VIVI'S POV
I'm still staring at Damien's text about Aria Chen when the black car pulls up.
It's not a normal car. It's the kind of car that screams money and power. The kind that makes people on the sidewalk stop and stare.
The driver gets out. He's built like a bodyguard, wearing a perfect suit and sunglasses even though it's cloudy. He opens the back door and waits.
I have two choices: get in the car, or run.
Running seems smarter. But running won't give me answers. Running won't save my father's company. Running won't help me find out who destroyed my life.
I get in the car.
The inside smells like expensive leather. The seats are softer than my bed. There's a small refrigerator, a TV screen, and privacy glass separating me from the driver.
We drive for twenty minutes. I try to track where we're going, but the windows are tinted so dark I can barely see out. This is how people disappear, I think. This is how Damien Cross makes problems go away.
Finally, the car stops. The door opens.
We're in an underground parking garage. Private. Secure. The kind of place where no one can see what happens.
"This way, Miss Laurent," the driver says, gesturing to an elevator.
I follow him because what else can I do? The elevator has no buttons except one. Penthouse. Of course.
The ride up feels like forever. My heart pounds so hard I'm sure the driver can hear it.
When the doors open, I step into the most incredible apartment I've ever seen. Floor-to-ceiling windows showing all of Manhattan. Modern furniture that probably costs more than my car. Art on the walls that belongs in museums.
And Damien Cross, standing by the window, watching the city like he owns it.
He probably does.
"You came," he says without turning around.
"Did I have a choice?"
"Everyone has choices. You just made yours." He finally turns to face me. "Sit."
It's not a request. It's a command.
I sit on the couch, keeping my back straight, my face calm. I won't let him see how scared I am.
He sits across from me, studying my face like I'm a puzzle he's trying to solve.
"Let's talk about Aria Chen," he says.
My stomach drops. "How long have you known?"
"Three months. I hired investigators to research everyone connected to my business rivals. Your father's company came up. And when I dug deeper, I found patterns in his financial records. Changes that were too smart for Marcus Laurent. Someone with real talent was protecting him. Someone invisible."
"So you tracked me down."
"Eventually. You're good at hiding. But everyone leaves traces if you know where to look." He leans forward. "Fifteen cases solved. Three major fraud convictions. You've made enemies, Vivienne. Powerful ones."
"That's why I stay anonymous."
"Not anymore." His smile is cold. "I know who you are. Which means others can find out too. Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless you're under my protection. As my wife, you'll be untouchable. My lawyers, my security, my resources. All yours."
"In exchange for what?"
"Your talent. Your skills. Your complete loyalty." His eyes bore into mine. "I told you I want you to audit my company. That was partially true. What I really want is for you to find the person who's been sabotaging me for years."
I try to keep my face neutral. "You know someone's sabotaging you?"
"I've suspected for a long time. Small things going wrong. Deals falling through. Money disappearing in amounts too small to trigger alarms. But I can't find them. They're too careful. Too smart." He pauses. "You found three executives everyone else missed. You can find my traitor."
This is it. This is my chance to investigate Cross Global from the inside.
"And if I find them?" I ask.
"Then I'll give you what you want. The evidence showing who destroyed Laurent Tech. The resources to make them pay. And enough money to ensure you never need anyone again."
It's too perfect. Too convenient.
"Why do you really want to marry me?" I ask. "The board. The investors. That's not all of it."
His jaw tightens. For a second, I see something flash in his eyes. Anger? Pain? It's gone too fast to tell.
"My uncle Adrian is pushing the board to remove me as CEO. He claims I'm too unstable, too aggressive, too young. Half the board agrees with him. They want someone more 'mature' in charge. A married man looks stable. Settled. It'll buy me time to prove Adrian wrong."
"Why would your uncle want you removed?"
"Because he's wanted my job since my father died." The bitterness in his voice is sharp. "But that's family politics. Not your concern. Your concern is playing the perfect wife in public and finding my traitor in private. Can you do that?"
I think about everything I'm risking. My freedom. My safety. My secrets.
But I also think about everything I'll gain. Access. Information. Revenge.
"Yes," I say. "But I want something else added to the contract."
He raises an eyebrow. "You're negotiating now?"
"You want my skills. I want protection for my real identity. Put it in writing that if our arrangement ends, you'll never reveal who Aria Chen is. Not to anyone. Ever."
"Done. Anything else?"
"When this year is over and we divorce, I want a recommendation letter. From you. Stating that I'm the best financial analyst you've ever worked with."
He actually laughs. It's startling. The sound is real and warm and completely unexpected.
"You want me to help your career after our fake marriage ends?"
"Why not? If I find your traitor, I'll have earned it."
"Fair enough." He stands and walks to a desk, pulling out another folder. "These are the real contract terms. Read every page. My lawyers will be here in an hour to witness the signing."
I open the folder. It's thick. Detailed. Covers everything from public appearance schedules to what happens if one of us breaks the contract.
One clause catches my eye: "Both parties agree to maintain complete discretion about the true nature of this arrangement. Any breach will result in immediate termination and financial penalties."
"You really thought of everything," I mutter.
"I always do."
I keep reading. Another clause makes me pause: "In the event of pregnancy, the contract will be renegotiated."
"Pregnancy?" I look up at him, shocked.
"It's a standard clause in marriage contracts. We won't be sleeping together, so it's irrelevant. But lawyers like to cover all possibilities."
We won't be sleeping together. Of course not. This is business. Nothing more.
So why do I feel a strange disappointment?
I push the feeling away and keep reading. The compensation is even more generous than he mentioned. Enough to rebuild Laurent Tech twice over. Enough to make me independently wealthy.
"This is a lot of money," I say carefully. "What happens if I take it and run?"
"You won't."
"How do you know?"
He sits down next to me. Close enough that I can smell his cologne. Close enough to see the gold flecks in his dark eyes.
"Because you're not motivated by money, Vivienne. You're motivated by justice. You want to find who destroyed your father's company. You want to prove you're more than the daughter they overlooked. You want revenge on everyone who underestimated you." He leans in slightly. "I understand that. Because I want the same things. We're more alike than you think."
He's right. And that terrifies me.
"Sign the contract," he says softly. "Marry me. Let's destroy our enemies together."
I pick up the pen.
My phone buzzes. A text from Victor: "Don't sign anything until I review it. This is dangerous."
Too late. I'm already signing my name.
Damien signs next to mine. His handwriting is bold and aggressive.
"Welcome to the family, Mrs. Cross," he says.
The words sound wrong. Like I just sold my soul.
"When do we tell people?" I ask.
"We don't. The lawyers will file the papers tonight. The wedding is scheduled for Saturday. Six days from now. We'll announce it tomorrow as a surprise engagement."
"My father will lose his mind."
"Your father will accept it because I'm saving his company. He'll smile and pretend he's happy because he has no other choice."
"And Gianna?"
Damien's smile turns predatory. "Oh, I have special plans for your dear stepsister."
Before I can ask what he means, his phone rings. He answers, his expression changing instantly to pure ice.
"When?" he demands into the phone. "How much?" A pause. "Get everyone in the conference room. Now."
He hangs up and looks at me.
"Someone just leaked our quarterly earnings report to the press. Early. The stock is already dropping."
"That's impossible. Those reports are locked down—"
"Exactly. Which means my traitor just made their first major move." He stands, his face hard. "Welcome to your first day of work, wife. Find out who did this. You have forty-eight hours."
"Forty-eight hours? That's not enough time—"
"Then work faster." He's already heading for the door. "My driver will take you home. Pack a bag. You're moving in here tomorrow. And Vivienne?"
I look up.
"Don't disappoint me. I don't give second chances."
He leaves.
I sit alone in his penthouse, staring at the contract with my signature on it.
My phone buzzes again. Another text. This one from an unknown number:
"Congratulations on your engagement to Damien Cross. Such a surprise. Almost like it was planned. Be careful, little Aria. Someone knows what you're really looking for. And they're watching your every move. -A Friend"
My hands start shaking.
Someone knows I'm Aria Chen.
Someone knows I'm investigating.
And they're threatening me on my first day as D
amien's fiancée.
I look out the window at Manhattan spreading below me.
What have I gotten myself into?