Veronica's POV
I stepped into the room just as Leonardo finished his cutting remarks. The tension was thick enough to slice through. Cecile caught sight of me and opened her mouth, probably to smooth things over, but I beat her to it.
"Mr. Nelson, there's no need for concern," I said, keeping my voice steady. "Let's get this straight right here with Cecile as witness. I'm only at the Nelson estate to fulfill my role as a 'lucky bride.' Once you're well, I'm gone. We don't need to pretend there's anything real between us. While you recover, we're married on paper only. My job is taking care of you, nothing more. Don't let it weigh on you."
I laid it all out there, no sugar-coating.
I had two reasons for being here: settling a debt and finding my son.
The moment Leonardo got better, I'd be out of here—but Joseph was coming with me. He was mine, and I'd fight for full custody if I had to.
I watched Leonardo's shoulders relax. He'd probably been worried I'd latch onto the Nelson name and refuse to leave. My words seemed to put him at ease.
But I caught something in Cecile's expression—she was studying me with those sharp eyes of hers. Like she saw something Leonardo and I were both missing. The way she looked at me, I got the feeling she thought I was exactly what this family needed.
And Joseph—that kid had already warmed up to me in a way that seemed to surprise everyone, including himself.
"Veronica," Cecile cut in, her voice gentle but persistent, "don't rush into any decisions. Leonardo here is quite the catch. Marrying him could give you everything—comfort, security, happiness. Why not think it over? His health will bounce back, I'm certain of it. Plus, the marriage license is already official."
My eyes went wide. "Marriage license? Since when?"
Cecile pulled out a red document, looking like the cat who got the cream. I took it, half-convinced it had to be fake.
"Well, you did hand over your ID for identity verification and that star chart reading, didn't you? I confirmed everything checked out, so I went ahead and registered your marriage. Once Leonardo's back on his feet, you two can have a proper ceremony."
I felt the walls closing in. Great, now if I divorce, I'm damaged goods.
"Grandmother! Stop this! If you got the license, then get rid of it!"
Leonardo exploded, his fist crashing into the mattress. The fury radiating off him was intense—he clearly never wanted anyone's help, let alone a forced marriage.
The outburst triggered pain that shot through his head, and I watched Cecile rush to calm him down. "Okay, okay, I'll drop it. Just rest, sweetheart."
I could tell she had zero intention of undoing that marriage. In her mind, Leonardo had hit the jackpot with me, whether he saw it or not.
After Cecile left, I turned to face Leonardo head-on. "Mr. Nelson, it's clear you want this marriage about as much as I do. What if we draw up a divorce agreement? Once you're healthy, our marriage gets dissolved automatically, and I disappear. Sound fair?"
"Deal!"
His immediate agreement didn't surprise me. He probably liked having something in writing—proof I couldn't change my mind later.
Leonardo called his assistant Tony to draft the paperwork.
When the agreement was ready, I watched Leonardo have Tony stamp it with his seal. We both signed our names and pressed our fingerprints onto the document, making it rock-solid legal.
Tony packed up and left. I returned a few minutes later carrying a dinner tray.
"Mr. Nelson, I've got dinner ready. Want to eat?"
"No."
His tone could've frozen water. He obviously didn't trust anything I'd made, probably worried I'd slip something into his food.
"Your loss," I said, setting the tray down.
I stepped out briefly and came back with Joseph.
I settled the little guy on a bench and tied a napkin around his neck. "Joseph, dinner time. Mommy made beef with vegetables, corn, and carrots. Look how adorable it is!"
The word "Mommy" made Leonardo's face darken.
"You're not Joseph's mother," he snapped. "Stop calling yourself that. Don't mess with his head."
I could see he was worried about Joseph getting attached to me. Probably figured if Joseph's real mother ever showed up, it would crush the kid.
Joseph's little face scrunched up with a look of defiance, as if he were silently arguing that I was, in fact, his mommy.
I faced Leonardo with zero patience. "Listen up, Mr. Nelson. As long as our agreement holds, I'm playing Joseph's mother. How I handle him isn't your business. Don't sabotage me."
My bluntness clearly pissed him off. I could practically see him planning how he'd reclaim control of his house—and his son—once he recovered. Right now, I had way too much power for his liking.
Meanwhile, Joseph stared at his plate like it was a masterpiece. I'd shaped the rice into a bunny, surrounded by rainbow vegetables and tender beef chunks. It was the most playful meal he'd probably ever seen.
"Open up," I said, holding out a spoon. "Mommy made this special for you. Take a bite and tell me what you think."
Joseph held back at first but opened his mouth when I reminded him he needed to eat to get big and strong.
The moment the food hit his taste buds, his eyes went huge with wonder. It was incredible—better than anything he'd ever experienced.
Joseph was blown away. His mommy's cooking was pure magic.
"Tastes good, right?" I smiled. "Mommy will give you more."
Joseph devoured bite after bite, loving every second. But halfway through, he stopped chewing and stared at his plate, his whole expression changing.
"What's up, Joseph? Why'd you stop eating?"
I leaned closer, worried. I noticed tears starting to form in his eyes.
"Joseph, why are you crying?"
I quickly pushed the plate aside and wiped his tears. "Are you sick? Tell Mommy where it hurts."
He shook his head, his cheeks still full of food. But his eyes were wide with a look of sheer terror. I couldn't imagine what was scaring him so badly.
While I worried over Joseph, Leonardo's dry voice sliced through the moment.
"Ha! I knew your cooking had to be awful. Look at him—crying because it tastes so terrible!"
His sarcastic comment earned him a death glare from me.
"Shut up!" I shot back.
But before I could figure out what was really wrong, Joseph did something that left both Leonardo and me completely speechless.