Page 48 of Strictly Business

But I know at some point, they’ll have questions… questions I’m not ready to answer.

I glance at my desk, seeing Jade and Sophie deep in conversation. Jade spots me first, her eyes laser-focused on my hand. Before I even reach my seat, she’s out of her chair and grabbing my fingers.

“Holy shit, look at that rock!” Her voice is so loud, I swear half the office hears it. I wince, glancing around to see eyes flicker our way.

“How much did this cost?” Jade’s voice is tinged with awe, her wide eyes practically glued to the diamond on my finger. Sophie shoots her a glare which makes Jade shrug. “What? I might buy myself one.”

Sophie scoffs. “I don’t think you could afford a ring like that even if you worked your entire life.”

My heart races at the reminder. “I don’t know how much it costs… but it must be a lot since we flew in his helicopter to get there,” I tell them.

Both of their eyes widen in shock.

Jade’s jaw practically hits the floor. “What?”

Sophie, however, shakes her head, her brows tugged together. “I still don’t understand how you were suddenly engaged to Nicholas Blackwood?”

My head snaps toward Jade. “You didn’t tell her?” I ask, assuming she would have told Sophie about the fake engagement the first chance she got.

Jade shrugs. “Nope, you told me not to tell anyone.”

Sophie’s expression flickers with confusion. “Wait. She knows?Jadeknows and I don’t?”

I let out a sigh. “She found out when I was shopping.”

Sophie’s eyebrows knit together. “Found what out? Someone tell me what the hell is going on.”

I chew on my lip for a moment. Screw it. What’s one more person? “It’s not real,” I say quietly. “The engagement… It’s just a means to an end until Nicholas can secure a business deal.”

Her expression shifts, staring at me, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Wait.” She shakes her head. “What?”

I nod, my gaze dropping to my hand, the weight of the ring still unfamiliar. “Nicholas needed to convince the board he was settled down and ready to take on the international merger,” I explain. “The fake engagement will be over in three months.”

Sophie doesn’t respond right away, staring at me for a beat. I can practically see the wheels turning in her head as she processes what I’ve just told her. She finally looks up from the floor, her eyes meeting Jade’s. “And you kept this to yourself the whole time?”

Jade shrugs, a smirk tilting her lips. “I know how to keep secrets.” She gives us a knowing look. “You wouldn’t believe how many secrets I have.”

Sophie narrows her eyes. “That kind of scares me.”

Her smirk widens. “It should.”

Sophie lets out a small huff of disbelief, reaching for her coffee. “Where were you yesterday?” she asks. “I came over to your place, but you weren’t there.”

“Yeah, I uh…” I press my lips into a thin line, knowing I’ll never hear the end of it. “I kind of moved in with Nicholas.”

Both of them freeze, their wide eyes locked on me.

Sophie slowly swallows the coffee down with a loud gulp, placing her mug back on her desk. “What?”

Jade shakes her head. “Okay, I hadnoidea about that.”

Sophie’s brows tug together. “You guys are living together, engaged, and you’re telling me nothing’s happened between you two?”

I shift in my seat, the pressure of their stares making me squirm. “No,” I say, shaking my head quickly. “Nothing. Seriously. It’s just business. We’re under contract.”

Jade raises an eyebrow, leaning back and crossing her arms. Her gaze sharpens as she examines me. “And where in the contract does it say you have to live with him?”

I let out a long breath, my fingers tightening around my mug. “It doesn’t,” I admit. “But when he saw my apartment, he… told me to move in with him.”

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