Page 58 of One Night in Hawaii

“I’d like to talk with Mr. Shipley alone,” I said.

He frowned but nodded. “Fine. I’ll expect this to be handled quickly. Dragging it out is only feeding the rumors. We don’t need this kind of negativity, especially with Penelope’s pending wedding.”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “We don’t want to get in the way of another unhappy marriage.”

He frowned at me. “Not funny.”

He left my office. Mr. Shipley gave me his full attention. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“I’ll admit, I didn’t read the contract as carefully as I probably should have. Is there a cheating clause?”

“Cheating?” he asked. “As in an affair?”

“Yes.”

He sighed and leaned back against the couch. “You’ve had an affair. Does she know?”

“No, not me,her,” I said. “What if I could prove she’s been cheating on me the last couple of months?”

“Oh,” he said, nodding his head. “That would certainly change things.”

“Would it be a dealbreaker?” I asked. “Would that cancel the contract?”

“Yes,” he said. “There is a specific clause about affairs. If either of you cheat, it would dissolve the contract on one end. If you cheat, she can still enforce the contract.”

“If she cheats, I can still demand she pay for half of the wedding that didn’t happen and my grandmother’s ring gets returned to me?”

“Yes. However, you would have the burden of proof. I’ve dealt with these situations in the past. I can guarantee you she would deny she was cheating. You would need proof. Irrefutable proof.”

“Pictures?” I asked.

He shrugged. “They help, but with technology, it would be easy for her attorney to claim photoshop.”

“Then how would I prove it?”

“Pictures are good, but if she’s adamant she hasn’t cheated, they might not be enough. An admittance would be better.”

I snorted. “Like she’s going to admit it. She knows she loses. She’ll keep denying it for as long as she can.”

“Sometimes, the bluff is enough,” he said with a smile. “Do you have proof?”

“Not yet,” I said. “But I’m certain it happened. I’m pretty sure it’s still going on. This little game she’s playing is one big bluff. If I tell her I will marry her, she might back out. I don’t think she actually wants to marry me. I can almost guarantee you she has a boyfriend. What happens if I say I’ll marry her and she backs out?”

“Then she would break the contract,” he said definitively. “However, I think you’re playing a risky game. If you say you’ll marry her and she agrees, then you’re married. The longer you stay married, the less you’ll pay her, but if you are miserable and you can’t control yourself and you step out, you will pay through the nose.”

It was high-stakes poker. I wasn’t the type of person that gambled. I didn’t like the unknown. I liked certainties.

But in this case, I had to take a chance. My happiness was riding on it. Shiloh wasn’t going to wait three years. I wasn’t even sure she would wait three weeks. The lawyer’s words made sense. I needed proof, and an admission was the best way to go.

“Would I be violating any part of the contract if I hire a private investigator?” I asked.

He pulled a face. “Are you sure you want to involve outsiders? You are somewhat of a public figure.”

“I’m sure you work with investigators all the time, right?”

“I have a few I trust,” he said.

“I would appreciate you sending their information my way,” I said. “I’m not committing to hiring anyone, but I might need the option.”

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