Found A Homeless Billionaire Husband for Christmas – Episode 05
The paperwork made the arrangement feel different. Victoria had accepted Simon’s offer as a way through a crisis; now she faced the official steps that would give it a life beyond their conversation. There would be a certificate with both their names.
Her mother wanted to frame it. Victoria explained that detail because it made the need for the formalities clear. The wedding had to look complete to the people waiting in Texas.
“Don’t worry.” She wanted Simon to hear the reassurance before he could wonder what he had committed himself to. They could get the marriage annulled after the wedding.
Then he could go back to his life. She offered the future as something they could restore once her family had the celebration they were expecting. His kindness did not have to become a permanent obligation.
“Anything you need, Victoria.” Simon did not challenge the plan. The ease of his agreement left her grateful and a little overwhelmed by what he was willing to do.
“Thank you so much for doing this for me.” She could not think of a better way to express it. He was helping her carry a burden he had not created and had no responsibility to share.
“You’re a really good friend.” That was the relationship she understood. Friendship had made her stop and bring him meals. Now it had somehow brought them to a place where they were signing marriage paperwork.
The registrar addressed her as Miss Victoria Barron. Formality settled over the moment, reminding her that this was more than a plan made while she was crying. The official needed an answer from her.
Was she sure she wanted to marry this gentleman? There was a hesitation before the last word. Victoria could see the registrar weighing Simon’s appearance against the choice she had come to make.
Then came the direct question: was she being coerced? Concern had become suspicion. Simon apparently looked like someone whose presence required an explanation another groom’s would not.
Victoria understood the implication. She was hurt, and her circumstances were difficult, but neither fact made Simon a threat. He had offered her a choice when she thought she had none.
“I’m not being coerced.” Her voice was firm. She would not allow his generosity to be recast as something ugly simply because of his clothes.
“I willingly choose to marry Simon Jones.” Speaking his full name gave the decision a new weight. It was hers, however unusual the circumstances that had brought her here.
The registrar accepted the answer. If that was the case, there were no further questions. Victoria allowed herself to think the awkward part of the encounter might be over.
The paperwork continued. She focused on the certificate her mother wanted, the wedding Grandma hoped to see. Those were the reasons she could hold steady while everything else felt unfamiliar.
“Wait.” The registrar stopped over Simon’s name. “Simon Jones?” Recognition seemed to arrive late, catching the official in the middle of the routine.
“The Simon Jones?” The question made the familiar name sound suddenly significant. Victoria looked between them, unsure what connection the registrar thought could exist.
The official remembered the CEO of the Jones Group, the man reported dead in a plane crash six months earlier. Victoria stood beside the husband she had chosen while a name on their paperwork became an extraordinary question.