The Wrong Bride (The Windsors, #1)

by Catharina Maura

I lean back in my seat and smile. It’s been a while since I last heard him say my name. “What’s up?” I ask, knowing that whatever it is he’s calling for is bound to hurt me. Ares is a habit I can’t kick. He’s a shameful addiction, an illicit secret.

How do I tell him that the mere thought of him marrying Hannah makes everything feel so final? I’m truly losing him now, every last bit of hope going up in smoke. How do I tell him that my heart is breaking in a way it never has before, and I’m not sure the pieces can ever be recovered?

This. This is why I keep coming home, despite my mother’s attitude. Because Dad is right. Deep down, they do love me. Maybe not as much as they love Hannah, but I learned long ago to be okay with that. I’ll never measure up to my older sister. Not in my parents’ eyes and certainly never in Ares’s eyes.

I was the only one who was lucky enough to fall in love with the girl my grandmother chose for me long before we even got married. Yet lately, this doesn’t feel like a love match anymore, and I’m not feeling very lucky. Everything feels mechanical and forced, and the excitement we should feel regarding our upcoming wedding is missing.

His eyes widen and fill with regret as he stares at Raven. I don’t even want him looking at her. She deserves better than this kind of bullshit. “I didn’t know,” he says, his voice soft, something akin to jealousy marring his features. It’s clear he’s misunderstanding our relationship, and though I shouldn’t, I tighten my grip on Raven and smile. “Now you do, so fuck off.”

My eyes roam over her, and I shake my head. “I never understood it, you know? How come you’ve never been in a serious relationship? How does a woman like you stay single?” She grabs a glass of champagne off a tray and smiles at me. “I just haven’t found a guy that can keep me captivated. I’m not willing to settle for anything short of complete devotion. I want epic love, and I’m willing to wait for it.” Complete devotion, huh? Yeah, that’s exactly what she deserves. I wonder what kind of man will be able to win her over. For a moment, an image of her with Lexington flashes through my mind, and my blood runs cold.

I nod and watch her walk away, my gaze drifting to the man she’s walking toward. Her agent is staring at her in a way that cannot be described as professional. He looks enthralled, and I shift my weight from one foot to another uncomfortably. I want nothing short of happiness for Raven, but the thought of her falling for someone fills me with dread. I suppose that’s what older brothers feel, isn’t it? It might not be identical to how I feel about Sierra dating, but it’s pretty damn close. That must be it.

“Come to think of it,” I tell Dom, my finger tapping on my desk. “There’s a store manager named Andy. He works in our flagship mall. I want him fired. He works for one of the jewelry stores. I forgot what it’s called. Whatever Hannah’s favorite brand is, that one.”

Dom’s eyes widen, a hint of anger in his eyes. “He offended Raven?” He grits his teeth and nods resolutely. “I’m on it.” I watch as he marches out and suppress my smile. It isn’t just my family and me who love Raven. It’s everyone she comes in contact with. She’s so easy to love, and the entire world sees it but her. I glance out the window, hesitating for a moment. I genuinely don’t like the idea of her going around unprotected. What would have happened if I hadn’t been there last night? What if fucking Brad hadn’t taken no for an answer?

“Silas Sinclair,” he says. I grit my teeth, annoyed at the mere sound of his voice. “This is Ares Windsor.” “I know. I have caller ID. All phones have that in this day and age.” I fucking hate this man. “I need two extra bodyguards. I want the best you’ve got, but there’s a caveat.”

“Done,” he says. “Raven will never realize some of the most skilled and ruthless men I’ve got are protecting her ’round the clock.” Then that fucker laughs again. “By the way, you should probably know that Raven has unknowingly had my protection for years now—for free. You just paid one hell of a premium just to keep men’s advances at bay, something I never bothered with. You should probably ask yourself why.”

Except…would we have? The woman my grandmother wanted me to marry was Raven. If I hadn’t… If that night hadn’t happened, would I be getting married to Raven?

She shakes her head. “She gets to see us whenever she wants, but it’s harder for her to see her friends, so I get it.” Raven always does this, makes excuses for Hannah. Does she realize she does that?

“I think I’ll head back to my apartment tonight. That way, one of Hannah’s friends can have my room.” I nod, oddly disappointed. Just as I’m about to offer to hang out with her some other day, Hannah calls my name. I look up, and Raven shoos me away. “Ares!” Hannah repeats, holding out her hand. I sigh as I get to my feet, glancing back at Raven once, but she’s already got her nose buried in her new tablet. The closer we get to the wedding, the more I feel like Raven is avoiding me. I can’t figure out why she’s distancing herself from me lately, but I do know I hate it.

Grandma sits down and pats her legs. A soft chuckle escapes my lips as I lie down on the sofa, my head on her lap. She massages my head for me, and my eyes fall closed. “Your heart is aching,” she says, her voice soft. I tense, unsure what to say. I’m worried she’ll see straight through me. Grandma Anne has this uncanny ability to read people, to uncover secrets. It’s taken all of me to keep mine. “Just tired, Grams. I think I’ve just been working too hard.” “You’ve been running too hard,” she corrects me.

“What did you see on his phone?” Sierra asks, her voice soft. “A photo of Hannah. In bed.” She grabs my hand and entwines our fingers as we walk to her house. “I’m sorry, babe.” I shake my head. “It’s my own fault.” “You know what you need?” she asks. “You need to just get wasted. Let’s go out and trash-talk my dumb brother until you feel better. How about that?” I nod and tighten my grip on her hand. With the wedding approaching so rapidly, perhaps that’s exactly what I need. One night to let loose and force myself to put an end to this.

I sigh when I find my sister asleep on my kitchen floor, clutching a block of cheese that she’s clearly taken a big bite out of. What’s wrong with both of my girls tonight? My thoughts are whirling as I carry Sierra to my bedroom. Even in her sleep, she’s mumbling that she hates me. What in the hell have I done to earn their ire? I try to think back to anything I may have done or

“Rave?” I find her sitting on the sofa, her legs crossed. She looks up at the sound of my voice and smiles. “Ares.” The way she says my name has always been different. It’s always been sexy, but even more so tonight.

She looks disappointed but nods. “Does no part of you want me even a little?” Her voice is soft, pleading, and her eyes are filled with an emotion I can’t quite describe. “No,” I lie to her. “The friction from you moving on top of me made me hard, yeah, but I don’t want you, Raven. I’ll never want you. I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but you need to stop. Do you know how much your actions tonight would hurt your sister? Fuck, it’s hurting me.”

Do you know how easy it would’ve been for me to take advantage of you last night? I had you naked in my arms, Rave. Do you know how easy it would’ve been to push my sweatpants aside and slide deep inside you when you weren’t sober enough to consent? I could’ve pinned you down on this sofa and fucked you, and there’s nothing you would’ve been able to do about it. The thought of you finding yourself alone with a man that won’t respect you and that would take advantage of you when you aren’t thinking clearly makes me nervous. Please be careful, okay?” A blush stains my cheeks as his words resound in my mind. Was he tempted, for even a moment? “I hear you,” I murmur. “I’m sorry. This won’t happen again, I promise.” “It’d better not. Not with me, and certainly not with anyone else.”

I can still hear his words ringing through my mind. I don’t want you, Raven. I’ll never want you. I’ve always known that, but a small part of me thought I could change his mind. I should’ve known better.

“Who is the man you were talking about last night? You said you regretted not going after the man you love, and just now, too, your expression is…pure sorrow. Who is he?” I smile at him and shake my head. “Drunken ramblings, Ares. There isn’t anyone.” “In vino veritas,” he tells me. In wine lies the truth. Yeah, that certainly is true for me. I nearly spilled all my secrets because I had too much to drink. “Fine,” I admit. “I just don’t want to talk about it.”

Every second of designing and sewing this was torture. It was a reminder that my unrequited love ends here. Thankfully, Ares doesn’t seem to have told Hannah about what I did. I thought I’d destroyed our friendship, but instead, he’s just been texting me a lot more. He seems worried, and it’s ridiculous because he’s the source of my agony.

I turn toward the door at the sound of my sister’s voice and force a smile onto my face. “Ready for your last dress fitting?” She nods, her eyes roaming over the dress in delight. “It’s beautiful. Is there anything you can’t do?” I smile at her through the pain.

I stare at my sister as my heart takes a beating. Not enough talent… I quit acting early on when she became anxious about having to compete against me. She begged me to, telling me that she’d hate fighting over roles and that acting was very much her thing, so I gave in. It was never a matter of talent.

Ares is so perfect. All of our issues stem from me. I know he deserves everything, but I’m still having a hard time pushing aside my ego and my aspirations. One year is enough for people to forget about me. Imagine three years.”

She nods, a hint of insecurity in her eyes. “You’ll be by my side, won’t you?” “Always,” I promise. I’ll always be there for her, even if doing so rips my heart to shreds over and over again.

I need you to start prioritizing my family and me.” “This is such bullshit. Why can’t you just be more understanding? Why do you bring up our relationship being a secret every single time anyway? How come you can’t understand my need to keep my private life private?” Why is it that every time I try to talk to her about the way she lets me down, the situation gets turned around and I end up being the villain?

Sierra says something to her, and she bursts out laughing. It’s hard to explain, but seeing Raven sitting there fills me with a strange kind of jealousy. This. This is what I wanted with Hannah. I wanted her to be part of this family, to laugh with my siblings.

Zane bursts out laughing. “I bet the robot would still have more character than Hannah ever did. Don’t tell me any of you are actually upset they broke up? Fuck this love-match bullshit, because when it comes to Ares, love clearly is fucking blind.” I shake my head and lift my whiskey glass to my lips. “Thanks, guys,” I tell them. “I feel so much better now.” My brothers chuckle, and it hits me then. They’re concerned about me, but the relief in the air is palpable. My brothers aren’t upset that Hannah and I broke things off. They’re just concerned because I’m hurting. “Did you guys truly not like her, or are you just trying to make me feel better?” They glance at each other, and Lex and Zane elbow each other, like they’re both trying to get the other to speak. In the end, it’s Dion who says something. “It’s not that we don’t like her. It’s just that she clearly wasn’t the one for you. Hannah is a diva, and some guys are really into that, but you aren’t one of them. We all saw how it killed you to have to cater to her at every turn, never getting much in return. She wouldn’t even publicly acknowledge your relationship, you know? I always felt like you deserved better than that, so no, I’m not upset she broke things off. Someone had to do it, and I knew you never would. You’d stick with her, even if it’s just to comply with Grandma’s terms.”

Sierra smiles at me apologetically, as though she knows my family is overwhelming me at the worst possible time. While my sister has never said a bad word about Hannah, the fact that she didn’t warm up to her even after years of us dating says enough. I’m surprised I never saw it before.

“I’m sorry Hannah broke things off,” Grandma says, “but that wedding is happening with or without her.” “What?” I ask, confused. Grandma smiles. “Hannah isn’t the woman I wanted you to marry in the first place. This just proves that I was right. I made an exception for you, and I shouldn’t have.”

“If Hannah won’t marry you, then Raven must. If Raven also refuses, the deal with the Du Ponts is off the table, and I’ll slash your inheritance in half, regardless of whether I find you another girl.” “This…this is ridiculous.” I turn to look at my brothers for support, but their expressions are carefully blank, as though they don’t dare admit that they agree with Grandma. What the fuck?

Grandma Anne smiles at me and shakes her head. “This is not a joke, sweetheart. I will no longer accept Hannah into our family. If this merger is to proceed, the bride must be you.”

wish I could’ve broken the news to you differently.” I nod as he falls into step with me. “This… Dad, you do realize that this is ridiculous, right? Ares and Hannah love each other.” “Do they?” he asks, his voice soft. I fall silent, thrown off by the question and the way he’s looking at me, like he can see right through me.

My heart twists painfully, and I shake my head. “If I was always meant to marry him, she should’ve stayed away from him. You can’t expect me to marry my sister’s ex, Dad. You can’t do this to me. Do you understand how messed up this is? You can’t condemn me to a marriage with someone who is in love with my sister.”

I need to find Hannah. I don’t know what she’s thinking, but I refuse to take responsibility for her mess. I might love Ares, but I have no intention of accepting her sloppy seconds.

runs a hand through her hair. “They’re just trying to strong-arm me, Raven. They won’t actually make you do that. Besides, Ares wouldn’t ever agree to it. That’s sick.” My heart clenches painfully even as I nod. Sick. Twisted. That’s probably what he thinks of this entire situation too. “I’m not sure, Han. I don’t think they’re bluffing. Dad seemed worried, and I’ve never seen Grandma Anne look so serious.”

I know Grandma said she wouldn’t accept Hannah at all anymore, but I’m certain she wouldn’t object if Hannah changed her mind now. All she’s ever wanted is for Ares to be happy, and his happiness lies with Hannah. It always has.

She looks into my eyes, her expression torn. “Ares,” she says, “I can’t marry you. I can’t. How could you possibly even entertain that idea when you’ve been in love with my sister for as long as I can remember? How could you consider making me your wife when the only woman you’ll ever want is Hannah?”

“Yes,” I tell her. “I can’t guarantee that I’ll make you happy, but I swear to try. As for being a faithful husband? Yes, Raven. I’m surprised you even feel the need to ask. From the moment you become my wife, I swear to be faithful to you.” She turns to face me, her brows raised. “That’s easy for you to say now that you’re trying to coerce me into this marriage, but what will that look like in practice, Ares? Will you be able to stay away from Hannah?”

“Ares, if we do this…if it really gets to that point…I need you to know that I expect more than just affection and respect. I expect you to keep an appropriate distance from my sister, regardless of your history. If I make this sacrifice, I won’t allow you to make me regret it. If I marry you, I want you to treat me as your wife.” Her fierce expression sets my heart ablaze, and I force myself to stay calm. What is she saying? Does she mean…does she mean she expects us to make this marriage work? I thought what she’d want would be a true marriage of convenience, but could I have been wrong? “So long as it’s within my power, there’s nothing I won’t give you, Raven. No matter what you ask, it’s yours—and that includes me.” Her eyes widen slightly, and she nods briefly before tearing her gaze away. “You won’t regret this?” she asks. “You won’t regret sacrificing your happiness for your inheritance? When all is said and done, will you resent me for standing between you and Hannah?”

“I hope she changes her mind,” Raven whispers. “All I’ve ever wanted for you is happiness, Ares. I don’t want to be the one who takes it away from you.” “You won’t,” I promise. “You and I will figure this out, Raven. If we end up getting married, we’ll find our own happiness. It might not be easy, but if this is our destiny, it’ll work itself out.”

My best friend stares at me, her expression annoyed. “I don’t get it,” she tells me. “You’ve been in love with Ares all your life. Why would you want Hannah to show up?” I pause and look up at her, my heart sinking. “Because he’s always been hers, Sierra. Even if he marries me, the one he wants will always be Hannah. It’s hard enough to watch him love her the way he does, but legally being able to call him mine while I know that his heart will always belong to her? That would kill me. I’d much rather stay friends with him than be the person standing between him and the woman he truly loves. I don’t want to be a replacement. If we get married now, I’ll never be able to step out of Hannah’s shadow. I’ll always be a cheap replica of her, a stand-in.”

“I’ve always found it so odd, you know? It never made sense to me that someone that shines the way you do feels like they’re cast in shadows. She’s like the moon, Raven. Beautiful on a lonely night but cold and distant. You? You’re the sun. You’re warmth and happiness, and the center of all that’s good.

Lex sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Would it really be so bad to marry Raven? How about I take your place?” I tense, red-hot fury rushing through me as I turn to face my brother. He takes in my expression and smirks knowingly. “What?” Lex asks. “Can’t stand the idea of Raven being with anyone else? I thought you didn’t want her as your wife?” “Fuck off,” I snap.

“You may now kiss the bride,” the officiant says, and Raven freezes. I take a step closer to her and gently cup her cheek before dropping my forehead to hers. “This is it,” I whisper. “From this moment forward, you’re my wife. Mine to care for, mine to cherish, and mine to protect. I know this isn’t what you wanted for yourself, but I swear I’ll give you my all, Raven.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Windsor, everyone!” the officiant says, and we turn to face the cheering crowd. Grandma nods at us in satisfaction, but neither of Raven’s parents can bear facing her. I’m not surprised. They sacrificed her happiness in favor of their company—they let Hannah sacrifice Raven’s happiness for her own. For years, they neglected her, and now this? They owe her everything.

“Four, you must remain faithful to each other. If either of you cheats on the other, you both lose everything. You’ll lose your parents’ company, and Ares will lose his inheritance. Family is at the core of everything we are, everything we’ve built. And your family? It starts with each other.”

“The fifth and final rule is that you must give your marriage an honest chance. Be open to this working out for both of you.” Grandma looks between the two of us, a smile on her face. It’s odd how genuinely sweet she looks while she’s got both of our lives in an iron grip. “Don’t cling to the lives you had before marriage. Give each other a chance, and in three years, I’ll sign the paperwork declaring the company jointly yours, making the two of you the owners of this country’s largest media empire. You’ll be handed your inheritance too, Ares.” She pauses, her gaze moving between the both of us. “I know this is all very sudden, so for the next four weeks, I will relieve you from all family obligations. You won’t need to attend family dinners or charity events. All I want you to do for now is focus on your marriage. Spend time together, get to know each other on a different level. Soon, the entire world will find out about you, and the pressure will add some additional strain to your marriage. Spend some quality time together before all that weighs you down.”