What they'd do once they settled in for the night, I didn't need to guess.
We made small talk for a few minutes, then headed to our rooms.
I'd barely lain down when Jude knocked on my door.
“Hey, cuz, do you……do you have any, you know?”
“I forgot to bring some, and you know tonight's my wedding night. Can't leave your cousin hanging.”
I froze. Behind him stood Beatrice, white as a sheet.
“Jude, I'm a single guy. Why would I have any of that?”
“Oh! Right, I forgot. Well, if you don't, then we'll get out of your hair.”
“Per Mom's plan, we're getting started on the baby-making.”
Beatrice managed a strained smile and nodded. Jude scooped her up in his arms.
“Come on, wifey! Time to make some babies!”
That night, they were right next door, and every sound cut straight through the wall into my ears.
The next morning, after breakfast, Jude got an important call.
He looked at me with a mix of contempt and smug pride：“Cuz, some friends of mine from Northcrest are coming into town. Let me show you what the world of real money looks like.”
“You've spent your whole life stuck in a hotel pushing papers. You've never had a chance to rub shoulders with the elite. Tonight, I'm taking you to a gala.”
The hours slipped by fast. By the time the sky went dark, Jude had all but dragged me to a high-society cocktail party.
The moment we arrived, his friends took one look at me and snickered.
“So this is the cousin! Better watch yourself in here, buddy.”
“Everyone at this party could eat you alive.”
Zachary Harding was there too, pinning me with a stare that was equal parts warning and mockery. Then someone walked in, and a ripple of excitement swept through the room：“Mr. Stephens is here.”
A man appeared at the entrance, sharp and commanding, carrying himself with the effortless authority of someone who owned every room he walked into. Jude practically tripped over himself rushing to greet him.
“Mr. Stephens! Welcome!”
“This is my wife, Beatrice Harding.”
The instant Beatrice saw Byron Stephens, her pupils contracted and the color drained from her face.
“Aren't you Rhys's girlfriend? I just saw you with him a few days ago. When did you become Jude's wife?”
Byron looked across the room at me：“Rhys, how'd your girlfriend end up somebody else's wife?”
