Elena's POV
I stood outside of Xavier's office door and grabbed the handle with a shaking hand. I thought the hallway was going around and around me.
Get married to him? Like a broken record, the words kept going over and over in my head. I wanted to get married to Xavier Moretti.
The man I came to kill. I closed my eyes and leaned my back against the cold wall.
I thought my heart would jump out of my chest because it was beating so fast. Victor was having a chat with Santini.
That hurt more than what Xavier said. My own brother. The one person I thought I could trust in this mess. "Get it together, Elena," I whispered to myself.
I walked to my desk and sat down. My computer screen was still on, showing Xavier's plan for tomorrow. Everything looked normal. But nothing was normal anymore.
My phone buzzed. A text from Victor. "Hey sis. Want to grab dinner tonight? We need to talk."
I stared at the message. Did he know that I knew? Was this some kind of trap? I typed back: "Can't tonight. Work stuff." His reply came fast: "Elena, it's important. Please."
I turned off my phone and shoved it in my drawer. The building felt too quiet. I could hear my own breaths. Every little sound made me jump.
Focus on the goal, I told myself. That's why you're here. But was it still my goal if my own brother was working against me? I opened my laptop and started typing.
If Xavier wanted a contract, I needed to know exactly what I was going into. I pulled up everything I could find about contract weddings, prenups, and business partnerships. The elevator dinged. My whole body went stiff. Gabriella stepped out.
She looked beautiful as always, with her red lipstick and designer suit. But when she saw me, her smile turned nasty. "Well, well," she said, walking over to my desk.
"How's your first week going, assistant?" She said the word like it tasted bad. "Fine, thank you," I answered, keeping my voice steady. She leaned on my desk, getting too close.
"You know, I've been Xavier's... close friend for a long time. I can spot trouble from miles away." My fingers tensed on my pen. "I'm just here to do my job." "Are you?" She tilted her head.
"Because it seems like you're doing a lot more than filing papers." My blood went cold.
Did she know something? "I don't know what you mean," I said. Gabriella straightened up and fixed her skirt. "Xavier might be fooled by your sweet act, but I'm not.
Watch yourself, Elena. Some games are too dangerous to play." She clicked away on her high heels, leaving me with a chill running down my spine.
I waited until she was gone, then grabbed my bag. I needed air. I needed to think. The parking garage was empty except for a few cars.
I sat in my beat-up Honda and tried to make sense of everything. Xavier knew who I was. He knew I was lying about my name. He knew I was here for payback.
And he still wanted to marry me. Why? The answer hit me like a punch to the gut. He didn't care about me at all.
This was just business to him. I was useful. A tool he could use against his father and Lorenzo Santini. But what choice did I have?
If I said no, he'd probably call the cops. Or worse, tell his father. And Matteo Moretti was not someone you wanted as an enemy. If I ran, I'd never get the truth about what happened to Dad. I'd never clear his name.
And Victor... my heart ached thinking about him. Was he really working with Lorenzo? Had he been lying to me this whole time? My phone rang.
Xavier's name showed on the screen. I let it ring three times before answering. "Yes?" "Meet me at Rosetti's Restaurant at eight," he said. His voice was cold and businesslike.
"We have details to discuss." "I haven't agreed to anything yet," I said. "Haven't you?" There was amusement in his voice.
"See you at eight, Elena. Or should I say, Samantha?" The line went dead. I threw my phone on the passenger seat and screamed.
A real, loud scream that echoed through the empty garage. Get it together, I told myself again. You're better than this.
I drove home to my tiny apartment and stood in front of my closet. What do you wear to dinner with the man who's blackmailing you into marriage? I picked a simple black dress.
Not too fancy, not too plain. I wanted to look like I was in control, even though I felt like I was sinking.
Rosetti's was the kind of place where rich people went to make deals. Dark wood, soft lighting, and waitresses who moved like ghosts.
Xavier was already there when I arrived. He stood up when he saw me, like a gentleman. But his eyes were cold as ice.
"You look nice," he said, pulling out my chair. "Let's skip the fake pleasantries," I responded, sitting down.
"What are your terms?" He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Straight to business. I like that." The waiter brought wine. Xavier ordered for both of us without asking what I wanted. Control freak.
"The marriage will last one year," he started, his voice low. "You'll move into my apartment. We'll appear together at public events. You'll play the loving wife." "And in private?" I asked.
"In private, we stay out of each other's way. Separate bedrooms.
No... complications." I felt my cheeks heat up, remembering our night together. "Fine by me."
"You'll have access to family parties, board meetings, anything you need for your... research. But you share everything you find with me first." That wasn't what I wanted, but I nodded.
"And if I find what I'm looking for? If I get proof that clears my father's name?" "Then you're free to use it however you want.
After the year is up." I took a sip of wine, thinking. "What about Victor?" Xavier's face changed. Something darker flashed in his eyes. "What about him?"
"He's my brother. Whatever he's done, I need to protect him." "Even if he's working against you?" The question hit like a slap. "You don't know that for sure."
Xavier pulled out his phone and showed me a picture. It was blurry, but clear enough. Victor sat across from Lorenzo Santini at a coffee shop.
They were shaking hands. My world turned sideways.
"This was taken two nights ago," Xavier said quietly. "Your brother has been meeting with Santini for weeks." I stared at the picture until it blurred. My own brother. Betraying me. "Why?" I whispered.
"Money. Power. Revenge against our family. Does it matter?" It did matter. It meant so much I could barely breathe. "Elena." Xavier's voice was softer now. "I'm sorry."
I looked up at him. For just a second, I saw something real in his eyes. Something that wasn't cold or calculating. "Are you?" I asked. He reached across the table and touched my hand. His skin was warm.
"Yes." We sat there in silence for a moment. Then Xavier pulled his hand back and the mask slipped back into place. "So," he said.
"Do we have a deal?" I thought about Dad. About the truth that was still buried somewhere in the Moretti family secrets. About Victor and his betrayal.
About the way Xavier looked at me when he thought I wasn't watching. "Yes," I said. "We have a deal." Xavier smiled. A real smile this time. "Good. We'll make the news tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" My voice cracked.
"That's too fast." "In this business, Elena, speed is everything. Strike first or get struck down." He called the waiter over and ordered champagne.
"To partnership," he said, raising his glass. "To getting what we both want," I responded. We clinked glasses, marking our fake engagement with real champagne.
As I drank, I wondered what I was really getting myself into. Marriage to Xavier Moretti. Access to family secrets. A brother who'd betrayed me.
And somewhere in the back of my mind, a tiny voice whispered that maybe, just maybe, this wasn't completely about revenge anymore. My phone buzzed with a text. Victor again.
"Elena, please call me. You're in danger. Lorenzo knows who you are." The champagne glass slipped from my hand and broke on the floor.