbed the stairs to her room, she couldn't shake the feeling that her family was onto her. They knew she was hiding something, and it was only a matter of time before they figured out what it was.
Meanwhile, Jace was pacing his penthouse, his father's words echoing in his mind. He didn't want to admit it, but Victor had a point. Jace was getting older, and the idea of settling down wasn't as unappealing as it used to be.
But settling down with Cora? That was a whole different story.
As he stared out the window at the city skyline, Jace couldn't help but wonder if their fake marriage was the biggest mistake of his life—or the best thing that had ever happened to him.