Page 12 of Claimed By the Enemy
“Okay,” he says, turning back to face me. “I’m going to need you to explain this from the beginning. Because right now, it sounds like you’ve completely lost your fucking mind.”
“Sophie used a false identity to infiltrate my company. Corporate espionage. Identity fraud.”
“Right, you mentioned that yesterday.” Raff pours himself another drink, this one smaller. “What you didn’t mention was your brilliant plan to marry the corporate spy.”
I lean back in my chair, considering how much to tell him. “Someone’s targeting her. And possibly me.”
I reach into my desk drawer and pull out the letter I received yesterday. Raff’s eyebrows rise as I slide it across to him.
“Someone’s targeting her. And possibly me.”
Raff reads the letter twice, his expression growing darker. “How long have you been getting these?”
“This is the first one. But there have been other incidents. When she was attacked leaving that party, it wasn’t random.”
“So you married her to protect her?”
“I married her to protect my interests.”
It’s a partial truth. The real answer is more complicated. The real answer involves the way Sophie looked that night after she was attacked—vulnerable and scared, asking me to stay. The waysomething in my chest tightened when I thought about someone hurting her.
“Something happened at the office yesterday.” He leans forward, suddenly serious.
“Which is?”
“Rumors. Caruso wasn’t kidding about them. I overheard three of my staff members discussing at lunch yesterday how a woman with a fake identity had been working in the company. They were speculating about security protocols, whether other employees might be plants.”
My jaw tightens. “What exactly did they say?”
“That someone infiltrated the Moretti Group using false credentials. They know it happened under your watch.” Raff shakes his head. “If my media team is gossiping about it, you can bet other departments are too. Your leadership is being questioned.”
The words hit their mark because they’re true. I’ve noticed the way conversations stop when I walk into rooms lately.
“Actually…” Raff tilts his head, considering. “Marriage might work for the narrative. Instead of ‘CEO fooled by corporate spy,’ it becomes ‘CEO marries brilliant woman who impressed him so much he pursued her.’ I could spin that. Want me to put something out through More Media? Official statement about your whirlwind romance?”
“No press, Raff. The last thing I want right now is to be in the media.”
“But Dom, if this was really just about corporate damage control through marriage, would you have married a man if it had been a male spy who infiltrated the company?”
I suck my teeth. “Come on, you know I’m straight.”
“Bingo.” Raff grins like he’s just solved a puzzle. “You married her because you actually like her. Which means this isn’t about business strategy at all.”
The accusation hangs in the air, too close to the truth for comfort.
“Sophie Bellini is a means to an end,” I say firmly.
“Is she? Because I’ve known you for over a decade, Dom. I’ve seen you handle corporate threats, hostile takeovers, and actual business crises. You’ve never once considered marriage as a solution.”
Raff sets his glass down, studying my face. “You could have had her arrested. Publicly exposed. Made an example that would have restored your reputation completely. Hell, you could have just kicked her out and hired better security. But instead, you married her.”
He’s right, and I hate that he’s right.
“This could be a ploy,” he continues. “Maybe she sent that letter herself to throw you off guard, make you paranoid enough to make mistakes.”
“It’s possible,” I admit.
“But you don’t think so.” Raff finishes his drink. “You know what I think? I think somewhere between discovering her lies and taking a bullet for her, you started caring about her.”
