Chapter 17
Candace was mortified, quickly covering her exposed thigh with her hand. “You bastard! Get out of my house!”
“In your dreams!” Shawn pinned her down, kissing her lips.
“You’re my woman! I won’t let you look at other men, let alone bring them home!”
She fought desperately to escape his advances, but the commotion was so loud that it woke the baby in the crib. The little one began kicking his legs and wailing.
“Jamie!”
Candace’s expression changed drastically as she drew up her knees and kicked Shawn hard. The moment he loosened his grip in pain, she scooped Jamie from the crib and fled the room.
“Zayne, help me!”
Zayne emerged from the guest bedroom downstairs, shielding her behind him as he glared furiously at the pursuing Shawn. “When will you stop? Now you’re even breaking into our home at night to harass my woman?
“Get out now, or I’m calling your mother to come collect you herself!”
Shawn clenched his fists and left in defeat. He stopped at the doorway and turned back to Candace. “Candy, I’ll never let you be with him! Not unless I’m
dead!”
Qnce Shawn was gone, Candance rocked Jamie back to sleep and spoke quietly. “Zayne, Shawn’s never going to give up. Maybe we should announce our engagement? With everyone watching, maybe he’d think twice before pulling stunts like this.”
“Alright. I’m happy to be your cover, however long it takes.” Zayne looked at her with eyes full of concern.
“Your body has finally recovered. I don’t want him wearing you down so much that you can’t sleep.”
The next day, Candace woke up to find herself and Shawn trending on social media. He had grandly donated three buildings to their old school in her name and announced that he was going to transform her late mother’s house into a lily garden estate.
Shawn was practically glowing as he faced the reporters‘ cameras. “My wife and son aren’t dead! They’re alive!
“I’m going to do whatever it takes to save my marriage. I need everyone’s support and encouragement. My goal is to win her back in 100 days so we can be together for the holidays!”
She let out a bitter laugh and set her phone aside. What made him so sure she’d have a change of heart? She’d never look back once she was done with something, and she certainly would never take it back!
“Candace, breakfast is ready.” Zayne placed the scrambled eggs on the table, looking hesitant.
“Shawn just made your photos public, and netizens are speculating that you’re the deceased Candace. How do you plan to handle this?”
“Candace is already dead. I’m Aurelia.”
Candace walked over and took his hand for a photo, then logged into her social media account to post, “Mr. Hamilton has mistaken me for someone else. I’m not his wife, Candace.
“My name is Aurelia Sinclair, and this is my fiance, Zayn Pearson.”
Instantly, Zayne reposted her picture with a caption of his own. “Please show some respect, Mr. Hamilton. Stop harassing my fiancee, Aurelia.”
Shawn quickly fired back, sharing Zayne’s post with a comment that read, “Ha! If Aurelia isn’t my wife, then why is her son a carbon copy of me?”
Shawn immediately followed up with another post of a document. “Look here, Mr. Pearson. Here’s the paternity test proving Jamie is my son. What do you have to say now?”
Candace stared at her phone in shock and rage. “Zayne, when the hell did he get Jamie’s DNA for a test?”
Zayne stood up and rummaged through the crib, his tone grim. “That conniving son of a bitch grabbed the baby’s hat during all the commotion last night. Your cover’s blown now.”
“So what if he knows who I amn? It doesn’t change anything!”
Candace typed furiously on her phone. “Shawn, I’m marrying Zayne whether you like it or not. Enjoy dying alone!”
