I Married My Cousin's Rejected Fiancé

Someone was holding her by the waist.

A rough, calloused hand slid underneath the hem of her shirt, gliding over her smooth skin, tracing its way upward. Morgan Myers let out a soft sigh, though she tried to resist the pull of temptation. Her rational mind screamed this was wrong. But her emotions whispered that letting it continue could feel incredible.

Her hand fumbled for something to anchor herself—and suddenly flinched at a sharp pain. She'd grabbed a shard of broken glass, its edge slicing into her skin and snapping her into sudden, cold awareness. Shocked, she looked at the man before her.

He was dressed in black, his lean yet muscular body pinning her down, with one knee wedged between her legs, keeping them apart. They hadn't crossed the ultimate line yet, but the air was thick with tension. Their bodies crackled with an unspoken, raw desire.

There had to be something in the air...

"No, Magnus, this isn't right," she whispered, her voice barely a breath.

Magnus Moore was her cousin's fiancé, promised to Celeste since childhood. Just last month, Magnus had returned from overseas, insisting Celeste honor the family commitment and marry him. Their wedding was right around the corner.

So what the hell were they doing here?

"Don't you get it?" Magnus said, his voice steady even though his eyes burned. "Celeste doesn't want to marry me. She practically pushed you right into my arms."

Morgan's mind blanked. She'd known Celeste was cozying up to the heir of the Jones family, clearly not interested in marrying this man she considered beneath her. Bound by old commitments, Celeste had thrown Morgan into the mix.

"Stop fighting it," Magnus murmured, his fingers exploring more boldly now. "Isn't this what you want?"

Morgan's body shook uncontrollably, heat rising through her like she was a puppet pulled by invisible strings, manipulated expertly by his touch.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he noted with a deep satisfaction, watching confusion and shame war across her face.

Morgan felt humiliated, but he was right—it had to be something in the air.

Desperate, she reached for the glass shard again, pressing it with determination. The sharper pain cleared her head, and she held the shard up between them like a threat.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll hurt you," she warned.

Magnus narrowed his eyes, assessing. He could tell she wasn't gonna seriously hurt him.

Completely unfazed, he moved forward.

"You—"

Morgan's eyes went wide, and she didn't have the guts to actually harm him, but she did have just enough courage...

She squeezed her eyes shut and, in a sudden, decisive move, aimed the shard at her own wrist.

Magnus's reflexes were lightning-fast. He caught her hand in a vise-like grip, the shard slicing into his palm, drawing blood.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, anger edging his voice.

"P-please, don't touch me..." Morgan begged, her eyes swimming with unshed tears.

Magnus's heart twisted painfully. After a brief hesitation, he pried the shard from her grip and tossed it aside. "Never hurt yourself. Promise me," he said softly, then scooped her up into his arms.

Fighting back his desire, he carried her to the bathroom and filled the tub with cold water. He lowered them both into the icy depths, the chill shocking their overheated skin.

Magnus was a man of principle. If love wasn't mutual, he wouldn't force it.

Slowly, the intensity of their emotions started to wane.

Morgan came around first, noticing the reddish tint of the water. Seeing Magnus's bleeding hand, she scrambled out of the tub, frantically fumbling for a first aid kit.

Moved by how he'd held back, she bandaged his wound as tenderly as she could, genuinely grateful for his decency.

Once his hand was wrapped, Magnus stood and tossed a robe at Morgan.

Only then did she realize how exposed she was; her cheeks blazed deep red.

"What happens now?" she asked awkwardly.

Magnus didn't answer. He went to the door, only to find it so damaged they couldn't open it from inside. Frowning, he headed toward the balcony.

Morgan realized he intended to climb down and panicked. "What are you doing?"

Framed against the night sky, the wind ruffling his clothes, Magnus stood at the balcony's edge. "I'll jump. Tomorrow, as long as the room doesn't show two people inside, there won't be any trouble for you."

"And what about you? What'll happen to you?"

"I'll be fine," he said, totally unfazed.

"You can't!" she insisted. Sure, it was only the second floor with a lawn below, but there was still a risk. A bad fall could mean a serious injury.

Her mind raced. "Do you want to marry my cousin?"

Magnus's lips curled into a sardonic smile. "It's not about what I want anymore. It's about whether she's willing. If she's not, I won't force her."

"What about me?" she asked, her voice tentative.

"What?"

"If my cousin won't marry you, I will."

Magnus frowned deeply. "I'm not local. I work as a security guard, make about three grand a month. No house, no car, no savings. Just an aging father who depends on medication. You'd still want to marry me?"

"I think you're a decent guy. I'd marry you for that." Morgan had faced hard times early on, losing her parents young and being raised by relatives. Her future wasn't hers to decide—her aunt was already looking to get a nice dowry from her marriage.

"Well, if you ever want out, we can always divorce," Magnus shrugged.

She quickly pulled him back from the edge, finally realizing just how dangerous it was. She had no clue Magnus was ex-military, with skills sharp enough to handle a jump like that without a scratch.

Morgan took a quick shower and changed into fresh clothes. "You should wash up too. Don't catch a cold."

Magnus nodded and headed to the bathroom. When he came out, he found Morgan had fallen asleep.

Such trust, he mused. Wasn't she worried he might take advantage?

Then his phone buzzed. The sound stirred Morgan, making her mumble something before drifting right back to sleep.

Magnus answered, stepping onto the balcony to keep his voice low. "Yeah?"

"Sir, we tracked Miss Myers and saw her check into a hotel with Mr. Perez," his assistant reported cautiously.

Magnus wasn't surprised. "Let her be. She's no longer my concern. Inform the family patriarch I'll honor the arrangement and marry someone from the Myers family. But if a divorce is needed, it won't be because of me."

"Are you suggesting you'll marry Morgan instead of Celeste? The family's being totally deceitful, offering you a lesser match!"

The assistant was indignant. Magnus was the true power behind Moore Enterprises, a force the family had to reckon with—including Lucca Perez, who owed his very position to Magnus's leniency.

"This betrayal won't go unpunished," Magnus's eyes darkened with cold determination. No one messed with him without consequences.

Magnus hung up, ready to leave, when Clementine Silva's voice cut through the air.

"But she's disfigured!" she cried.

He stopped dead in his tracks.

"How do you know?" he demanded sharply.

Clementine hesitated, her impulsive outburst revealing way more than she meant to.

Magnus advanced, his presence suddenly commanding and intense. "Who told you?"

"I—it was Willa! She noticed Morgan covering her face every time she went out," Clementine stammered, completely flustered.

Magnus's gaze narrowed. More people were involved than he'd realized, and Clementine wasn't innocent herself.

"Stay back!" Clementine backed away until she was cornered against the wall.

Magnus's hand closed around her throat. "Explain."

"You wouldn't... you're just trying to scare me, right?" Her bravado crumbled as his grip tightened.

"You can still breathe enough to talk," he reminded her, easing his hold just a fraction.

"It... it was Willa. She got suspicious after seeing Morgan go to the hospital so often. I didn't do anything, I swear!"

Magnus released her, letting Clementine slump to the floor, coughing.

"Explain," he demanded, impatient now.

"Willa went to dermatology for a skin treatment and started speculating that Morgan has some kind of facial issue. You two have been fighting, so I thought maybe you were getting tired of her," Clementine explained, careful to keep herself out of deeper trouble.

Magnus realized his inner circle had been infiltrated. "Your reach seems to exceed your grasp."

"I-I..." Clementine stammered, her earlier defiance completely gone.

"If that's true, then Willa's gonna face consequences too. Let's find out who really scarred her."

Right at that moment, Morgan walked in, a mask concealing her face.

Seeing her, Magnus's heart clenched. He suspected she'd been following him. Even though he'd done nothing wrong, her presence triggered a sharp pang of guilt.

"You knew about the interview, didn't you? I shouldn't have kept it from you," Magnus admitted, regret heavy in his voice.

Morgan smiled, but her eyes stayed bright. "Apologize for what? We're nothing to each other. Clementine seems more like your confidante than I'll ever be."

Magnus was silenced by her words—painfully so.

Clementine felt a twist of jealousy watching their exchange. Who was Morgan to talk to him so casually? She'd never seen Magnus be this humble.

"How dare you speak to him like that?" Clementine cut in.

"Enough!" Magnus rumbled.

"She disrespects you, and I'm trying to defend you, and you snap at me?" Clementine's eyes went wide with hurt.

"Whatever she does, it's my choice to accept. That's none of your business."

Clementine was speechless, her face paling.

Morgan found a quiet satisfaction in Clementine's distress, figuring emotional manipulation came easy to someone like her. But Magnus and Zechariah Kennedy weren't ordinary men—too wise to be snared that easily.

Magnus called for Willa, who showed up over an hour later, anxiety written all over her. Though nobody'd briefed her, she quickly figured out the situation.

"Uncle Magnus, Aunt Morgan..." Willa immediately dropped into a submissive posture, kneeling an apology. "I think I messed up. Please punish me!"

"Explain," Morgan said calmly, slipping into an elder's tone.

"The skincare products I gave Aunt Morgan might've been faulty."

"Might've been?" Magnus asked, brow furrowing.

"I'm not positive, but it was new and should've been fine. Yet with all her hospital visits and the mask... It implies some kind of damage. If I caused it, please forgive me," Willa pleaded, tears welling up.

"Uncertain? 'Might've been'?" Morgan's patience was wearing thin.

"Oh! I remember now!" Willa exclaimed, like she'd just had a revelation. "I bought the products and planned to deliver them right away, but Lucca asked me to visit. I ended up chatting with his wife and left the items there. She asked who they were for, and I said Aunt Morgan. Days later, she gave them back, and I handed them over without checking. Could someone have tampered with them?"

Willa's tale grew more elaborate. "Yes, his wife envied Aunt Morgan, claiming Morgan took her rightful place. She'd go on and on about how she should've married you, Uncle Magnus," Willa added, fueling the flames.

"What do you make of this, Magnus?" Morgan asked, trying to navigate Willa's story.

Magnus didn't reply right away, his expression unreadable. "We'll uncover the truth, layer by layer. Someone's bound to slip up eventually. If there's blame to place, I'll find it."

His gaze swept over Clementine and Willa, both quickly averting guilty eyes.

Morgan realized that even if they weren't directly responsible, neither one meant her any good. Their shared goal was crystal clear.

Without thinking, her eyes drifted to Magnus. This man could protect her—or bring her endless chaos.

Could she really belong in this world, where every move felt like some strategic game?

The memory of her simple life before, back in her modest apartment, already felt like a distant dream.

As she pondered, Magnus caught her eye and held her gaze. Being seen so completely was unsettling, and she had to break eye contact.

Magnus sensed Morgan's urge to bolt. He closed the distance, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her back against him.

"Don't even think about running away!"