Page 27 of Surprise! I'm Engaged To My Boss
Well, Sebastian, my older brother, was going through a rough patch in his personal life, and thelast thing I wanted was to burden him with any of this. As for Logan, our middle brother... well, he had completely strayed from the family traditions. He wasn’t an architect like our father, nor did he have any talent or interest in an artistic career like our mother. His choice was Medicine — a profession to which he devoted himself with a level of dedication that could hardly be considered human. In short, he was too focused on becoming the most renowned neurosurgeon in the world to even bother with the rest of the family’s problems.
Janet could call me at any moment. That day was the final deadline given by the Harris’ lawyers for my defense to respond whether or not we would accept a deal. A deal that would only allow me to see my daughter for two hours every other week, under constant supervision by her grandparents. And that was simply inconceivable to me.
I wanted to take Alice home. I wanted to prepare a room to welcome her, take her for walks, watch her grow, take her to and from school. I wanted to see her play with Apollo, my dog. I had never found those videos that circulate on the internet showing dogs and babies playing together very funny, but now, every time I saw one, I lost myself in the desire to have that in my home.
Damn, I wish I could’ve learned how to change her diapers while she was still wearing them. She was already eleven months old, and I had already missed so much of her life. I couldn't stand to lose anything else.
On the other hand, refusing the deal would mean allowing those damn videos to be attached to the lawsuit and, with them, I might definitively lose any chance of seeing my daughter again.
The phone on my desk rang and I answered it without any excitement.
It was my secretary.
“Mr. Turner, a representative from the Falcon Company is on the line to speak with you.”
“Tell him to call next week," I snapped, clearly out of patience. "I've already said it, Emma, cancel absolutelyeverythingand turn away anyone who calls this week. I'm only available to my lawyers. Or to Collins. If a woman named Camila Collins calls, put her through immediately. Other than that, I'm not available to anyone else."
“But, sir...”
I didn't let her finish and hung up the call.
Yes, I knew it... Running away from the obligations of my role as CEO went completely against what Janet had insisted I should do, which was to become an exemplary man. But my conduct during the company party had already completely destroyed any good image I could have built, so, honestly, nothing else mattered to me now.
The sound of my elevator door opening at the far end of the room caught my attention, making me look up from the pen, suddenly tense. No one ever reached my floor unless they were with me or had been cleared by my secretary, who worked on the floor below mine, where my reception was located. To reach the penthouse, the elevator required a security code—one that only my secretary and I had. And I hadn’t authorized her to let anyone in.
But when I saw who it was, I was overcome by an immense wave of relief.
Shecould come in.
She was, in fact, the person I most wanted to meet at that moment.
Because only she could save me from the mess I got myself into.
I stood up, resting my hands on the table, waiting for her to approach. Which seemed like an eternity, since not only was the distance from my table to the elevator a good few feet, but she also walked slowly, as if she wanted to create suspense about the reason for her visit.
Until she stopped, on the other side of the table, and stared at me in silence for a few moments.
“Five hundred thousand dollars, right?” that was the first thing she said.
Wow… Straight to the point.
Whoever came up with that story about money not being able to buy everything?
“Five hundred thousand,” I reinforced. “But I can increase the offer if you...”
“Five hundred thousand is enough,” she cut me off.
I found that strange. At the very least, it was unusual that she herself didn't want me to increase the offer.
But I wouldn't argue. I wouldn't argue with anything.
“Five hundred thousand, then. Do you mean to say that you will accept to pose as my fiancée?”
“Not so fast. Tell me, has Smith taken over as chief?”
The position, of course! It would be another more than fair payment.
“No. He did indeed return to his previous position. The position remains vacant. But it is rightfully yours, and we will do it right this time. I have not yet accepted your resignation.”
