Melody Anne's Billionaire Universe: Devoured (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Marian Tee Page B

robe wrapped around it.
    Scared out of her wits, Maggie thought, like she should be.
    “Are you going to tell me I’m making a big mistake?” Vivian asked fearfully.
    Maggie smirked. “I would…if I didn’t know that’s exactly what you want to hear from me.”
    “I hate you,” Vivian mumbled. “I really, really, really hate you.” Maggie clearly knew her too well , she thought. She should have asked for a private talk with the judge first. A third party would no doubt tell her that---
    Maggie gave Vivian a quick shake when she saw her friend’s eyes beginning to glaze. “Keep it together, Viv,” she growled. When Vivian blinked at her, she told her friend firmly, “This is something only you can decide, okay?”
    Vivian nodded.
    “So we’re going to talk about it, and maybe it will help clear your mind.”
    Vivian nodded again.
    “First – have you asked him?”
    “Ask him if there’s a catch in marrying me?” Her friend’s gaze skittered away.
    Maggie gave Vivian a harder shake this time. “You didn’t ask him, did you?”
    “Umm…”
    “Vivian!”
    “I didn’t want to,” Vivian cried out, “because I already know the answer to it.”
    Maggie froze.
    Finally looking at her friend, Vivian said haltingly, “If there’s one thing I was able to understand about him all those times we were talking, then it’s the fact that he’s a control freak. And honestly? I don’t mind that, at all. You know how my dad was like. He was the opposite. He was way out of control, and people always had to rein him in and when you grow up with someone like that, it gets tiring.”
    Looking down at her bare feet, Vivian mumbled, “When he practically threatened me about my IOU, he probably thought I’d get mad, but I didn’t really care. At the back of my mind, I was thinking, at least he was doing something about what he wanted. I know it’s bad, but I couldn’t help comparing him to my dad, who blamed everyone but himself for how his life turned out.”
    When Vivian fell silent, Maggie was at a loss for what to say. “Viv…” She knew the kind of childhood Vivian had, with her on-off father, who had acted more like an overgrown child than anything else. She could see where the attraction lay because of that, but was that enough reason for Vivian to risk everything on a marriage?
    “Did he get you to sign a pre-nup?” Maggie asked abruptly.
    Vivian’s lips quirked. “Did you really believe there was a possibility he wouldn’t?”
    Maggie sighed. “You’re right, that was a stupid question. And of course you signed it, but were the terms fair at least? I mean, what if he---” She caught herself in time before saying anything negative.
    “It’s okay, Mags. I know ours isn’t exactly the template for the perfect marriage, and to answer your question, yes, the terms were fair. More than fair, actually. It was more like an employment contract, and I get a financial incentive ---” Vivian rolled her eyes. “That was the term they used, for every year I stayed married to him. I had his lawyer change that. It was pretty insulting.” She paused. “Other than that, I only asked for one other change, and that was that I’d have the right to see Eula---”
    “His daughter?” Maggie asked, surprised.
    Vivian nodded. “If for whatever reason we had to file for a divorce or whatever, I wanted visitation rights. I just…I just wanted to make sure she would never have any reason to think I’d abandon her---”
    “Like your father did,” Maggie finished, “when he left you and your mother.” With a heavy sigh, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Vivian square in the eyes. “Well, that’s enough drama for now. I just have one last question for you. Are you certain this is what you want to do? Because if you feel you need to get out of it, you still can.”
    Vivian slowly shook her head. “I know what I’m doing is insane. But Mags, it’s just that – ever since he came into my