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“Six days until Easton takes over,” Weston answers. His jaw clenches.
“You’re right.Six days.So, why the fuck am I dealing with this?” He seethes, flipping his computer screen and clicking on a video file.
The screen pops up, and it’s a still frame of me and Weston chatting in my office. My brother glances at me, and I realize we’re both wearing gray suits. Fuck, I remember this day like it was yesterday.
“What is this?” Weston asks.
I don’t need to watch this. I don’t want to.
“This is a PR and contractual nightmare. It was sent company-wide and to every major media outlet,” he says with flared nostrils as he presses play.
Weston’s voice lowers. “All you have to do is get married and make it believable. That’s it.”
“Okay, so what if I meet the love of my life while I’m fake married?” I asked.
“Oh, it should be a real marriage on paper and in public. Scandals are wonderful for business too.”
I groaned. “This is fucking ridiculous.”
“You only have to stay married for one year. Pretend to be the happiest, in-love couple in the world, and no one will question anything. And if you find the one, wait to pursue her until you’ve divorced your temporary wife. After three hundred sixty-five days, you’ll be free to do the same thing you’re doing right now, and you can continue your toxic affair with the company.”
The screen goes black, and my father glares at us.
“Why were there cameras in my fucking office?” I ask, livid. “Did you do this? And where are the other conversations we had?”
He shakes his head. “Can you imagine how disappointed I was to learn that my sons, the men given the golden keys to this empire, had set out todefraudit? Your grandfather … thank God he isn’t here to witness this atrocity.”
“I can explain,” I say, not knowing where to start. “It’s not fake. I —”
“Not right now, Easton. It was yourintentionsthat disgust me. Both of you. The board is questioning if you should take the position because they’re not sure they can trust you.”
“That video doesn’t prove anything,” I say.
He doesn’t listen.
“It proves that neither of you respect the terms. If you’ll lie about this, what else are you capable of? I should be thinking about my goddamn retirement right now, not this.”
My father inhales a breath.
“Effective immediately, you’re both on temporary leave, and all assets are frozen until stated otherwise. I need to speak to legal and the board to decide what this company’s future is.Oh, and, Easton, you don’t have to wait a year for your divorce. You can do us all a favor and stop pretending with your actress ‘wife.’” He puts the wordwifein air quotes. “And don’t ever lie to me again.”
My jaw clenches tight as I glare at my father.
“Respectfully,go fuck yourself.” I seethe.
“The act …still?” His demeanor is threatening.
“When I don’t get divorced, I’ll enjoy watching you choke on your fucking words.” I stand up, pushing my chair under the table.
There is nothing I can say to make him believe it’s real. Nothing.
The disappointment in the room is so thick; it nearly chokes me.
Weston stands, buttoning his coat jacket.
“We’re a package deal. You get us both, or you get neither,” Weston says. It’s the gamble my father took knowing the clock was ticking.
“Get out of my sight until I figure out what to do. You’ve made a goddamn mess out of this. Knowing you could take something so damn sacred and make a spectacle out of it.”