Page 87 of Single Dad's Fake Bride
I thought of Sadie last night, the way she'd trembled in my arms, the vulnerability in her eyes afterward. What we had wasn't fake anymore, but I couldn't explain that to this room full of vultures without exposing her to personal scrutiny. Besides, we hadn't even spoken about the shifts in our relationship, the fact that we wanted each other so badly. It was the most beautiful elephant in the room that I feared disrupting. If we whispered its name it would run, and I wanted it to stay.
"My motivations are my own business," I said. "As long as I meet the terms of my father's will and maintain the standards expected of this position, my personal life isn't subject to board approval."
Caldwell's smile was thin. "Actually, the will stipulates that your marriage must be stable and legitimate. If we determine otherwise?—"
"You'll determine based on evidence, not gossip." Blackwell's voice rose above the authority of three decades of Caldwell's lifein this room. "And since no such evidence exists. I suggest we move forward with more pressing academy business."
The silence sizzled with taut energy. Dr. Sterling exchanged glances with David, who looked down at his notes. Finally, Caldwell spoke.
"Very well. We won't pursue formal action at this time. However, the board reserves the right to continue monitoring this situation."
I stood, my chair scraping against the floor. "I wouldn't expect anything less," I grumbled as I buttoned my suit jacket and strolled to the door.
Outside the boardroom, Blackwood walked beside me toward the main entrance. "They're fishing," he said quietly. "But they don't have enough to challenge the will based on marriage legitimacy alone."
I still wasn't sure if he was on my side or not—he was good like that. It was a trait all excellent lawyers had, to work in favor of their client even if they completely disagreed with them. It was probably why my father kept him on retainer for so long.
"What about my sisters' lawsuit?" I asked, turning toward him as we approached the door.
His expression darkened. "That's moving forward. Margot submitted additional evidence yesterday—email correspondence, allegedly between you and your wife, discussing the marriage arrangement days after your father's death." I read something in his expression I didn't want to. He didn't like the odds, or maybe he knew it would be a fight.
"That's impossible. We didn't even know each other then." I winced at how foolish I sounded, how much that statement alone gave away the true motive behind my relationship with Sadie. It was a whirlwind romance—I could tell people. But the truth was that it was a sham, a farce, and yet I still wanted her with every breath in my lungs. "I never emailed her, anyway."
"The timestamps are questionable, and the emails could easily have been fabricated. But they've given the board enough ammunition to keep the pressure on." Blackwood stopped on the threshold and pursed his lips. "Harrison, your sisters aren't simply contesting the will anymore. They're trying to destroy your reputation in the process."
The level of hatred and betrayal I felt coming from my sisters was soul crushing. Growing up at Hawthorne, we'd never been close, but I hadn't realized the depth of their resentment. They weren't fighting for inheritance—they were trying to obliterate everything I'd built simply because I didn't build it their way.
After Blackwood left, I walked through the academy grounds instead of heading straight home. The late afternoon sun filtered through the oak trees that had shaded my childhood, casting long shadows across the pathways I'd walked as a boy. Everything looked the same, but it felt different now that I was responsible for its future.
I found myself in the lower school wing, drawn by instinct toward the classrooms where Eloise spent her days. The hallways were quiet, most teachers having gone home hours ago. But light spilled from one doorway at the end of the corridor.
Sadie moved between the desks, wiping down surfaces and straightening chairs. She'd changed out of her formal teaching clothes into jeans and a soft sweater, her hair loose around her shoulders. A quiet melody drifted from her lips—something I didn't recognize but that sounded both sad and hopeful.
I leaned against the doorframe, watching her work. There was grace in her movements, a naturalness that spoke of genuine care for this space and the students who filled it each day. This wasn't performance or obligation to her. This was a woman who belonged here, who'd found her place among the books and small desks and afternoon light.
And after such a long day, the tension in my shoulders finally began to ease. The boardroom politics, my sisters' betrayal, the constant scrutiny—none of it touched this moment. Here was Sadie in her element, humming while she worked, unconscious of being observed.
She looked up and caught me watching. A tired smile crossed her face, but it reached her eyes.
"You're done early," she said, continuing to wipe down the last row of desks.
"Board meeting ran shorter than expected and the sitter picked Eloise up." I stepped into the room. "How was your day?"
"Good. Eloise read her entire book report to the class. She was so proud." Sadie's smile grew genuine. "She has your confidence when she wants to show off."
The casual observation warmed me. Sadie had been studying me. You don't study people you're in an "arrangement" with. "She gets that from you too now. The love of reading, anyway."
"I hope so." Sadie folded the cleaning cloth and gathered her things. "Mom's making dinner tonight. She insisted, even though I told her to rest."
I helped her with her bag, our fingers brushing briefly. The memory of last night flickered between us—her skin against mine, the way she'd whispered my name in the darkness.
"Sadie—" I started, hoping to discuss this new shift between us, but my phone vibrated insistently in my pocket. I almost ignored it but pulled it out and saw Blackwood's name at the top of a text notification. I winced and sighed, then glanced up at her expectant face and scowled.
"I should see what he wants."
Sadie nodded politely and walked past me as I flicked my phone open and read his message.
Theodore 4:13 PM: Harrison—The lawsuit has been expedited. First hearing scheduled for next week. See attached summons on my email.
