Her Two Fake Husbands

Chapter 5: The Offer

Dark red wine spewed across the table as Nyrissa choked and gagged uncontrollably. The tart liquid found its way up her nose as she desperately tried to clear her burning lungs and get an ounce of much needed oxygen. Alarmed, Ryan jumped up and began pounding on her back as Quentin grabbed her arms and tried to tug them over her head.

“S-stop," she choked out, pulling her arms away.

Nyrissa grabbed her napkin and held it up to her face as she continued coughing. Slowly, it became easier to breathe, and she took a long slow sip of her water.

“What?" she asked in a raspy voice.

“Forgive him. What Quentin lacks in subtly, he makes up in charm," Ryan commented, rolling his eyes.

“So, that was a joke?" she asked, relaxing slightly.

“Unfortunately…" Ryan began with a deep sigh. “No. But there's more to it than just marriage."

“Exactly how much more? Because that's just insane in its own right," Nyrissa pointed out.

“Alright, here's the deal. When I was twenty-three, I made a deal with my father to give us the capital to keep us up and running until we could stand up on our own two feet. It was with the understanding that we would pay him back every penny with interest. Or so we thought. However, about six months ago, my father came to me with the contract and pointed out that there was a time limit. We must completely pay off every penny, including the interest, before the ten-year mark," he explained.

“How close are you to paying it off?" She asked anxiously.

“We need about another five years. But we are close. Without the explosion of revenue that we've had in the last few years, we wouldn't have even been that close. However, our ten-year mark is next September. If we don't pay it off by then, the company automatically reverts to my father, and we are back to square one."

“Can't you negotiate an extension?" Nyrissa inquired.

“I have tried. But without my father's cooperation, there is negotiating an extension," Ryan admitted, his face clouded with anger. “He's just a stubborn bastard that has to have things his way no matter whose life he is screwing up to do it."

“Yes, Arthur's a bastard that needs his flabby ass kick. Now... get to the part where she can actually help with," Quentin pressured.

“Right… right. Anyway... Arthur left one clause in the contract that would benefit him and him alone. I must provide him with a male heir to have a legitimate claim to the family fortune," Ryan added as he used air quotes for 'family fortune'.

His disdain for the situation was unmistakable.

“Why on earth does that matter? If he 'requires' a male heir, he has you. What does it matter if you have one right now or not?" Nyrissa asked, morbidly fascinated by the events unfolding.

It sincerely sounded like a soap opera being written right in front of her. Any moment she expected someone to jump out from behind the pantry, yelling that they were Ryan's long-lost illegitimate twin. That kind of unrealistic, impossible, ridiculous event was right up the same alley.

“It is a stupid tradition that goes back for so many generations that I don't know if anyone really knows when it first started. Some say one of my ancestors had twin sons, and to pick a boy to give his fortune to, he made an agreement that he would give it to the first child that could produce an heir. And it's just been a requirement ever since."

“Yess. Because back then, there was nothing more important than spreading your seed," Quentin grumbled. He had said it so quietly that Nyrissa was sure he hadn't actually meant to be heard.

She nodded in agreement with him anyway and turned back to Ryan. “I don't suppose you can just refuse to take the inheritance."

“Oh, trust me, I tried that. But that still would leave my company at my father's mercy, and what he would do with it was worse. I can't do that to our people. We care about everyone there. The idea that they wouldn't be able to rely on us is not very pleasant," Ryan told her as he refilled their glasses that had suddenly gone empty.

“Alright, so you can't refuse, and you can't ignore, so you must comply. But that just leaves one answer. Why do you need to marry me?" She questioned them, feeling odd about how easily and calmly she managed to ask the question.

“Because marriage is the only way to make a legitimate heir," Ryan replied and looked at Quentin for a moment before finishing his answer. “We want you because you are an intelligent, strong, beautiful woman with a good head on her shoulders who will go far in this industry. As well as caring, compassionate, and genuinely kind to everyone. Perfect qualities in anyone, especially for a spouse and mother of your child."

Nyrissa felt her cheeks flush at their compliments and had to bite her lip before she brushed off their remarks. After all, there was something he had said that bothered her.

“Wait… did you say WE want you?" She asked.

“Yes, as we said, you would marry US," Ryan repeated slowly.

“How on earth is that possible? Isn't that illegal?" She pointed out.

“Ryan is part of the oldest, richest family on the east coast... no one would question him. Yes, it would not be technically legal. However, to everyone else, including his family... it would be real. Plus, it would help us out," Quentin supplied as he drank his wine.

He was really chilling in the chair and letting Ryan take control of the conversation.

“How on earth would having an illegal marriage help you guys out?"

“Well, there's a rumor that's going around that we are gay," Ryan stated.

Nyrissa's eyes grew wide. “Wait... you're not?"

Quentin gave her a wink. “We are lovers, yes. But we have known to add a woman into our life on occasion."

“I'm sorry. I think I'm a bit confused." She admitted.

“We want you in our lives to give us the appearance of being straight. It is more acceptable to share a woman than to admit to the world that you love another man," Ryan explained blatantly.

Her heart twisted in pain for them stuck in this whole awful situation. No one should put a limitation on love! It just wasn't right!

“Bottom line, Nyrissa. We need a woman that will not bulk at marrying two men. A woman who will pretend to be over the moon in love with us to our peers as well as keep our secret. However, she would have to be willing to give us an heir. In exchange, we will let you live your life without hindering it. This house is so huge that there is a whole wing you can keep to yourself. We know that you are lesbian and wouldn't want you to think that you have to live a lie in your own home. So, we are willing to let you bring your partners here under the requirement that they won't go around blabbing about our arrangement," Ryan spelled out.

She nodded to his words, hearing the logic in his ideas until he got to the last part. “Wait, what?"

“Well, it would all be for nothing if you brought a partner home, and she runs around telling everyone everything," Ryan pointed out.

She paused and let all his words wash over her. They thought she was gay. She giggled a bit and almost opened her mouth to correct them. But Ryan wasn't done yet.

“As well as giving you your own wing. We will, of course, set up an account in your name and give you a generous allowance. But we aren't sure if that will even be necessary. As soon as the papers are signed, we will be making you a partner in the company as well," Ryan finished.

“What?" Nyrissa breathed out.

“We felt it was a good idea to have our wife working with us. Not under us," he said.

She nodded and then downed the rest of her drink. Ryan was making it really hard for her to turn this down. She would be able to move out of her crappy apartment and have a real chance at getting her sister away from those damn people. She would also be getting the men she had fantasized about since she had started working for them… even if it was just to 'provide an heir'.