Cora Hayes was halfway through her morning coffee when her phone started blowing up. Texts, calls, and notifications flooded her screen, each one more alarming than the last.
"What the hell?" she muttered, opening a text from her best friend, Sophia. It was a link to a gossip website with the headline: "Billionaire Heiress Cordelia Hayes Marries Tech Mogul Jace Hart in Secret Vegas Wedding!"
Below the headline was a photo. A very clear photo.
It was her and Jace, standing in front of a tacky Vegas chapel, looking every bit like the cliché of a shotgun wedding. Cora was holding a bouquet of flowers that looked like they'd been stolen from a gas station, and Jace's tie was so crooked it was practically horizontal. Behind them, an Elvis impersonator was giving a thumbs-up, as if to say, "You're welcome."
Cora stared at the photo, her coffee forgotten. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, NO."
Her phone rang. It was Daniel.
Cora took a deep breath and answered the call.
"Cora," Daniel said, his voice dangerously calm. "What the hell is this?"
"I can explain," Cora said quickly, though she had no idea how.
"You'd better," Daniel snapped. "Because Dad's about to have a stroke, and Michael's already on his way to your apartment."
Cora groaned and buried her face in her hands. This was a disaster.
Meanwhile, at the office, Jace Hart was in the middle of a board meeting when his assistant, Ethan, burst into the room, looking like he'd just seen a ghost.
"Sir," Ethan said, holding out a tablet. "You need to see this."
Jace frowned and took the tablet. His stomach dropped when he saw the photo.
It was him and Cora, standing in front of the chapel, looking every bit like the cliché of a Vegas wedding. The headline below the photo was even worse: "Tech Mogul Jace Hart Marries Billionaire Heiress in Secret Ceremony!"
Jace groaned and handed the tablet back to Ethan. "Cancel the rest of my meetings," he said, standing up. "I need to deal with this."
As he left the room, his phone started ringing. It was his father.
Jace took a deep breath and answered the call.
"Jace," Victor Hart said, his voice booming. "Is it true? Did you get married?"
Jace hesitated. "Yes, but—"
"That's fantastic!" Victor interrupted, his tone jubilant. "I knew you'd come around eventually. When do I get to meet her?"
Jace blinked, caught off guard. "Wait, what?"
"Your wife, of course!" Victor said. "Cora Hayes, right? I looked her up. She's perfect. When are you bringing her over for dinner?"
Jace groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Dad, it's not what you think—"
"Nonsense," Victor said, cutting him off. "This is the best news I've heard in years. I'll call your mother. We'll have a celebration!"
Before Jace could respond, Victor hung up. Jace stared at his phone, wondering how his life had spiraled so completely out of control.
Back at the Hayes mansion, chaos had erupted.
"I can't believe this," Robert Hayes said, pacing the living room. "My daughter, married in Vegas to some… some stranger!"
"He's not a stranger," Cora said, though she wasn't sure that was true. "His name is Jace Hart. He's a CEO."
"A CEO?" Daniel repeated, his tone skeptical. "And you just happened to marry him in Vegas?"
"It's not like we planned it!" Cora said, throwing up her hands. "It just… happened."
"It just happened?" Michael said, his voice rising. "Cora, you don't just happen to get married!"
Cora groaned and buried her face in her hands. She knew there was no way to explain this that wouldn't make her sound insane.
At Jace's penthouse, Victor Hart was practically bouncing with excitement.
"This is wonderful," Victor said, clapping Jace on the back. "I knew you'd come around eventually."
"Dad," Jace said, his tone exasperated. "It's not what you think. We're not..."
Victor waved a hand dismissively. "Cora Hayes is a catch. Do you know how much her family is worth?"
Jace groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "This is a disaster."
"No, this is good," Victor said, his eyes gleaming. "Think about it, Jace. The Hayes are one of the most powerful families in the country. This could be great for business."
Jace stared at his father, wondering how he'd managed to turn this into a business opportunity.
By the time Cora managed to escape her family's interrogation, she was exhausted. She collapsed onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, her mind racing.
She needed to talk to Jace.
She grabbed her phone and dialed his number. He answered on the first ring.
"Cora," he said, his voice tense. "Have you seen the news?"
"Yeah," Cora said, sighing. "My family's freaking out."
"Mine too," Jace said. "But for completely different reasons."
Cora frowned. "What do you mean?"
"My father's thrilled," Jace said, his tone flat. "He thinks this is the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Cora groaned. "Lucky you. My brothers are ready to disown me."
There was a pause, and then Jace said, "We need to figure out what to do."
"Agreed," Cora said. "Can we meet? Somewhere private?"
"My penthouse," Jace said. "Tonight. Eight o'clock."
"I'll be there," Cora said, hanging up the phone.
That evening, Cora arrived at Jace's penthouse, her nerves on edge. Jace opened the door, looking just as stressed as she felt.
"Come in," he said, stepping aside.
Cora walked in and collapsed onto the couch. "This is a nightmare."
"Tell me about it," Jace said, sitting down across from her. "My father's already planning a family dinner."
Cora groaned. "My brothers are planning my funeral."
There was a long silence as they both processed the situation. Finally, Cora spoke.
"We need a plan," she said. "Something to get our families off our backs."
Jace nodded. "Agreed. But what?"
Cora hesitated, then took a deep breath. "What if… what if we fake it?"
Jace frowned. "Fake what?"
"The marriage," Cora said. "We tell our families it's real, but we keep it quiet. No public appearances, no interviews, nothing. We just… play along until the scandal dies down."
Jace stared at her, his expression unreadable. "You want us to fake a marriage?"
"It's not like we have a lot of options," Cora said, throwing up her hands. "Unless you want to tell your father the truth and deal with the fallout."
Jace groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "This is insane."
"Yeah, but it might work," Cora said, her tone hopeful.
There was a long pause, and then Jace sighed. "Fine. We'll fake it. But we need rules."
"Rules?" Cora repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, rules," Jace said. "No public appearances, no interviews, and absolutely no family dinners."
Cora grinned. "Deal."