Page 10 of Daddy's Accidental Babies

“Fine,” I said. “Walk and talk.”

She matched my pace, her heels clicking in tandem with mine as we moved briskly down the hallway together. “The CEO met with Mr. Knight after your planning session. They’re greenlighting the investor rollout package. Branding, press, everything. And they want you as the face.”

I slowed but didn’t stop walking. We were nearing my office, and I hoped this conversation would be over before then. “The face?”

Vanessa nodded and waved her free hand around as she clutched a portfolio folder to her chest with the other. “Well, you and Dominic. You two present well. They want the public to see you and Dominic as a power couple—reliable, attractive, and perfectly in sync.” Her words almost choked me. I had to swallow a knot constricting my throat. I’d heard of companies branding their executives to gain shareholder approval, but this seemed far-fetched.

“Cohesive?” I asked. I sucked in a deep breath and glanced nervously at the door to my office, where the emblazoned name on the door didn’t have as much sparkle this time around. Maybe it was because my conscience was tainted with shame and guilt now.

“Look,” she said, stopping at my office door, “This is a compliment. The camera will love you two. Chemistry sells. You’re the strategist. He’s the bankroll. It’s catnip for the press.” She shrugs. “Besides, R & R shareholders need something to believe in. The board is sketchy on this merger as it is, but with their shareholders restless, they’ll never settle into a full contract. We have to make Dominic shine.” I hated the sound of his name on her lips. Hated it.

I stared at her, struggling to form a response as the weight of her words sank in. Humanizing Knight was the play, which I understood. I told him myself that he wasn’t the people’sbillionaire. Men like Gates and Musk got attention for their exploits or large families with happy children on camera. A powerful, wealthy, single billionaire just oozed cockiness and arrogance. Softening him was crucial.

“They’re not asking you to lie,” she added quickly. “Just…lean into the narrative. We position it as a workplace romance. Build some buzz. Get people emotionally invested.”

“Fake date him?” I asked, scoffing. I started to chuckle as the irony of the situation coiled around my chest. It kept my lungs loose and functioning, otherwise I might have wretched right there.

“Sell the story…” Vanessa narrowed her eyes at me and cocked her head.

“Jesus Christ,” I breathed.

Vanessa’s smile widened like this was her favorite kind of mess. “You okay?” Her head tilted back as I sighed hard. Fate wasn’t just tossing me into the fire, it was burning me alive.

“Peachy,” I grumbled, rolling my eyes.

She walked off without a care in the world, and I stood frozen in front of my office door, my head spinning.

Fake date him? Be his media girlfriend? I could barely sit through a meeting without reliving the way he tasted.

My phone buzzed with a text notification, the screen lighting up with Thea’s name and a message that made me feel equal parts relief and comfort.

Thea: 11:14 AM:Lunch? You owe me the rest of the tea.

Savannah: 11:15 AM:Pick the place. I’m already spiraling.

The next forty-five minutes were unbearable. I couldn’t sit still, couldn’t finish a sentence without my mind circling back to Dominic—his hands, his mouth, the way my name sounded on his lips—and then spinning straight into Vanessa’s voice,pitching a corporate fantasy that felt like a setup for emotional collapse. By the time I made it up to the rooftop patio for lunch, my pulse was still erratic, and I was one anxious breath away from cracking wide open.

The rooftop was quiet. Urban chic with reclaimed wood, iron beams erected as a pergola, and a hefty smattering of climbing, flowering vines to offer shade. Thea waved me over from a cozy table near the railing where the view of the city stretched for miles. She already had our lunches set out and a broad smile that told me the morning with the boys hadn’t been all torture.

“Sit. Tell me everything.” She patted the table and grinned at me as she picked up her paper cup and bit the end of the straw between her teeth.

I collapsed onto the seat across from her, leaned my elbows on the table, and tried not to scream. “They want me to fake date him.” There was no crafty way to state how stupid it sounded. I could’ve named a thousand women in this city to set him up with, but they chose me. I was certain he wasn’t innocent of suggesting me.

Thea blinked. “They want you to what?” She coughed and spluttered through her drink and set it down, taking a napkin to dab away droplets of orange pop from her chin.

“Vanessa—the PR lady for Knight Holdings—says the board thinks Dominic and I have chemistry. And they want to capitalize on it. Brand it. Use it to sell the rollout so shareholders see him as a good guy.”

Thea continued to choke on her soda as she said, “They want you to fake date him? Him?” Her eyebrows rose, but it was the last thing I saw before I nodded and dropped my head into my hands.

“Oh, honey,” she cooed as I felt her hand wrap around my arm.

“Right?” I sighed, then I looked up at her and let my shoulders sink. There was no way I was telling her what happened only moments before that, at least not until I understood it all. Dom and I had chemistry—that had never changed. But my lack of professional decorum felt like a moral failure.

She waited until I looked at her. “Are you going to do it?”

I hesitated, long enough for her to sigh.

“Bills are stacking up, Savannah. Preschool tuition isn’t going to wait. Your resume needs this experience, and the visibility alone could open doors you haven’t even knocked on yet.” Her grimace spoke volumes. She was concerned, as was I. I did need this job, and I owed it to her to make sure she got her shot to do what she wanted, finish her degree.

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