Chapter 2Shameless for You: Claiming the Broken Heir

"Declan, let's get married."

Coming out of the bathroom after wiping away my tears, my topic shifted drastically.

Declan, who had been staring out the window, snapped his gaze back to me.

I continued:

"You're an outcast to your family now."

"They can't wait for you to stay in the mud and never climb back out."

"You must know that everyone out there is laughing at how you have nothing left."

"Laughing at your illegitimate brother taking your place as heir. Laughing at your father's mistress moving into the estate your mother left you. Laughing at the girl you chose, who swore she didn't care about money, running away."

"I heard Serena Blair just got engaged to Nate Thorne, the guy who used to call you his brother... It hasn't even been a month..."

"What's wrong? Are you mad?"

My words turned the coldness in Declan’s eyes to pure ice.

I did it on purpose.

I wanted to rip his scabs right off.

"Declan, let me be your trump card."

"Marry me, forge an alliance between our families, and you can protect yourself."

I looked him dead in the eye, determined to win.

He would agree.

I was the absolute best and most correct choice for him right now.

Declan closed his eyes, drowning the ice in them.

His dark eyes became as still as a deep pool.

He asked me, "What do you want?"

I stared at him unabashedly until he had to look away.

He knew exactly what I wanted.

"You know what I want."

"I've always just wanted you."

Declan let out a sudden, short laugh.

He mocked himself, "You want me, but I'm a cripple now."

"You're making a bad investment."

I stared dead center at his crotch.

I said bluntly, "Your legs are paralyzed, not your reproductive organs."

Declan, who was always so aloof and proper, looked absolutely shell-shocked.

My outrageous comment left him speechless for a moment.

A faint flush actually crept up his pale neck.

Declan smoothly pulled the blanket over his lower half.

Blocking my view.

His reaction made me want to tease him even more.

I pretended to think for a moment, then said, "How about... I inspect the merchandise?"

Declan sounded slightly exasperated. "Hazel Sterling!"

I smiled at him brightly.

Not feeling a shred of embarrassment for my bold words.

"Declan, right now, I am the only one who can help you turn this game around."

"Have you thought it through?"

Declan raised his eyes and stared at me quietly.

A long silence stretched between us.

Two months ago, Declan was in a horrific car accident.

He barely survived, but his legs were destroyed.

From now on, he would be confined to a wheelchair.

Who was Declan Vance? He was the legitimate, firstborn son of the wealthiest man in the city.

He had the pedigree, the looks, and a brilliant mind.

He was the undisputed leader of the younger generation in our elite circles.

He was the untouchable Mr. Vance.

His future was limitless, his brilliance blinding.

But one car accident dragged this golden boy into the dirt.

The news of his paralysis changed the winds instantly.

His illegitimate half-brother was legitimized and took his place in the family conglomerate.

His long-term girlfriend abandoned him.

They broke up immediately, and within a month, she was engaged to someone else.

His so-called best friends kicked him while he was down.

Overnight, Declan lost everyone.

Everyone was treating him like a joke.

When I heard the news, I caught the first flight back from Europe.

I ran to see him the second I landed.

I proposed a marriage alliance. It was a transaction, but it was also entirely for my own selfish desires.

With my family backing him, those opportunistic, greedy relatives and friends of his would have to think twice.

It was the only way he could keep his title as the true heir.