Vivianne

Dominic rested his ankle on his knee and watched as I stood and continued my pacing. Despite my best efforts, he’d managed to get me riled up again. I could feel him gearing up his argument, as he always did, and steeled myself for whatever nonsense he pulled out of his hat. 

“Let’s look at the cold, hard facts. Lucian Drake and his cronies are circling like vultures. They’ll gladly take our place in this Kingsley deal if we give them even the smallest opening. And Drake is a sixth generation CEO. He has the ‘good ol’ boy’ energy that they’re looking for. All we have going for us is that we’re larger. If they beat us out, Voss Enterprises loses the biggest opportunity for growth we’ll likely see in our lifetimes.” 

I hated that he was right. Kingsley Group was the largest real estate investor in Europe, and the fact they wanted to partner with an American company at all was a miracle. “But surely there’s another way to go about this, Dominic. We don’t have to go with the first plan!”

“We only have 30 days to convince them. Then there’s the board. Do you really think they won’t vote me out as CEO if I allow this opportunity to slip through our fingers? And it’s not only my career that would take a hit. You’re as tied to Voss Enterprises as I am. You’re the best COO in the business, Viv. But even you can’t keep these enemies at bay if we fail. This isn’t about what we want to do. It’s about what we need to do.” 

Everything in me screamed to dig in my heels and convince this idiot that we were walking into the biggest trap of our lives. Yes, there was the risk of being found out and the risk of a messy, very real divorce. But beyond that, I couldn’t fathom pretending to be some doting, submissive fiance. 

Up to this point, I’d built my career on a foundation of independence. Everything I had, I obtained through my own grit, skill, and determination. Tying my fate to Dominic’s, even temporarily, felt dangerous. How long before my accomplishments became little more than ‘of course the CEO is giving his wife preferential treatment! She’s just taking advantage of him. Typical woman in the corporate world, sleeping with the boss to get ahead!’

I’d rather be accused of witchcraft and tossed into the ocean with a millstone around my neck. At least they’d believe I’d earned that fate through my own merits.

But I also knew that he was right. If we didn’t act, we’d lose everything we’d worked for. Everyone on the board was equally as ruthless as myself and Dominic, and they wouldn’t hesitate to force out anyone they considered a weak link. The fact that someone as young as him had been CEO this long was already a miracle. 

Looking around the office, I realized something else. We’d built this empire together. The photos on the walls depicted the pair of us shaking hands with the President. Signing multi-million dollar contracts. Cutting ribbons on some of the most profitable resorts and communities in the Eastern United States. I was just as invested in Voss Enterprises as he was. 

I exhaled and leaned my hip against the desk. I knew what I had to do, as much as I absolutely hated it. My eyes half-closed in defeat. “Fine. I’ll agree to this harebrained scheme, but only under my terms.” 

“And those would be?”

I scowled as sternly as possible and locked eyes. “Absolutely zero romance. None. No crossing personal boundaries. You will not touch me unless given express permission. And no falling for each other. I don’t care how we are forced to act in public; you are not, and never will be, my real husband. This is strictly business.” 

Dominic slowly nodded, and when I finished, that bastard smirked. He seemed amused by the thought of me resisting him. “Of course, Sinclair. Strictly business.” He stood, towering over me, and extended his hand. 

I stared at it for a long time. If I agreed to this, my life was about to change. But again I glanced at the photos on the wall and exhaled. I accepted the handshake, gripping his hand firmly to show him I was just as strong as any man in the company. He wasn’t going to push me around. “Six weeks.”

“Six weeks.” He withdrew his hand and shook it, as if my grip had been painful. Good. Without giving him a chance to say anything else, I turned heel and marched out of the office. I closed the door without looking back. 

With my head held high, I continued marching all the way to my own office. It wasn’t nearly as glamorous as Dominic’s, but I still ran my hand along the surface of the mahogany desk and smiled. The desk had been a gift from my father when I was hired at Voss Enterprises. He’d hand-carved it himself, with intricate fleur-de-lis and Celtic knots decorating the legs. 

Dad had been so proud of me. But would he be proud of what I’d just agreed to do?

Not that it mattered. He was gone. It was just me and my twin sister Analise against the world. And she was going to flip. I pulled my phone from my pocket and was halfway through dialing her to vent when I stopped. 

This was not the kind of thing I should tell her over the phone. 

Resolved to break the news over Thai food instead, I settled myself at my desk and pressed 4 on the office phone. “Martha? It’s Vivianne. Do you have time for a meeting?” 

“Give me thirty minutes?” 

I agreed, hung up the phone, and called Erickson next. “Can you join me for a meeting in 30 minutes?” 

“Sure, I just have to finish putting together this proposal for your ‘wedding’ to the CEO.” He began laughing, and I could hear the air quotes in his voice. 

“No, don’t worry about finishing that. If I’m going to suffer through this farce, I’m getting the dress and ceremony that I want. That’s why I want to meet with you: so we can discuss it before you send it off.” My nose wrinkled at the thought of having no say in my own fake wedding. No doubt Annie would do an amazing job, but that was beside the point.