Page 128 of Strictly Business

His expression falters, the smugness draining as he realizes I’m serious. “You won’t do it.”

“Watch me,” I reply, turning on my heel, already pulling my phone from my pocket. I step into the hallway, dialing Robert’s number. The first ring buzzes in my ear as the door clicks shut behind me.

For the first time in years, I feel like I’ve taken back control. Alexander’s games are over. He won’t win. Not this time. Not ever again.

Chapter forty-three

Nicholas

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice.” I close the door behind me, my eyes sliding to where the board members are seated.

Robert breaks the silence first. “Care to tell us what this is about? I thought everything was settled last week. Were there any changes to the contract you wanted to make?”

I shake my head, my mouth dry. “No, the contract is exactly what I wanted.” I pause. “But I couldn’t sign it without being honest with you first.”

The board’s expressions shift. Curiosity, confusion, a few exchanged glances.

“My father built this company from nothing,” I begin. “He made Blackwood Hotels what it is today. A legacy. One that I’ve worked every day to honor. When he passed…” I swallow the lump in my throat. “When he passed, I promised myself I’d do whatever it took to protect it. To protect his dream.”

A heavy silence fills the room. Robert watches me intently. Claire leans forward, her brow furrowing. But I keep going, the words pushing their way out.

“And in trying to do that, I made some decisions I’m not proud of.” I hesitate, locking eyes with each of them in turn. “Choices like faking an engagement.”

Robert’s eyes widen, Simon’s jaw tightens, and even David looks up from his notes.

“Amara isn’t really my fiancée,” I admit. The words taste bitter, like betrayal on my tongue.

Richard clears his throat. “Nicholas, are you saying—”

“I asked her to lie,” I confirm, cutting him off. “After my father’s death, the media focused on him. His funeral, his life, his death. No one was talking about the company. Our revenue was dropping, we were losing customers, and I didn’t know how to stop it.” I glance out the window, the city sprawling beneath me, too vast to seem real. “A friend suggested a PR move. A harmless dating scandal to shift the public’s attention back on me, away from the company’s struggles to my dating life, instead. And it worked. For a while, anyway. But then this deal came along. And I realized the image I’d created, the dating scandals and gossip, was getting in the way of everything I wanted. So, I did the only thing I could.”

“You faked a relationship,” Richard finishes.

I glance at each of them, and nod curtly. “Yes. I asked my assistant to pretend to be my fiancée. It was a desperate move. Not one I’m proud of. But this company was my father’s dream, and I couldn’t let it slip away.”

“This seems like an elaborate scheme for a simple business deal,” Claire adds.

“It was,” I admit. “But it was also the only thing I could think of to protect his legacy.”

Richard’s brow furrows. “And Amara? Was she just… part of the act?”

I hesitate, the answer catching in my throat. “At first, yes,” I say finally. “But somewhere along the way, it stopped being fake. My feelings for her stopped being fake. And now…” I blow out a breath, running a hand through my hair. “Now, I’m in love with her. And this whole charade—as ridiculous as it sounds—turned out to be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

The room is silent, their expressions unreadable.

“I’m telling you this because I want to be honest,” I continue. “If you decide not to move forward with the deal, I’ll understand. But I couldn’t go through with it without telling you the truth.”

The room falls silent. My pulse kicks into overdrive, the ticking of my clock making the sweat build on the back of my neck.

Finally, he stands, adjusting his jacket as he faces me. My stomach clenches, preparing for the rejection I’m sure is coming. This is it. He’s going to thank me for my honesty, shake my hand, and walk out.

“I appreciate your honesty, Nicholas,” he says, extending his hand.

I nod, forcing a smile as I shake his hand, my stomach dropping.

“And we’d love to move forward with this merger.”

My head snaps up. “Excuse me?”

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