Handzo Walsh Annie

Blair, the woman Jax had never gotten over, was back in Texas after her divorce. Everyone was waiting to see me, the Mexican immigrant, get thrown out on the street. After all, I had spent seven years as the unofficial fiancée of Jax Caldwell, heir to one of Texas’s wealthiest oil families. I had even given him a son. But then, out of the blue, he proposed. I hadn't even had a moment to feel the joy before I overheard him on the phone with his family’s attorney. “Why not just wait for Blair?” the lawyer asked. Jax’s voice was pure ice. “Blair needs to maintain her dignity. I’ll marry Elara first. In two years, once she has her permanent green card, we can get a clean divorce. No financial entanglements.” “It’s the perfect solution.” The attorney sounded skeptical. “Will she agree to a sham marriage?” A low, soft laugh came through the phone. “Of course she will.” “For a green card? She doesn’t have a choice.” … I stood frozen outside the study, my blood turning to ice water in my veins. On the phone, the attorney hesitated. “Jax, are you sure about dipping into the portion of the family trust set aside for Blair? Isn't it a bit premature?” A whistle cut through the background—one of Jax’s friends, probably. “Hey, better watch out for Blair’s bankrupt ex-husband coming after you for cash.” Jax’s voice dropped, his tone an absolute warning. “Watch your mouth.” The other end of the line went silent. With a single sentence, he had shielded Blair’s honor. Meanwhile, I—his fiancée, the mother of his son—was nothing more than a commodity to be bought off with a green card. The attorney spoke again, steering the conversation back on track. “Are you certain Elara will accept this… temporary arrangement, and keep quiet for two years?” Jax gave another low laugh. I could picture him perfectly: leaning back in his leather chair, tapping the ash from a cigar like a king surveying his domain. “She will,” he said, his tone cruel and certain. “Her status, her life, everything Leo has here in Texas—it all depends on me.” He paused, then delivered the final, fatal blow. “Besides, she loves me.” “No one wants to be Mrs. Caldwell more than she does.” … I stood outside the door, feeling as if I’d been stripped bare and thrown into a frozen wasteland. So he knew. He had known all along. He knew how much I loved him, how much I wanted to be his wife, how desperately I wanted to trade this rootless existence for a real home. For seven years, he had never once mentioned marriage. And now, to clear a path for Blair, he was finally willing to make me his wife. In that single, shattering instant, seven years of devotion turned to ash. I no longer wanted to marry Jax Caldwell.My hands were still shaking when I pushed open the study door. Jax stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back to me, straight and unyielding. He turned at the sound of the door. I walked right up to him. “Jax, my Abuela… my grandmother is dying.” I fought to keep my voice from cracking. “Before she goes, she wants to see us on a video call. She wants to see Leo.” Just before I’d come in, my family had called from Mexico. My grandmother had late-stage pancreatic cancer. The doctor said she only had a few days left. Her last wish was to see the three of us together, as a family. Jax was about to speak when his phone rang. The moment he saw “Blair” light up the screen, the cold mask on his face softened. Through the speaker, Blair’s voice carried just the right amount of anxiety. “Jax, I’m going out of my mind. You know how important tomorrow’s charity polo match is to me… I’m so nervous my palms are sweating. Can you please come be with me?” “Of course.” Jax’s voice was softer than any tone he had ever used with me. “I’m on my way.” My hand shot out, my cold fingertips grabbing his sleeve. “Jax, my grandmother doesn’t have much time…” He ripped......

Blair, the woman Jax had never gotten over, was back in Texas after her divorce. Everyone was waiting to see me, the Mexican immigrant, get thrown out on the street. After all, I had spent seven years as the unofficial fiancée of Jax Caldwell, heir to one of Texas’s wealthiest oil families. I had even given him a son. But then, out of the blue, he proposed. I hadn't even had a moment to feel the joy before I overheard him on the phone with his family’s attorney. “Why not just wait for Blair?” the lawyer asked. Jax’s voice was pure ice. “Blair needs to maintain her dignity. I’ll marry Elara first. In two years, once she has her permanent green card, we can get a clean divorce. No financial entanglements.” “It’s the perfect solution.” The attorney sounded skeptical. “Will she agree to a sham marriage?” A low, soft laugh came through the phone. “Of course she will.” “For a green card? She doesn’t have a choice.” … I stood frozen outside the study, my blood turning to ice water in my veins. On the phone, the attorney hesitated. “Jax, are you sure about dipping into the portion of the family trust set aside for Blair? Isn't it a bit premature?” A whistle cut through the background—one of Jax’s friends, probably. “Hey, better watch out for Blair’s bankrupt ex-husband coming after you for cash.” Jax’s voice dropped, his tone an absolute warning. “Watch your mouth.” The other end of the line went silent. With a single sentence, he had shielded Blair’s honor. Meanwhile, I—his fiancée, the mother of his son—was nothing more than a commodity to be bought off with a green card. The attorney spoke again, steering the conversation back on track. “Are you certain Elara will accept this… temporary arrangement, and keep quiet for two years?” Jax gave another low laugh. I could picture him perfectly: leaning back in his leather chair, tapping the ash from a cigar like a king surveying his domain. “She will,” he said, his tone cruel and certain. “Her status, her life, everything Leo has here in Texas—it all depends on me.” He paused, then delivered the final, fatal blow. “Besides, she loves me.” “No one wants to be Mrs. Caldwell more than she does.” … I stood outside the door, feeling as if I’d been stripped bare and thrown into a frozen wasteland. So he knew. He had known all along. He knew how much I loved him, how much I wanted to be his wife, how desperately I wanted to trade this rootless existence for a real home. For seven years, he had never once mentioned marriage. And now, to clear a path for Blair, he was finally willing to make me his wife. In that single, shattering instant, seven years of devotion turned to ash. I no longer wanted to marry Jax Caldwell.My hands were still shaking when I pushed open the study door. Jax stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back to me, straight and unyielding. He turned at the sound of the door. I walked right up to him. “Jax, my Abuela… my grandmother is dying.” I fought to keep my voice from cracking. “Before she goes, she wants to see us on a video call. She wants to see Leo.” Just before I’d come in, my family had called from Mexico. My grandmother had late-stage pancreatic cancer. The doctor said she only had a few days left. Her last wish was to see the three of us together, as a family. Jax was about to speak when his phone rang. The moment he saw “Blair” light up the screen, the cold mask on his face softened. Through the speaker, Blair’s voice carried just the right amount of anxiety. “Jax, I’m going out of my mind. You know how important tomorrow’s charity polo match is to me… I’m so nervous my palms are sweating. Can you please come be with me?” “Of course.” Jax’s voice was softer than any tone he had ever used with me. “I’m on my way.” My hand shot out, my cold fingertips grabbing his sleeve. “Jax, my grandmother doesn’t have much time…” He ripped......

Blair, the woman Jax had never gotten over, was back in Texas after her divorce. Everyone was waiting to see me, the Mexican immigrant, get thrown out on the street. After all, I had spent seven years as the unofficial fiancée of Jax Caldwell, heir to one of Texas’s wealthiest oil families. I had even given him a son. But then, out of the blue, he proposed. I hadn't even had a moment to feel the joy before I overheard him on the phone with his family’s attorney. “Why not just wait for Blair?” the lawyer asked. Jax’s voice was pure ice. “Blair needs to maintain her dignity. I’ll marry Elara first. In two years, once she has her permanent green card, we can get a clean divorce. No financial entanglements.” “It’s the perfect solution.” The attorney sounded skeptical. “Will she agree to a sham marriage?” A low, soft laugh came through the phone. “Of course she will.” “For a green card? She doesn’t have a choice.” … I stood frozen outside the study, my blood turning to ice water in my veins. On the phone, the attorney hesitated. “Jax, are you sure about dipping into the portion of the family trust set aside for Blair? Isn't it a bit premature?” A whistle cut through the background—one of Jax’s friends, probably. “Hey, better watch out for Blair’s bankrupt ex-husband coming after you for cash.” Jax’s voice dropped, his tone an absolute warning. “Watch your mouth.” The other end of the line went silent. With a single sentence, he had shielded Blair’s honor. Meanwhile, I—his fiancée, the mother of his son—was nothing more than a commodity to be bought off with a green card. The attorney spoke again, steering the conversation back on track. “Are you certain Elara will accept this… temporary arrangement, and keep quiet for two years?” Jax gave another low laugh. I could picture him perfectly: leaning back in his leather chair, tapping the ash from a cigar like a king surveying his domain. “She will,” he said, his tone cruel and certain. “Her status, her life, everything Leo has here in Texas—it all depends on me.” He paused, then delivered the final, fatal blow. “Besides, she loves me.” “No one wants to be Mrs. Caldwell more than she does.” … I stood outside the door, feeling as if I’d been stripped bare and thrown into a frozen wasteland. So he knew. He had known all along. He knew how much I loved him, how much I wanted to be his wife, how desperately I wanted to trade this rootless existence for a real home. For seven years, he had never once mentioned marriage. And now, to clear a path for Blair, he was finally willing to make me his wife. In that single, shattering instant, seven years of devotion turned to ash. I no longer wanted to marry Jax Caldwell.My hands were still shaking when I pushed open the study door. Jax stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back to me, straight and unyielding. He turned at the sound of the door. I walked right up to him. “Jax, my Abuela… my grandmother is dying.” I fought to keep my voice from cracking. “Before she goes, she wants to see us on a video call. She wants to see Leo.” Just before I’d come in, my family had called from Mexico. My grandmother had late-stage pancreatic cancer. The doctor said she only had a few days left. Her last wish was to see the three of us together, as a family. Jax was about to speak when his phone rang. The moment he saw “Blair” light up the screen, the cold mask on his face softened. Through the speaker, Blair’s voice carried just the right amount of anxiety. “Jax, I’m going out of my mind. You know how important tomorrow’s charity polo match is to me… I’m so nervous my palms are sweating. Can you please come be with me?” “Of course.” Jax’s voice was softer than any tone he had ever used with me. “I’m on my way.” My hand shot out, my cold fingertips grabbing his sleeve. “Jax, my grandmother doesn’t have much time…” He ripped......

Blair, the woman Jax had never gotten over, was back in Texas after her divorce. Everyone was waiting to see me, the Mexican immigrant, get thrown out on the street. After all, I had spent seven years as the unofficial fiancée of Jax Caldwell, heir to one of Texas’s wealthiest oil families. I had even given him a son. But then, out of the blue, he proposed. I hadn't even had a moment to feel the joy before I overheard him on the phone with his family’s attorney. “Why not just wait for Blair?” the lawyer asked. Jax’s voice was pure ice. “Blair needs to maintain her dignity. I’ll marry Elara first. In two years, once she has her permanent green card, we can get a clean divorce. No financial entanglements.” “It’s the perfect solution.” The attorney sounded skeptical. “Will she agree to a sham marriage?” A low, soft laugh came through the phone. “Of course she will.” “For a green card? She doesn’t have a choice.” … I stood frozen outside the study, my blood turning to ice water in my veins. On the phone, the attorney hesitated. “Jax, are you sure about dipping into the portion of the family trust set aside for Blair? Isn't it a bit premature?” A whistle cut through the background—one of Jax’s friends, probably. “Hey, better watch out for Blair’s bankrupt ex-husband coming after you for cash.” Jax’s voice dropped, his tone an absolute warning. “Watch your mouth.” The other end of the line went silent. With a single sentence, he had shielded Blair’s honor. Meanwhile, I—his fiancée, the mother of his son—was nothing more than a commodity to be bought off with a green card. The attorney spoke again, steering the conversation back on track. “Are you certain Elara will accept this… temporary arrangement, and keep quiet for two years?” Jax gave another low laugh. I could picture him perfectly: leaning back in his leather chair, tapping the ash from a cigar like a king surveying his domain. “She will,” he said, his tone cruel and certain. “Her status, her life, everything Leo has here in Texas—it all depends on me.” He paused, then delivered the final, fatal blow. “Besides, she loves me.” “No one wants to be Mrs. Caldwell more than she does.” … I stood outside the door, feeling as if I’d been stripped bare and thrown into a frozen wasteland. So he knew. He had known all along. He knew how much I loved him, how much I wanted to be his wife, how desperately I wanted to trade this rootless existence for a real home. For seven years, he had never once mentioned marriage. And now, to clear a path for Blair, he was finally willing to make me his wife. In that single, shattering instant, seven years of devotion turned to ash. I no longer wanted to marry Jax Caldwell.My hands were still shaking when I pushed open the study door. Jax stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back to me, straight and unyielding. He turned at the sound of the door. I walked right up to him. “Jax, my Abuela… my grandmother is dying.” I fought to keep my voice from cracking. “Before she goes, she wants to see us on a video call. She wants to see Leo.” Just before I’d come in, my family had called from Mexico. My grandmother had late-stage pancreatic cancer. The doctor said she only had a few days left. Her last wish was to see the three of us together, as a family. Jax was about to speak when his phone rang. The moment he saw “Blair” light up the screen, the cold mask on his face softened. Through the speaker, Blair’s voice carried just the right amount of anxiety. “Jax, I’m going out of my mind. You know how important tomorrow’s charity polo match is to me… I’m so nervous my palms are sweating. Can you please come be with me?” “Of course.” Jax’s voice was softer than any tone he had ever used with me. “I’m on my way.” My hand shot out, my cold fingertips grabbing his sleeve. “Jax, my grandmother doesn’t have much time…” He ripped......

Blair, the woman Jax had never gotten over, was back in Texas after her divorce. Everyone was waiting to see me, the Mexican immigrant, get thrown out on the street. After all, I had spent seven years as the unofficial fiancée of Jax Caldwell, heir to one of Texas’s wealthiest oil families. I had even given him a son. But then, out of the blue, he proposed. I hadn't even had a moment to feel the joy before I overheard him on the phone with his family’s attorney. “Why not just wait for Blair?” the lawyer asked. Jax’s voice was pure ice. “Blair needs to maintain her dignity. I’ll marry Elara first. In two years, once she has her permanent green card, we can get a clean divorce. No financial entanglements.” “It’s the perfect solution.” The attorney sounded skeptical. “Will she agree to a sham marriage?” A low, soft laugh came through the phone. “Of course she will.” “For a green card? She doesn’t have a choice.” … I stood frozen outside the study, my blood turning to ice water in my veins. On the phone, the attorney hesitated. “Jax, are you sure about dipping into the portion of the family trust set aside for Blair? Isn't it a bit premature?” A whistle cut through the background—one of Jax’s friends, probably. “Hey, better watch out for Blair’s bankrupt ex-husband coming after you for cash.” Jax’s voice dropped, his tone an absolute warning. “Watch your mouth.” The other end of the line went silent. With a single sentence, he had shielded Blair’s honor. Meanwhile, I—his fiancée, the mother of his son—was nothing more than a commodity to be bought off with a green card. The attorney spoke again, steering the conversation back on track. “Are you certain Elara will accept this… temporary arrangement, and keep quiet for two years?” Jax gave another low laugh. I could picture him perfectly: leaning back in his leather chair, tapping the ash from a cigar like a king surveying his domain. “She will,” he said, his tone cruel and certain. “Her status, her life, everything Leo has here in Texas—it all depends on me.” He paused, then delivered the final, fatal blow. “Besides, she loves me.” “No one wants to be Mrs. Caldwell more than she does.” … I stood outside the door, feeling as if I’d been stripped bare and thrown into a frozen wasteland. So he knew. He had known all along. He knew how much I loved him, how much I wanted to be his wife, how desperately I wanted to trade this rootless existence for a real home. For seven years, he had never once mentioned marriage. And now, to clear a path for Blair, he was finally willing to make me his wife. In that single, shattering instant, seven years of devotion turned to ash. I no longer wanted to marry Jax Caldwell.My hands were still shaking when I pushed open the study door. Jax stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back to me, straight and unyielding. He turned at the sound of the door. I walked right up to him. “Jax, my Abuela… my grandmother is dying.” I fought to keep my voice from cracking. “Before she goes, she wants to see us on a video call. She wants to see Leo.” Just before I’d come in, my family had called from Mexico. My grandmother had late-stage pancreatic cancer. The doctor said she only had a few days left. Her last wish was to see the three of us together, as a family. Jax was about to speak when his phone rang. The moment he saw “Blair” light up the screen, the cold mask on his face softened. Through the speaker, Blair’s voice carried just the right amount of anxiety. “Jax, I’m going out of my mind. You know how important tomorrow’s charity polo match is to me… I’m so nervous my palms are sweating. Can you please come be with me?” “Of course.” Jax’s voice was softer than any tone he had ever used with me. “I’m on my way.” My hand shot out, my cold fingertips grabbing his sleeve. “Jax, my grandmother doesn’t have much time…” He ripped......

Blair, the woman Jax had never gotten over, was back in Texas after her divorce. Everyone was waiting to see me, the Mexican immigrant, get thrown out on the street. After all, I had spent seven years as the unofficial fiancée of Jax Caldwell, heir to one of Texas’s wealthiest oil families. I had even given him a son. But then, out of the blue, he proposed. I hadn't even had a moment to feel the joy before I overheard him on the phone with his family’s attorney. “Why not just wait for Blair?” the lawyer asked. Jax’s voice was pure ice. “Blair needs to maintain her dignity. I’ll marry Elara first. In two years, once she has her permanent green card, we can get a clean divorce. No financial entanglements.” “It’s the perfect solution.” The attorney sounded skeptical. “Will she agree to a sham marriage?” A low, soft laugh came through the phone. “Of course she will.” “For a green card? She doesn’t have a choice.” … I stood frozen outside the study, my blood turning to ice water in my veins. On the phone, the attorney hesitated. “Jax, are you sure about dipping into the portion of the family trust set aside for Blair? Isn't it a bit premature?” A whistle cut through the background—one of Jax’s friends, probably. “Hey, better watch out for Blair’s bankrupt ex-husband coming after you for cash.” Jax’s voice dropped, his tone an absolute warning. “Watch your mouth.” The other end of the line went silent. With a single sentence, he had shielded Blair’s honor. Meanwhile, I—his fiancée, the mother of his son—was nothing more than a commodity to be bought off with a green card. The attorney spoke again, steering the conversation back on track. “Are you certain Elara will accept this… temporary arrangement, and keep quiet for two years?” Jax gave another low laugh. I could picture him perfectly: leaning back in his leather chair, tapping the ash from a cigar like a king surveying his domain. “She will,” he said, his tone cruel and certain. “Her status, her life, everything Leo has here in Texas—it all depends on me.” He paused, then delivered the final, fatal blow. “Besides, she loves me.” “No one wants to be Mrs. Caldwell more than she does.” … I stood outside the door, feeling as if I’d been stripped bare and thrown into a frozen wasteland. So he knew. He had known all along. He knew how much I loved him, how much I wanted to be his wife, how desperately I wanted to trade this rootless existence for a real home. For seven years, he had never once mentioned marriage. And now, to clear a path for Blair, he was finally willing to make me his wife. In that single, shattering instant, seven years of devotion turned to ash. I no longer wanted to marry Jax Caldwell.My hands were still shaking when I pushed open the study door. Jax stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back to me, straight and unyielding. He turned at the sound of the door. I walked right up to him. “Jax, my Abuela… my grandmother is dying.” I fought to keep my voice from cracking. “Before she goes, she wants to see us on a video call. She wants to see Leo.” Just before I’d come in, my family had called from Mexico. My grandmother had late-stage pancreatic cancer. The doctor said she only had a few days left. Her last wish was to see the three of us together, as a family. Jax was about to speak when his phone rang. The moment he saw “Blair” light up the screen, the cold mask on his face softened. Through the speaker, Blair’s voice carried just the right amount of anxiety. “Jax, I’m going out of my mind. You know how important tomorrow’s charity polo match is to me… I’m so nervous my palms are sweating. Can you please come be with me?” “Of course.” Jax’s voice was softer than any tone he had ever used with me. “I’m on my way.” My hand shot out, my cold fingertips grabbing his sleeve. “Jax, my grandmother doesn’t have much time…” He ripped......