While He Waited in Aspen, I Married His Rival Chapter 17

While He Waited in Aspen, I Married His Rival Chapter 17

The whispers and commotion outside the door seemed to come from behind a wall of glass. In Liam’s world, there was only the sound of his own ragged breathing and the paper scraps littering the floor.

Then his assistant rushed in, face bloodless, and held a phone in front of him. The glass wall shattered.

“Liam… you’d better see this.”

On the screen was the headline of the Montana Business Review, in the boldest type possible:

“Blackstone Valley and Red Rock Ranch Announce Merger! Heirs Ava Monroe and Ethan Cole Establish the West’s Largest Private Water Rights Trust Through Marriage!”

Below the headline were two photos.

One showed me and Ethan exchanging rings under the century-old oak. I was in a wedding dress, my smile bright and stunning.

The other was a close-up of us signing legal documents. On the brand-new marriage certificate, the date was seared into Liam’s eyes like a brand.

Ava Monroe and Ethan Cole.

Marriage alliance.

Water rights trust.

Liam’s legs gave out, and he collapsed backward.

Sometimes, you wake from a nightmare in a single, jarring instant.

Two days after the wedding, I woke up with that thought in my head.

This was the room I’d slept in since I was a child, smelling of cedar and sunlight. I used to think the bed was huge, with enough space to roll around until Grandma came in with breakfast.

But for the past two nights, Ethan had held me tightly, filling every inch of space with his warmth. I was just now realizing how small this bed really was.

I had grown up.

I was married. I had a husband.

The only thing that hadn’t changed was Blackstone Valley Ranch.

This would always be where my soul belonged.