Surprise Marriage to a Billionaire
Chapter 61: Powerful Families

Chapter 61: Powerful Families

Rain gulped, finding herself speechless. It should have been easy to say yes, that it was just a pretense marriage, after all. But something inside her made her hesitate. Deep down, there was a growing hope that the marriage might actually work out.

Her face reddened as she realized where her thoughts were heading. Why was she even considering trying to make the marriage work? Alexander Lancaster had a woman he cherished, someone he was waiting for to return. Lost in her thoughts, Rain unknowingly patted her cheeks, snapping herself back to reality.

"Hmm, if it doesn’t work out, how about considering remarrying Clifford?" Sanya suddenly suggested.

Rain turned to Clifford, her expression serious. "My father would easily crush him with his bare hands, Sanya. He wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Clifford or, worse, use his connections with the mayor to eliminate him."

Then, shifting her gaze back to Sanya, she added, "You know how dangerous Michael Astor is... That man has committed crimes and can easily get away with it."

The Astor family was deeply involved in criminal activities, something Rain knew all too well. Brandon and his team had been keeping a close eye on the Astors for a while.

"I’m sure Clifford is willing to die for you, Rain," Sanya jested, making Rain chuckle as she noticed how red Clifford’s face had become. "Right, Clifford?" Sanya teased even more.

Sensing Clifford’s growing discomfort, Rain quickly turned to Sanya and deliberately changed the topic. "Do you want to join me next week? I’m sure Dr. Ivan would be delighted to see you again. How about coming to the facility with me?"

Sanya’s eyes widened, and she quickly exclaimed, "Hell no! That Ivan is a madman. I wouldn’t last a second with him!"

"He’s just too much of a genius for your average brain, Sanya." Clifford mocked.

Sanya’s face crumpled as she scoffed. "I don’t know why Rain always seems to be surrounded by people who are crazier than normal."

Clifford rolled his eyes. "Are you referring to yourself, Sanya?"

Rain quickly grabbed her remaining sandwich, deciding to escape the banter before it got too messy. She knew from experience that Clifford and Sanya’s arguments could get pretty chaotic.

*****

Meanwhile, Sanya shook her head and scolded, "I gave you the perfect opportunity to offer yourself to Rain, and you didn’t even take it. You should’ve seconded my suggestion, telling her how willing you are to be her husband if she needed one, and how you’d protect her with all your might."

Clifford’s face darkened. While he appreciated Sanya’s push, he didn’t like being cornered. "I’ll handle it my own way, Sanya. So please, stop pulling stunts like that again," he reprimanded.

"Sometimes being a busybody is dangerous!" he grunted. Sanya’s face darkened as she countered, "Speak for yourself! Aren’t you the one being nosy? If it weren’t for me reminding you to tone it down, you’d have interrogated Rain about this sudden marriage! Don’t forget, I’m the one who stopped you!"

"Speaking of that marriage, what’s the update? How come it’s taking too long to find out about it?" he suddenly asked. He found out that Sanya was the one handling it but yesterday she said that there was still no update from the investigator Brandon recommended.

"I don’t know, alright? Maybe the culprit is connected to Alexander, and that’s why the investigator is having difficulty gathering information. You know the Lancasters—they’re one of the most powerful families in the country, with deep connections everywhere," Sanya mumbled.

Clifford understood all too well. He came from a well-off family with a high status, but they still couldn’t compare to the five most powerful families in the country. The Lancasters were one of them, and the Cartiers, known for their close ties with the Lancasters, were another.

As much as he hated to admit it, the truth stung. Rain’s father wouldn’t dare mess with the Lancasters once he discovered that Rain was married to one, especially Alexander. That man was the perfect shield to protect Rain from both Tim Clayton and the Astor family. However, he still couldn’t wrap his head around how Rain ended up married without her even knowing about it.

"Give me the investigator’s contact details so I can follow up," Clifford suddenly suggested.

Sanya rolled her eyes and hissed, "You’re making it sound like I’m slacking off. Besides, the investigator would get annoyed talking to someone else. I’ll handle it and keep you updated!"

Clifford stared at Sanya with narrowed eyes. She seemed unusually annoyed and worked up.

"What?!" she barked.

"You’re usually so lazy, Sanya, always happy to shove duties onto me... How come—"

Before he could finish, Sanya’s phone rang. She glared at him, signaling for him to zip it, then walked back to her bedroom to take the call.

"I don’t like that Alexander Lancaster," Clifford mumbled darkly, his expression hardening. But he understood why Rain preferred to stay married to Alexander, even if it was just on paper. The marriage offered her protection and leverage against her father, Tim.

"I’d better get to work so Rain has something solid to fight Tim with if things go south," Clifford muttered to himself, determined to help her however he could.

*****

Rain’s mind was still preoccupied as she drove to the Prosecution Office, weighing the pros and cons of possibly introducing Alexander to her father, Tim. If she introduced him as Alexander Lancaster, things could get even more complicated.

"How about I just bring someone else to pretend to be my husband?" she mumbled, her thoughts drifting to her Aunt Melanie and the urgency of seeing her in person.

"But who could I bring that could convincingly act as my husband?!" Rain muttered in frustration, the dilemma gnawing at her.

Rain gripped the steering wheel tighter, her thoughts racing. The idea of involving someone else seemed risky, but she couldn’t shake the urgency of the situation. Her father was relentless, and she knew that without a solid plan, she could lose the chance to see her Aunt Melanie.

"Maybe I could ask Clifford..." she thought aloud, then quickly dismissed the idea. Her father would see through the act, and Clifford’s involvement could put him in serious danger. Besides, Clifford had already done so much for her.

She sighed, feeling the weight of her predicament. "I need someone convincing, someone who can stand up to my father without flinching," she muttered. But as the possibilities narrowed, she realized there was no one else who fit the bill as perfectly as Alexander. He was the best shield she had, even if it meant getting more entangled in their complicated arrangement.

"This is driving me crazy!" Rain exclaimed in frustration, still grappling with what to do.