The Love Defense

The room was dead silent, every pair of eyes locked on Cora and Jace as they stood in the center of Victor Hart's grand dining room. Cora's lips were still tingling from the kiss, her heart racing as she tried to process what had just happened. But there was no time to think—she had to act.

"Jace and I are madly in love," Cora declared, her voice steady despite the chaos swirling inside her. She stepped forward, her chin lifted defiantly. "This whole 'secret second wedding' nonsense is just that—nonsense. Frank here has clearly been watching too many bad detective shows."

The room erupted in murmurs, but Cora's confidence seemed to silence most of the doubters. Frank Mulligan, however, wasn't ready to back down.

"But the receipt!" Frank protested, holding up the crumpled piece of paper like it was a smoking gun. "I found it in his trash! It's proof!"

Cora rolled her eyes, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, please. That receipt is from our wedding. You know, the one where we got married in Vegas? Ring any bells?"

Frank blinked, his confidence wavering. "But… but the ex-girlfriend said he's emotionally unavailable!"

"And yet here we are," Cora said, gesturing to herself and Jace. "Madly in love. So, unless you have actual evidence, I suggest you leave before I call security."

Frank opened his mouth to argue, but before he could say anything, Daniel and Michael stepped forward.

"You heard her," Daniel said, grabbing Frank by the arm. "Time to go."

Michael added, "And don't come back unless you want to deal with us."

Frank looked around the room, his expression a mix of confusion and defeat. "But… but I was so close!"

"Not close enough," Daniel said, dragging him toward the door.

As Frank was unceremoniously escorted out of the party, muttering about how he'd "get to the bottom of this," Cora let out a long breath. Crisis averted—for now.

With Frank gone, the party slowly returned to normal, though the tension in the room was still palpable. Cora could feel the weight of everyone's stares, their curiosity and skepticism hanging in the air like a thick fog.

Jace stepped closer to her, his voice low. "Nice save."

"Thanks," Cora muttered, her tone dry. "But we're not out of the woods yet."

As if on cue, Victor Hart clapped Jace on the back, his grin wide and slightly tipsy. "Well, that was… dramatic. But I have to say, I'm impressed. You two really sold it."

Cora forced a smile, though her stomach was in knots. "Thanks, Victor. We try."

Victor laughed, his tone jovial. "Well, whatever you're doing, keep it up. You're the talk of the party!"

As Victor wandered off to refill his drink, Cora turned to Jace, her expression grim. "We need to talk."

Jace nodded, his tone equally serious. "Later. Right now, we need to keep up the act."

Cora sighed and nodded, though her mind was racing.

The rest of the evening was a blur of awkward small talk, forced smiles, and plenty of champagne. Cora and Jace were pulled in every direction, fielding questions from curious guests and dodging pointed comments from their families.

At one point, Cora's mother, Margaret, cornered her near the buffet table.

"Cora," Margaret said, her tone sharp. "What was that all about?"

"What was what?" Cora asked, her tone innocent.

"That… display," Margaret said, gesturing vaguely toward the center of the room. "You and Jace. The kiss. The detective. What's really going on here?"

Cora forced a laugh, though it sounded more like a cough. "Nothing's going on, Mom. Jace and I are just… really in love."

Margaret raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Cora, I'm your mother. I know when you're lying."

Cora sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Mom, please. Not now."

Margaret studied her for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. But we're not done talking about this."

As Margaret walked away, Cora felt a flicker of guilt, but she quickly pushed it aside. She didn't have time for guilt—she had a charade to maintain.