Chapter 9 - The Man Who Sold Roman’s Secret
“That isn’t my signature.”
Tessa wanted to believe him.
Roman stared at the page.
“It looks exactly like yours.”
“It’s forged.”
She studied his face.
Five years had taught her the difference between Roman angry and Roman afraid.
He was afraid.
Not because she might discover he had planned to marry her.
Because she might believe he had manipulated her.
Roman called his forensic accountant.
The signature had been digitally copied from an older corporate filing.
DeLuca had prepared everything.
But why?
The answer came from Chloe.
“The wedding downstairs.”
Tessa frowned.
Chloe spread the documents across Roman’s desk.
“Everyone assumed tonight’s engagement was about Roman and me.”
“Yes.”
“What if that was the distraction?”
Roman looked at the contract.
Chloe continued.
“The original consolidation agreement requires a Castell-Hayes marriage to merge the legitimate assets.”
Tessa’s stomach turned.
“You’re saying someone planned to substitute me?”
“Or force Roman to marry you under conditions that gave someone else control.”
Roman found the clause.
Upon marriage, voting authority transferred temporarily to the appointed trustee.
Trustee: Anthony DeLuca.
Roman swore.
DeLuca did not care whom Roman loved.
He wanted the company.
Tessa sat back.
“The wedding was really for me.”
Roman looked at her.
“Not mine.”
She met his eyes.
“That distinction matters.”
“It matters more than anything.”
They tracked DeLuca to an old Castell property outside the city.
Inside they found servers containing years of forged contracts.
Salvatore had been muscle.
Marcus had been access.
DeLuca had been architecture.
He had manipulated both families for decades.
But DeLuca was gone.
On the desk sat Tessa’s original resignation letter.
She picked it up.
Roman frowned.
“I crushed that.”
“Someone removed it from the wastebasket.”
On the back was a handwritten message.
SHE ALWAYS LEAVES WHEN YOU NEED HER MOST.
Tessa’s face hardened.
“He wanted me to quit.”
Roman understood.
Her resignation would create the perfect crisis.
Roman would chase her.
The engagement would collapse.
The old agreements would activate.
And DeLuca would present the forged marriage contract as the solution.
Tessa looked at Roman.
“He knows you.”
“Yes.”
“He knows me too.”
“Apparently.”
“No.”
She turned toward the dark window.
“He knows what we’re afraid of.”
Roman approached.
“What are you afraid of?”
She almost lied.
Then didn’t.
“Becoming yours and disappearing inside your life.”
Roman absorbed that quietly.
“And you?”
she asked.
“Losing you because I waited too long to become someone you could choose.”
Tessa looked at him.
For once there was no empire between them.
No engagement.
No contract.
No locked door.
Roman reached into his pocket.
Tessa’s breath caught.
He removed her Montreal ticket.
“You dropped it at the station.”
He offered it back.
She took it.
“I’m not asking you to stay.”
“I know.”
“I’m not asking you to marry me.”
“I know.”
“I’m asking you to help me finish this.”
That she could answer.
“Yes.”
Roman nodded.
A computer behind them suddenly powered on.
Neither had touched it.
A video appeared.
DeLuca sat inside Roman’s private chapel.
Behind him stood Eleanor.
Bound.
Tessa’s heart stopped.
DeLuca smiled into the camera.
“Tomorrow at noon, Roman.”
He held up a marriage license.
“Bring the bride.”
The screen went black.
Then Tessa’s phone received an address.
She opened it.
Roman looked over her shoulder.
It was not the chapel.
It was the old Castell courthouse.
May you like
And underneath the address were four words:
COME WITHOUT ROMAN OR SHE DIES.
