The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

"I want to see the money first. It should be enough that I can buy myself a pretty little estate like this one. After all, what you are asking me to do is quite dangerous," said Orlo.

"Indeed, it is. Bring me three bags of money for our dear guests," Damien ordered his men.

"Four," Orlo said, holding up four fingers.

"My workers know how to count. Before I allow you to set your dirty little fingers on my money, it would only be fair that I see what you have brought to me. I would hate for my time to be wasted," Damien said.

Orlo flashed a crooked smile. "I have just what you need. I’m the best man to get the job done to fool the court, and I do it for a reasonable price. Mr Wilkins came to me in a panic and asked that I change a will for him."

Orlo raised the copy of what he made for Clive. "I had to do it fast for your men, but this is a copy of what I gave to Clive. I removed the young lady’s name and placed his. I even added a few details at his request so he has full control of deciding who she would marry, and the will wasn’t to be contested."

Orlo flipped the papers for Damien to see back to front. "Looks exactly like the court’s."

"Because you used to work there. I remember your face," Damien said, realising why Orlo was so good at his work.

"Those bastards released me from my work and didn’t pay me what I was owed. They were wrong to get rid of a man who knows how their documents look and how to get past their inspections. I am merely collecting the money they owe me," Orlo explained.

"The will Mr Wilkins is presenting the court is what you are paying me for now, but we need to speak about this one," Orlo said, presenting another will. "The original. I always hold them for safekeeping in case my customers want to do a bit of talking. He thinks I destroyed it."

"That is the will with the daughter’s name? If I find out this is one you created to fool me, I will bury you beneath a pig sty," Damien threatened Orlo.

Orlo laughed at the empty threat. "It is the original. He brought it to me so I could remake it, but with his name and a few more rules. This is how I keep myself protected in case anyone wants to speak of me to the court. With the original, I could reveal their crimes."

"I’m a businessman, like you," Orlo said, seeing similarities between himself and Damien.

Damien chuckled since Orlo was speaking simply because he had a mouth. "Is that so? I want to read the original."

"I will hold it in my hands until I see the money, and you haven’t discussed what you will pay me for the original. I don’t know why you are going after Mr Wilkins when he is a man far below your status, but I have men in your circle who used my work," said Orlo. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"You would expose them? Wouldn’t that make life dangerous for you?"

"After we reach an agreement, I won’t need to be in town any longer. I’ll find myself a pretty estate elsewhere and stay there. Knowing that, how much are you going to offer me for the original will? I trust that you are a man of your word," Orlo said, his eyes examining the land around him.

"It is dangerous work you are doing, so you should be paid handsomely. I’ll bring what you ask for. They are already returning with the bags," Damien said, glancing at the men he sent off. "Now, the copy of the will you make for Clive," he said, holding out his hand to Orlo.

Orlo held onto the wills. "Not so fast, Lord Hawthorne. I must see that the bag isn’t filled with stones."

"Patience," Damein said, putting out his hand to stop Silas. "Let him see that I am not fooling him. We must be patient."

"Listen to your employer," Orlo scolded Silas as he walked over to the bags.

Orlo opened the first bag, and upon seeing all the money, he laughed. This was more than he received from all the other jobs he did.

"The copy of what Mr Wilkins will present to the court," Orlo offered the will to Damien.

Damien took the will from Orlo and began reading it.

After getting a glimpse of his father’s will and other relatives, Damien concluded Orlo had done a good job of putting together the will for Clive. He could fool the court if they didn’t look closely.

If luck was on Orlo’s side, he could have worked for Damien.

"Silas, did you search the inn he was staying in? I don’t trust him," Damien spoke softly.

"I left behind men to search it from top to bottom. If he has more copies of the wills and the originals, they will all soon be in your hands," Silas replied.

"Well done, Silas. You’re my favourite today," Damien said, starting to enjoy the day again.

"I am forgiven for what I did before?" Silas foolishly asked.

"You were, but then you reminded me of what you did, and now you are below Gage," Damien replied.

Silas frowned.

"Don’t pout. At least you’re above Aiden," Damien said as he walked by Silas.

"That doesn’t make me feel better," Silas said, wishing he could kick himself for opening his mouth. He almost had a chance to gloat about being the favourite.

Damien approached Orlo and snatched the original will from his hand.

Orlo jumped up and tried to take back the will, but Damien’s men blocked him. "We haven’t set a price for the original."

Damien snapped his fingers, and as he did, the men picked up the bags of money. "Unfortunately, you are a man wanted by the court, so if I pay you, I would become a wanted man as well."

Orlo’s jaw clenched. He glared at Damien as he tried to approach him. "We have a deal that you wouldn’t report me to the court," Orlo said, his tone swelling with anger.

"I intend to keep my promise. I am not going to be the one to report you. He is," Damien said, pointing to Silas. "You made no such promise to him. You’ve got to be better with your demands."

Orlo’s right arm shook as he desperately wanted to punch Damien.

"From one businessman to another, you should have thought this arrangement through before you came onto my estate. Arrest him," Damien ordered his men. "The court is going to love him."