Tiana's POV
I took a step back as his words hit me. "What?" I frowned at him. "That is nonsense, I can't betray Maddie like that. What are you even saying?"
"Let me explain myself to you, then you can decide if you want to help me or not."
As if what I had heard wasn't crazy enough, I found myself following him to the coffee shop in the hospital. I ordered an ice tea while Seth just had a glass of water. I was curiously waiting for him to spew the rest of his nonsense so I could tell him how crazy he was.
I never thought my boss would suggest something like that to me. This confirms my suspicion that he and Madison weren't truly in love. Why would you even want to get married to someone you didn't love?
"Before I say anything, you should know that your sister knows about this and she agreed to it."
I didn't say a word, I took a sip from my drink and waited for him to continue.
Seth cleared his throat before saying, "In my inheritance trust clause, it is stated that I have to be married before my thirtieth birthday, which is in two weeks or I would lose everything, including the company I've worked so hard on."
I honestly didn't see how that had got anything to do with me or my sister getting married to him, but I let him continue regardless.
"When Maddison and I met at a bar some weeks ago, we hit it off and she talked about how she wanted to get married to a rich man one day and how she would do anything to get one. I saw her determination and proposed the idea to her since I was looking for a wife. She agreed, so I took her home to my parents and we set a wedding date."
I almost couldn't believe that Maddison would just jump at the idea of marrying a man she didn't know just because he was rich. But Seth was right, Maddison loved money and had always wanted a rich man. My sister and I were identical in physical appearance but that was where it ended.
Maddie was feisty, confident and a woman who got everything right. I was the opposite, I was clumsy and had a knack for choosing men who were in the business of breaking hearts. Maddie had always been the star of the show while I was her shadow.
I had never been jealous of Madison. How could I be? Her life was like a tightrope walk that I would surely fall off of if I tried. I was content to stay safely on the ground, out of the spotlight where I wouldn't be noticed.
"No, I can't do it. I can't marry you." I shook my head before he could finish.
"I'm not asking you to marry me, Tiana. You don't have to if you don't want to. I honestly don't want to get married either, but I can't afford to lose my inheritance. You don't have to take Madison's place forever, I just need you to be with me for two weeks."
"Two weeks?"
"The honeymoon." Seth said in a tight voice as he loosened the first button of his shirt, "My father booked a two-week trip to Maui as a wedding present. If I don't go, or if I go alone, then he would know that I didn't get married, he will freeze my assets and pull the inheritance. He also threatened to sell my company, and I can't let that happen. My employees' future is tied to me appearing as a happily married man for those two weeks."
His last words made me gasp. I was one of his employees and if he didn't pull this through, I was going to start a job hunt again. Berkley Empire was the only company that paid a large amount of money to the employees, I couldn't imagine being fired and hunting for a job that didn't even pay as much as I earned before. That would be disastrous.
"You only need me for two weeks, right?"
"Yes, just two weeks."
"But I don't know how to be Maddie, she's..."
"You don't have to be like her, looking like her is more than enough." He dug his hand into the pocket of his blazer and brought out a jewelry box, he opened it and passed the ring to me, "just wear this and I will take care of the Priest and the rest of the things already prepared for the wedding. All you need to do is to be ready by tomorrow evening, I will send my driver to come pick you up."
Christ! I couldn't believe this was going to make me change my mind. I was going to do the one thing I hated the most, lying. I was going to lie to Seth's parents and everyone we met at that honeymoon.
This wasn't how I pictured the next few days going. I thought I would be drowning myself in popcorn and laughter while listening to Maddie's gist about her married life.
