The atmosphere is tense between us as I lead Valentina into my home office. We’ve been here together uncountable times, but never regarding a deal quite as important as this one.
I didn’t realize it until the words left my lips, but this is what I want above all else. I want Valentina as my wife. Strategically, it’s the right decision.
Making her my wife will prevent her from leaving, and it rids me of Natalia. Having her in my bed will be a nice added bonus.
I grab a blank sheet of paper and hold it up. “I won’t be making the same mistake twice,” I tell her, my tone disgruntled. “I finally understand how all the men you’ve dealt with throughout the years felt. You’re a vicious fucking shark, Valentina Diaz.”
Valentina smiles and crosses her arms. “What can I say? I learned from the best.”
I smile back at her and shake my head ruefully. Yeah, Valentina is a weapon that can’t fall into enemy hands. She’s fully capable of crushing me if she so pleases, I have no doubt.
“Tell me what you want in return for marrying me, Valentina.”
Her eyes roam over my face, her expression carefully guarded. I wonder what it is she sees, what it is she wants from me. Everyone has a price, and ultimately, Valentina is no different. No woman I’ve ever met has looked at me and wanted me for who I truly am.
Without my wealth and the prestige of the Windsor name, I’d be nothing. In the end, a transactional marriage suits me best. When there are clear boundaries and expectations, there’s no room for disappointment or hurt.
Valentina hesitates, and I involuntarily tense. “Are you sure you want to do this, Luca? There’s a chance your grandmother won’t let it slide, and she’ll take away your inheritance. Is that a risk you’re knowingly willing to take?”
I smile at her and pick up my pen, ready to draft our contract. “It’s a far smaller risk than you might think. You know how much my grandmother likes you. Do you truly believe she’ll punish me for supposedly following my heart? I’ll tell her I’m in love with you, and I couldn’t see a future without you. Tell me, Valentina. What do you think she’ll do, knowing that she was the one who pushed you onto my path in the first place?”
She looks away, knowing I’m right. I wouldn’t get away with this ploy if it had been anyone but her.
“Luca, she might like me, and she might think I’m a good asset to the company, but that doesn’t mean she’d want me to join her family.”
“If that was true, she wouldn’t insist that you join for family dinner so often.”
She falls silent, the gears in her brain turning.
“Leave her to me,” I tell her. “No matter her reaction, I’ll abide by the terms of our contract. Whatever I promise you, I’ll deliver, regardless of whether or not this will work.”
She nods hesitantly, and I glance down at the empty sheet of paper in front of me. “Tell me your requirements.”
The way she looks at me makes me wonder if she’s trying to determine whether to put her faith in me. She brushes her hair out of her face and inhales deeply, as though she’s gathering her courage. “I want the very best care you can get my grandmother, including home renovations where required. I want round-the-clock care, and caretakers that will treat her with respect and affection, no matter how bad she gets.” She pauses then. “Once we divorce, I also want enough money to continue that level of care for the rest of her life.”
Perhaps she isn’t quite as clever as I thought her to be, or she’d have known I’d give her whatever she wants, unconditionally, if she simply asks for it. If she were to deny my proposal and plead for help, I’d still grant it.
“What else? This is your one chance to demand anything from me. If it’s in my power, I’ll grant it.”
She hesitates, but then she steels her spine and smiles. “I won’t stay in my role as Executive Secretary for much longer. From what I understand, Stephen is looking to retire. Once he does, I want his job. I want to be the Chief Operating Officer of Windsor Finance. I don’t need you to give me the job, but I want your vote when the next COO is appointed.”
Her request doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. If anything, I should’ve started quietly advocating for her already. “It’s only right that your career continues to advance, especially now that I’m asking you to stay when one of the reasons you wanted to leave was further career growth. You have my full support, Valentina.”
I’ve been selfish with her, and I’m starting to realize that I can’t forcibly keep her by my side. Even now, as I’m about to marry her, it’s because it’s mutually beneficial. If I hold on to her too tightly, I’ll only end up crushing her.
“Luca,” she says, her tone firm. “There’s one more thing.”
I straighten my back, intrigued by the look in her eyes. Whatever she’s about to tell me is clearly non-negotiable. Interesting.
“I don’t want anyone but our families to know about our marriage. We’ll be getting a divorce in three years, and I can’t risk being known as your ex-wife for the rest of my life. I’d like to walk away with a clean slate and no baggage, and I can’t do that if I’m forever linked to you.”
She sighs and looks away. “I don’t want our marriage to impact my job either. For years, there have been rumors about me sleeping with you to get ahead, and I don’t want any of that to seem true. I’d like us to separate our professional and private lives.”
I don’t like the sound of that. My need to publicly claim her as mine is barely tolerable, yet I have no choice but to suppress it if I want her to marry me. Besides, there’s no way I can disclose our marriage even if I wanted to, not with the engagement hanging over my head. “Understood. But in return, I have some requirements of my own.”
