The Wrong Fiancée: A Billionaire Second Chance Romance (Marriage by Contract Book 3)
The Wrong Fiancée: Chapter 23

I was jealous of my father.

He and Elika had spent the day in Hanapēpē playing tourists and were now best friends. Dad had convinced Elika to stay at the beach house for the week she had off—which I don’t think I could have swung.

As we drove to Ka Pono—my father had insisted on joining Elika as I had—they both chatted away while I sat in the back seat, feeling very much like the third wheel.

Elika hadn’t talked to me, saying she wasn’t interested at one point and wasn’t ready at another. I didn’t want to push her. For now, she was under the same roof, and I’d take that as a win—even if it meant needing Dad’s help to make it happen.

‘Hello, Noelani, I’m Tate Archer.’ Dad extended his hand to Noe, who shook it with ill grace.

‘What? You don’t like coming here alone anymore? Now you need to bring company?’ Noe demanded.

‘Actually, I insisted,’ Dad replied before Elika could say a word. He had noticed, just as I had, how Elika seemed to brace herself as we walked from the parking lot to the rehab center, like she was preparing to step into a combat zone. And now, seeing Noe, he understood why.

‘Why?’ Noe asked.

‘Because Elika is important to my family, and you’re her family,’ Dad said easily, looking around Noe’s room. ‘This is a nice place.’

‘Is it?’ Noe’s whine grated on my nerves.

‘Noe—’ Elika began, but my father cut her off.

‘It’s a damn nice place,’ Dad continued, ‘one of my friends was a paraplegic, lost his legs in Afghanistan. His rehab center at the VA was not quite this fancy.’

Noe snorted but didn’t say anything.

She must have been a good-looking woman at one time, but now bitterness had twisted her face. Her anger had transformed her.

‘How about we go to the beach again?’ Elika suggested.

‘Because you have these big, strong men to help you?’

Everything Noe said had a tinge of cruelty. It must be exhausting for Elika. It was for me.

‘Yes.’ I crouched in front of Noe in her wheelchair. ‘Now, I understand you are pissed off that you can’t walk, but that isn’t Elika’s fault or ours or yours. We’re here to support Elika. It’s your choice whether you let us do that or not. We’re happy to leave…and take her with us.’

Noe pulled back, her face creasing with anger. ‘How dare you?’ she hissed.

‘Dean,’ Elika warned.

I held my hand up. ‘Nope. I got this. I know you won’t say it, baby, but I have no such problem.’

‘Get out,’ Noe screamed.

‘Fine.’ I got up and put an arm around a resistant Elika. ‘And I’m taking her with me.’

‘She’s my sister,’ Noe bellowed.

‘Then treat her with some respect,’ I shot back. ‘You think you have some right to keep pounding at her when she’s working two fucking jobs so you can stay here and get the treatment you need while she lives in a one-bedroom bare-to-the-bone shack.‘

‘So what? She’s my sister.’

Elika’s shoulders slumped. ‘Dean, stop.’

‘No,’ I said firmly.

‘So, you brought these friends of yours along to bully me?’ Noe turned on her sister again.

‘No,’ Dad spoke softly but there was steel in his voice. ‘We came here to make your visit with your sister a pleasant one. But I can see that’s not going to happen.’

Noe looked at Elika. ‘Are you going to let them talk to me like that?’

I waited for Elika to ask us to get out so she could be with Noe. But she surprised me. ‘Are they saying anything that isn’t true, Noe? I come here every week, and you basically abuse me. You yell at me. You call me names. You wish that I’d been in the accident instead of you. You wish I’d died with Daddy. You say hateful things.’

Noe’s eyes filled with tears. ‘You’re such a selfish bitch, Elika. You’ve always been. You left Daddy—I took care of him.’

‘No, you didn’t.’ Elika straightened and stepped away from me. ‘He was an alcoholic, and you refused to acknowledge that and get him help.’

‘He wasn’t. He just⁠—’

‘He drank and drove, which is why you’re here.’ Elika kept her voice soft and low, but I was very pleased to hear the determination in her tone. ‘I’ll keep paying for your stay and treatment, but I think I’m going to stop coming here.’

‘Fine. Go. Everyone leaves me anyway.’ Noe turned her face away.

I felt sorry for Noe. I really did, but she had no business taking her frustrations out on the one person in her life who was standing up for her.

‘I’m not leaving you. You’re driving me away.’ Elika walked past Dad and me to the door of Noe’s room. ‘If you change your mind about how you want these visits to go, call me, and I’ll come back. Otherwise…take care of yourself.‘

She stepped out of the room, and I was so proud of her. This wasn’t easy for Elika. She loved her sister and felt responsible for her. This was going against her grain.

‘This is your fault,’ Noe turned on me. ‘You made her do this.’

I shook my head. ‘Think about what your sister just told you, and if you decide to treat her nicely, I’ll bring her back. But if you talk to her again the way you normally do, I will convince her not to see you again. She’s exhausted every time she sees you. You make sure that her visits are all about obligation and not about love and support.’

I walked out of the room and heard Dad talk to Noe. I didn’t wait to hear what he said. I followed Elika out. She was leaning against Dad’s Range Rover, her eyes closed.

She was a vision in khaki shorts and a sleeveless top. Simple—no designer labels in sight—and yet she looked effortlessly beautiful. I couldn’t help but smile at myself, amused by how in love I was that I was waxing poetically about her clothes.

‘Hey.’ I cupped her cheek.

She opened her eyes. They were moist. ‘That was awful. I was awful.’

‘No, you weren’t, and it had to be done. You know that, right?’

She turned her face into my hand, and I held my breath. Was she giving me a chance? Or just leaning in during a difficult time? I didn’t give a shit. I took advantage of her weakness and pulled her into my arms.

For the first time in four years, she was this close to me, and I sank into her, letting her perfume and touch permeate me.

I watched Dad walk up to us, his eyes shielded by shades. He tipped his Fedora at me, making me smile.

Elika raised her head from my chest and smiled. ‘Thank you. We should go back.’

‘How about we go do something else?’ I suggested.

‘Like what?‘

I smiled widely. I’d done my research on things to do on the island since my father had won the fair maiden with Hanapēpē. Well, round two was mine!

‘I love to snorkel,’ Elika exclaimed. ‘Do you know how long it’s been since I did this?’

I could only imagine.

We’d driven to Poʻipū Beach, where the sand was golden and soft, leading into the clearest water I’d ever seen. It was postcard perfect: pure, unfiltered beauty.

Dad had wandered off. He’d commented about not wanting to deal with tight wetsuits and told us kids to have a good time. That was fine by me. I was looking forward to some time alone with Elika.

I glanced over at Elika, watching her pull her hair back and tie it into a loose knot, prepping for the snorkeling gear. She seemed lighter today—like the tension she carried had loosened up a bit since this morning at Ka Pono. I wasn’t sure if it was the beach, the sun, or the fact that we were here and not dealing with any drama, but she was smiling, and I liked that. Hell, I liked seeing her like this, free from the burdens that usually weighed her down.

I handed her one of the snorkels and pulled mine on, adjusting the mask over my face. I snorkeled and went scuba diving every chance I got, and I looked forward to experiencing the waters with Elika.

‘You good?’ I asked, tugging at the straps of my mask.

She gave me a small smile, adjusting her mask. ‘Better than good. Thank you for this, Dean.’

‘It’s entirely my pleasure.’ And it was. I loved seeing her happy—it made my heart full. Duncan had once told me that he didn’t understand what love meant, but he assumed it was how when Elsa, his wife, smiled because of something he did, he felt like he’d won an award. I could now relate.

We waded into the water, the coolness of it hitting my legs first, then rising to my waist. It was that perfect kind of temperature—cool enough to refresh but not so cold that it shocked you. I dipped under for a second to get used to the mask, the water rushing over me like silk. When I came back up, Elika was already a few feet ahead of me, floating on the surface like she belonged there. She was born and raised on the islands—water was as much a part of her as the air she breathed, a constant presence that shaped her life and spirit.

I followed her lead, kicking off the sand and floating into the blue.

The second I put my head under, it was like entering a different world. The water was clear, so clear you could see every detail beneath the surface—schools of fish darting in and out of the coral, bright flashes of yellow and blue weaving through the shadows. The reef was alive with color, from deep purples and reds to the vibrant greens of the seaweed swaying with the current. Everything moved in rhythm with the ocean, like the entire world had slowed down just for us.

I caught up to Elika, and we swam side by side, drifting along with the gentle push of the water. A sea turtle—huge, ancient-looking—glided below us, its fins moving slowly and purposefully like it had all the time in the world. I nudged Elika, pointing down, and she looked, her eyes wide behind her mask. She gave me a thumbs-up.

We kept going, exploring the reef, taking it all in. Parrotfish nibbled at the coral, their bright colors flashing in the sunlight filtering down through the water. Small triggerfish darted around us, curious but cautious. The coral formations were like underwater cities, built up over time, their intricate structures teeming with life. It was quiet down here, just the sound of my breathing through the snorkel and the occasional bubble escaping to the surface.

Now and then, I’d look over at Elika, watching how effortlessly she moved in the water. There was something peaceful about her here, something grounded. This wasn’t the Elika I knew from the resort or the one burdened by her family’s expectations. This was someone else—lighter, more at ease, like she belonged in a place like this. I had given her that, and Duncan was right—I did feel like I’d won an award.

I didn’t know if Elika and I would have a relationship that could thrive—we didn’t know each other well. Still, I was intensely attracted to her, not just physically but emotionally as well. I wanted us to have a chance to explore what we could be. We were in love with each other, but as my mother always said, loving someone and living and growing with that someone are two different things.

Could Elika and I grow together? Could we get past all the drama, some I created, some Felicity did?

We swam further out, stopping when we came across a deeper part of the reef, where the water turned a darker blue. Below us, the coral dropped off, revealing an underwater canyon. The depth was dizzying, but the sight of it was breathtaking. Schools of butterflyfish circled in the deeper waters, their yellow bodies flickering like candles against the dark backdrop. It felt like we were floating on the edge of something vast and ancient, something that stretched far beyond us.

After what felt like hours, but in reality it was probably forty five or so minutes, I surfaced, pulling off my mask and taking in the view of the shoreline. The beach was still quiet, with a few tourists lounging on towels and kids splashing in the shallow water. But out here, we had it all to ourselves.

Elika surfaced next to me, her mask pushed up on her head, her hair wet and slicked back. She grinned at me, water dripping down her face. ‘That was amazing.’

‘Yeah.’ I wiped the water off my face. ‘Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.’

We floated for a moment, letting the gentle current push us back toward shore.

I watched Elika, focused on her, forgetting everything else. The resort, the drama, Felicity—all of it was miles away, physically and emotionally. Out here, it was just us. Just this.

I reached over, grabbed her hand under the water, and gave it a light squeeze. She looked at me, surprised at first, but then her smile softened. She squeezed back.

‘Thank you for bringing me here,’ she whispered.

‘You don’t have to thank me, baby. I did this for us.’

‘And thank you for…pushing me to defend myself with Noe.’

I hadn’t been sure how she’d react to that, if she’d think I overstepped. I was glad she didn’t.

‘I didn’t know how to do that for myself—and I was getting very tired of being treated like the enemy.’ She closed her eyes again. ‘Do you think she’ll come around? Or did I lose my sister today?’

I stood up, the water coming up to my waist. I gently pulled her up and held her. ‘You didn’t lose a sister today—she did. You’ve not had her, not for a long while, if ever.’

She put her hand on my chest and gently stroked. ‘What are we doing, Dean?’

‘We’re getting to know one another.’

‘To what end?’

I couldn’t resist it any longer. She looked clean and fresh. She smelled like the sea and Ylang-ylang. I brushed my lips against hers softly, gently. She moaned. I didn’t deepen the kiss. I just wanted to taste her, feel her.

‘Does there have to be an end?’ I asked, raising my head, loving the flushed look on her face, her eyes lit with arousal.

She licked her lips. ‘You were engaged to my cousin a second ago.’

‘I fell in love with you in Honolulu. You’ve never left my mind. If I never saw you again…fuck, that would’ve been awful. I would’ve missed…,’ I trailed off, unable to finish. The thought of never seeing her again, never holding her like this, made something inside me shut down completely.

She swallowed. ‘I…when I knew you were engaged to Felicity…a part of me was hurt, but another was thrilled that I’d see you again.’

I pushed some wet hair off her face. ‘I was a snob.‘

‘You probably still are,’ she teased.

I shook my head, serious. ‘Elika, I want to be better. I want to be…deserving of you. I kept thinking you’d be the wrong woman for me, and then ended up with the truly wrong one.’

‘What do you love about me, Dean?’ she challenged as she pulled away and walked to shore.

I caught up with her, and I loved how she looked in a one-piece swimsuit. Her body was toned—the work she did was physical—but she wasn’t curvy anymore. She’d lost weight. I knew why and I wanted very much to help her, make her life easier. Regardless, I wanted to run my hands all over her.

‘I love how passionate you are about the people and the things you love,’ I began, ‘I love how you stay positive despite all that has been thrown at you. I love how loyal you are. I love how kind you are. I love how sexy you are. I love how you talk about art, how you handle difficult situations, and how you keep on growing and evolving. I loved you then, but that was mixed with lust. What I feel for you now…even though it’s been a few weeks, it’s bigger, more, because I know you. Not all of you, ‘cause that will take years. I hope you’ll give us that chance.’ I put an arm around her, wanting to touch her. She didn’t pull away, leaning into me.

‘Will you?’ I coaxed gently.

We walked in the sand, snorkeling gear in hand, as I waited for her to answer me.

‘What if you find out that I’m as dumb as you thought I was? Not intellectually at⁠—’

‘Please forgive me for that,’ I cut her off. ‘That was a young, arrogant man who had his head up his ass. I’m not that man. I have grown up and become better and less judgmental. Give me a chance to show you. Give me a chance to find out how you’ve grown and changed as well.’

We came to a fallen log. She dumped her snorkeling gear next to it and sat on the smooth wood. I joined her.

She nestled next to me and put her head on my shoulder as we watched the best view in the world, the sun slowly making its way into the Pacific Ocean.

‘What if we don’t like what we find out about each other?’

‘I don’t think that’ll happen. Do you really think there’s a chance of that?’

She shook her head. ‘I liked you even when you were an idiot.’

I wrapped my body around hers, wanting her close. We were half naked, and my arousal was unmistakable. I ignored it. She put a hand on my thigh, and my breath caught.

‘You’re playing with fire, baby.’

‘It looks more like an erection.’

I laughed. I’d forgotten about her playfulness—maybe she’d forgotten as well with the pressures she’d been carrying for the past years.

She gave me a light stroke, and when I groaned, she pulled her hand away. ‘I find you attractive,’ she admitted. ‘Very attractive.’

‘Good.’

‘I…we had good sex.’

‘The best.’

‘Will…ah…giving us a chance mean…you know?’

I kissed her wet hair. ‘Let’s not cloud our minds with lust.’ I all but smacked myself for that. I wanted her. I wanted inside her. But I was playing the long game. I didn’t want to make love with her today or even tomorrow; I wanted it for the rest of our lives.

‘What?’ She raised her head to look at me.

‘Hey, I don’t like it any more than you do. But I want us to get to know one another better. We already know we like to fuck and that we do it well.’

‘I hate it when you make sense,’ she grumbled and put her head back on my shoulder. ‘Damn, but I wanted to get laid.’

I chuckled. ‘When it’s time, baby, I’ll take very good care of you.’

I stroked her arm, and we sat quietly for a while, watching the sunset.

‘What do you want to do tomorrow?’ I asked when we made our way back to Dad, who was waiting for us at the snorkeling rental shop.

She smiled cheekily. ‘Why don’t you let me plan tomorrow?’

‘I’d like that. Very much.’

We walked back hand in hand, and it felt fucking awesome.