What Happens in Vegas...: The Heiress and CEO's Shotgun Wedding

Cora woke up in a cold sweat, her heart racing and her hands instinctively flying to her stomach.

The dream had been… vivid.

She'd been pregnant—very pregnant—waddling around Jace's penthouse in a flowy maternity dress while he hovered over her like a nervous hen. There had been baby clothes everywhere, a crib in the corner, and a suspiciously large collection of parenting books on the shelf. The worst part? She'd been happy. Blissfully, annoyingly happy.

"What the hell?" Cora muttered, sitting up and running a hand through her tangled hair.

She glanced at the clock. 7:00 a.m. Too early to be awake.

"This is all your dad's fault," Cora grumbled, glaring at the empty space next to her in bed. "All that grandkids talk is messing with my head."

As if on cue, her phone buzzed on the nightstand. Cora grabbed it, squinting at the screen. It was a text from her older brother, Daniel: "Breakfast. Café Luxe. 8:00. Be there."

Cora groaned and flopped back onto the bed. This was not how she wanted to start her day.

By 8:00, Cora was sitting at a corner table at Café Luxe, nursing a cup of coffee and trying to shake off the lingering unease from her dream.

Her brothers arrived together, both of them looking annoyingly put-together in their crisp suits and perfectly combed hair.

"Morning, Cora," Daniel said, sliding into the seat across from her.

"Morning," Michael said, sitting down next to Daniel.

Cora raised an eyebrow. "What's with the formalities? Did someone die?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Very funny. We just wanted to check in with you."

"Check in?" Cora repeated, her tone wary. "About what?"

Michael leaned forward, his expression serious. "About your marriage."

Cora's stomach dropped. "What about it?"

Daniel and Michael exchanged a look, and Cora knew she was in trouble.

"We're just… concerned," Daniel said, his tone careful.

"Concerned?" Cora repeated, raising an eyebrow. "About what?"

"About you," Michael said, his tone blunt. "This whole marriage thing seems… rushed."

Cora sighed and took a sip of her coffee. "It's not rushed. It's just… unconventional."

"Unconventional?" Daniel repeated, his tone skeptical. "Cora, you got married in Vegas. To a guy you barely know. That's not unconventional. That's insane."

Cora groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I know how it looks, okay? But Jace and I… we're happy."

Daniel and Michael exchanged another look, and Cora could tell they weren't convinced.

"Happy, huh?" Michael said, raising an eyebrow. "Then why did you two look so awkward at dinner the other night?"

Cora blinked, caught off guard. "We didn't look awkward."

"You did," Daniel said, his tone firm. "You were stiff, nervous, and way too polite. It didn't look like a happy marriage. It looked like a business meeting."

Cora felt a flicker of panic, but she quickly masked it with a laugh. "That's ridiculous. We were just… nervous. You know, meeting the family and all."

Daniel and Michael exchanged another look, and Cora knew she wasn't fooling anyone.

"Cora," Daniel said, his tone serious, "if something's going on, you can tell us."

"Nothing's going on," Cora said, her tone defensive. "Jace and I are fine. We're happy. End of story."

There was a long silence, and then Michael sighed. "Okay. But if you need us, we're here."

Cora felt a flicker of guilt at his words, but she quickly pushed it aside. "Thanks. But I'm fine. Really."

The rest of the breakfast passed in a blur of awkward small talk and tense silences. By the time they left the café, Cora was ready to crawl under a rock and hide.

As Cora walked home, her mind was racing. Her brothers were onto her, and she had no idea how to throw them off the scent.

"This is a disaster," Cora muttered, running a hand through her hair.

But as she turned the corner and saw Jace's penthouse in the distance, she felt a flicker of determination. She and Jace were in this together, and they'd figure it out. They had to.