Frank Mulligan sat in his cluttered office, staring at the Vegas chapel receipt like it was the Holy Grail. He'd spent the entire morning analyzing it, convinced it was the key to cracking the case wide open.
"A secret second wedding," Frank muttered, tapping the receipt with his pen. "Classic move. But why? What's he hiding?"
Frank's mind raced with possibilities. Maybe Jace was a con artist. Maybe he was already married. Or maybe—and this was Frank's favorite theory—he was a spy.
"Yeah," Frank said, nodding to himself. "A spy. That makes sense."
He grabbed his phone and dialed Michael's number.
"What do you have?" Michael asked as soon as he picked up.
"I've got a lead," Frank said, his tone dramatic. "A big one. But I need more info. Does Jace have any exes? Someone who might know his secrets?"
Michael hesitated, then sighed. "I'll see what I can find."
A few hours later, Frank was sitting in a yoga studio, staring at a woman who looked like she'd just stepped out of a fitness magazine. Her name was Claire, and according to Michael, she was Jace's ex-girlfriend.
"So," Frank said, trying to sound professional. "What can you tell me about Jace Hart?"
Claire raised an eyebrow, her expression skeptical. "Who's asking?"
"I'm a… friend," Frank said, flashing his most charming smile. "Just trying to get to know the guy."
Claire studied him for a moment, then shrugged. "Jace is… complicated. He's smart, driven, and successful, but he's also emotionally unavailable and terrible at relationships."
Frank's eyes lit up. "Emotionally unavailable, you say? Any chance he's hiding something? Like, I don't know, a secret second life?"
Claire laughed, though there was no humor in it. "Jace? No. He's just… Jace. He's married to his work. Always has been."
Frank frowned, disappointed. "So, no secret weddings? No shady business deals?"
Claire shook her head. "Not that I know of. But if you're looking for dirt, you're wasting your time. Jace is boringly honest."
Frank sighed and stood up. "Thanks for your time."
As he left the yoga studio, Frank couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something.
Meanwhile, Cora was dealing with her own problems. Her brothers had shown up at her gallery unannounced, their expressions grim.
"We need to talk," Daniel said, his tone serious.
Cora groaned and set down the paintbrush she'd been holding. "About what?"
"About Jace," Michael said, crossing his arms. "We think he's hiding something."
Cora rolled her eyes. "Not this again."
"We're serious, Cora," Daniel said, his tone firm. "We hired a private investigator to look into him."
Cora's eyes widened. "You did what?"
"We're just looking out for you," Michael said, his tone defensive. "We don't trust this guy."
Cora felt a flicker of anger, but she quickly masked it with a forced smile. "Well, you can call off your PI. Jace is fine. We're fine. Everything's fine."
Daniel and Michael exchanged a look, clearly unconvinced.
"Cora," Daniel said, his tone softening. "We just want to make sure you're not getting hurt."
Cora sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I appreciate the concern, but I don't need you two playing detective. I can handle myself."
There was a long silence as her brothers studied her, their expressions unreadable.
"Fine," Michael said finally. "But if you need us, we're here."
Cora nodded, though she couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't over.
Back at the penthouse, Jace was dealing with his own problems. His father, Victor, had decided to throw a surprise party to celebrate Jace's "marriage," and Jace was scrambling to keep Cora from finding out.
"This is a disaster," Jace muttered, pacing the living room.
"It's not a disaster," Ethan said, his tone calm. "It's just… unexpected."
"Unexpected?" Jace repeated, his voice rising. "My father is throwing a party to celebrate a fake marriage. How is that not a disaster?"
Ethan shrugged. "Look on the bright side. Free food."
Jace groaned. "I need to tell Cora."
"Do you?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because from what I've heard, she's not exactly thrilled with you right now."
Jace sighed and nodded. "Point taken."
While Jace was busy panicking about the party, Frank was making his biggest mistake yet. He'd decided to send Cora a text meant for Michael, revealing that her brothers had hired him to investigate Jace.
"Got a lead on Jace's secret wedding. Meeting with ex-girlfriend tomorrow. Will keep you posted."
Cora stared at the text, her stomach dropping.
"What the hell?" she muttered, her hands shaking as she typed out a response. "Who is this?"
Frank's reply came a moment later: "Frank Mulligan, PI. Your brothers hired me to investigate your husband."
Cora felt a flicker of rage, but before she could respond, her phone buzzed again. It was a text from Jace: "We need to talk."