Reed deserved full ownership of Williamson Investments. Not Mason. He’d been the one carrying this company on his back since he graduated top of his class from Harvard Business. And what had his philandering half-brother done? Nothing. But that didn’t seem to matter to their grandfather. He needed to marry, or Mason would get full control if the company.
Reed scrubbed his face with his hand. The fact that George Williamson felt as if he could force him into matrimony was ridiculous. It was the most old-fashioned and backwards stipulation ever.
Reed pushed away from window and made his way over to his desk. For the last week, he’d been counseling with Orson, the family lawyer, trying to find a way around this clause. But he couldn’t come up with anything. If he didn’t get married, he’d lose his title of CEO to Mason. Period.
Reed picked up a dart on his desk and readied it. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the center circle on the board thirty-feet away. Taking a deep breath, he let the dart soar.
It landed smack dab in the middle of the board. Bulls eye.
Why did it have to be marriage? His grandfather was cruel. Reed’s heart squeezed as he thought about Hannah. He was going to marry her. He’d found the girl that he wanted to love forever. But, just like every failed relationship in his life, it came crashing down. Nothing like finding out that the your fiancée was pregnant with you half-brother’s baby. Now they were planning a wedding and a baby shower, and Reed had nothing. Not even a blip on the romance radar.
Reed picked up another dart as a wave of sadness washed over him. As much as he wanted to be over Hannah, he wasn’t. It was hard with her still in his life. Her memory still made his stomach turn inside out. He wanted to say it was because he hated her, but that was a lie. It felt like she would never leave him even though six months had passed since she was his. Why couldn’t his heart understand that?
Wrestling down his feelings of self-pity, he dropped down onto his office chair and drummed the desk with his fingers. He needed to get his head on straight and do some work. He’d convince his grandfather that this was a ridiculous stipulation, he just needed to figure out how.
Just as he shook his mouse to wake up his computer, there was a knock on the door. Grateful for the distraction, Reed called out, “Come in.”
The door opened, and he saw his mom peeking through the crack.
“What do you want, Mom?” He didn’t have time for this. There was no way he wanted to go through another round of “you should get married, it’s your responsibility.”
His mom stepped into the room with an uneasy expression. This was never good.
“I’m here to introduce you to your wife.” His mom stepped to the side to reveal a small red-head behind her.
Reed’s ears rang as he blinked a few times. Had he heard her right? “Excuse me, Mom? Wife?”
When his gaze made its way over to his supposed wife, he saw that her eyes were as wide as saucers. She leaned over to his mom and whispered. “Um, what did you say? How are he and I married?”
His mom glanced down at her. “Didn’t the agency talk to you?”
The woman’s face paled. “I think you have me mistaken for someone else.” She clutched her purse with one hand and braced her stomach as if she was about to be sick.
“You’re not from Elite Soulmate Agency?”
Reed pushed back his chair and walked around his desk. This woman looked as if she was about to faint. He reached out his hand. “Come with me. Let’s sit you down before you fall over and injure yourself.”
The woman glanced down at his hand and then up to his face. For a moment, it looked as if she was about to protest but then pinched her lips shut and nodded.
Once he had her situated in the arm chair across from his desk, he turned to his mom. She had wide eyes as her gaze kept slipping to the woman she’d brought in.
“What is going on?” he asked, stepping up to his mom.
She glanced over at him. “I don’t know how that happened. I swear she said that she was with the agency. Did you say that Georgina sent you?”
The woman’s eyes widened. “No. You didn’t ask me that.”
His mom made her way over to the chair next to hers and sat. “I swear you said that.” Her brow furrowed. “Why would you let me go on and on if you weren’t sent by the agency? Why would you sign the contract?”
The woman opened her purse and pulled out a bracelet. She put it on her wrist, pressing on a small button in the middle of the fabric. It was an anti-nausea bracelet. Reed had seen his grandmother use the same one.
“I thought you were talking about the personal assistant position I was here to interview for.” Her gaze flicked over to Reed, and he thought he detected a pink hue to her cheeks. Must be the nausea.
His mom pressed her hand against her forehead. “This is not good.”
Feeling the need to step into this situation that was sinking faster than a ship, Reed walked over and leaned against his desk so he could face both women. He extended his legs out in front of him. “I’m sure this was just an easy mix-up. So she signed the contract, no big deal.”
His mom’s bright red lips were pinched together as she tried to muster a confident expression. “Yeah,” she whispered but then a moment later, sprang from her chair. “I’ve got to call the agency and then talk to Orson.”
The sound of his office door closing filled the palpable silence. When Reed turned his attention back to the strange woman in his office, he found that she was blotting her eyes with a tissue. Was she crying?
He felt bad for her. She was here, hoping for a job, and yet she was dragged into his mom’s ridiculous schemes.
“Hey,” he said as he grabbed the recently vacated armchair and pulled it closer to her. He reached out and let his hand hover over her arm. Would it seem supportive or just creepy? He went with creepy so leaned his elbows on his knees and grasped his hands in front of him. “It’ll all be over in a minute.”
The woman glanced over at him, her eyes were puffy. “So there’s no job?”
He shook his head.
Her lip quivered as she dropped his gaze.
Whoops. He didn’t mean to make her more upset. “Hey, but maybe that’s a good thing. You’ve seen how crazy my family is. Most women run in the opposite direction of me.”
She let out a laugh. “Yeah. I’ve heard that’s a common plight among the wealthy.”
If she only knew. Sure, woman threw themselves at him, but he always struggled to know if they were there for him or for his money. And the last person he thought was genuine ended up in bed with his half-brother. So his track record was terrible.
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”
She sniffled and stuffed the tissue into her purse. “It’s a lot better than what I’ve got going on.” She took a deep breath and then whispered something that sound like, “I needed this.”
When he leaned in, hoping to catch what she was muttering under her breath, she just smiled and shouldered her purse. “Well, Mr. Williamson, I’ll get out of your hair. I’ve got to dust off my job searching skills and find one.” She stood and started toward the door.
An idea formed in his mind as he watched her leave. How bad would it be if they continued with this ridiculous matchmaking debacle? It would save him from his mom attempting this again and, it seemed as if the woman could use this too.
“What did they offer you?” he asked as she reached out to turn the handle.
Her shoulders tightened and then she slowly turned around. “$100,000 a year with a bonus at the end.”
He let out a whistle. His mom definitely wasn’t stingy with his money. “That’s all?”
She wringed her hands. “And full benefits, a place to live, and a clothing stipend,” she whispered.
He leaned back in his chair. “That’s a pretty nice deal.”
She nodded but then raised her hand as if to stop him. “Yes, but that’s a crazy thing your mom is asking us to do. You don’t wa
nt to be married to a complete stranger. After all, I could be a serial killer or something.”
He stood and strolled over to her. He couldn’t deny that she was cute. The way she kept tucking strands of her hair behind her ear or the way her cheeks hinted pink every time he looked at her. She was intriguing.
When he was a foot away from her, he bent down to catch her gaze. “Are you a serial killer?”
Her eyes widened as she chewed her lower lip. “No.” Then she leaned in. “But that’s what a serial killer would say when asked if they were a serial killer.”
She was quirky and sweet and he couldn’t help but like her. There was something about her that drew him in. She wasn’t like any of the women he’d met at galas or stuffy parties.
He extended his hand. Her gaze dropped to it and then made its way back up to meet his.
“Reed Williamson.” He wiggled his fingers, hoping that she wouldn’t just leave him hanging.
She hesitated and then met his gesture. “Lillian Brunette.”
He shook her hand. “Well, Lillian, what do you say? Fake a marriage with me?”
Her eyes widened as she hesitated and then wiggled her hand from his grasp. “I can’t,” she whispered and then reached behind her back and grabbed the door handle. “You don’t want to get involved in my mess.” She opened the door and moved to step out.
She yelped as she ran into Orson who was standing just outside of the door with a stack of papers in his hands. He straightened his glasses as his gaze moved from Lillian and then over to Reed.
“We need to talk,” he said.
Reed nodded and stepped out of the way so that Orson and Lillian could enter his office. A panicked look raced across Lillian’s face as she glanced toward the hallway and then back to Orson.
“I should just go,” she said. “You can probably shred the documents without me.”
“Actually, Ms. Brunette, we can’t. You’ll need to hear this.”
Her face paled as her gaze flicked over to Reed. “What does that mean?”
Orson situated himself on one of the armchairs and motioned toward the other. “You signed a non-disclosure agreement,” he said as he shuffled through the paper. He said a quiet “ah” and then raised a sheet. “Right here.” He pointed to a signature.
“Okay?” she asked.
“Well, Williamson Investments doesn’t believe that if you walk out that door, you will keep what happened here a secret. You’re a liability.”
She shook her head. “What are you saying?”
“They think you’ll auction off what you learned here today to the highest bidder,” Reed said. He knew what Orson was saying. She’d signed a contract, and they weren’t going to let that go. Inside he cursed his mom. Why did she do this?
Lillian glanced over at him. “But I didn’t know what I was signing.” She began to pace. “So, what? I have to stay married to Reed?” She waved her hand toward him.
His stomach twinged at her reaction. He wasn’t that terrible. Was he?
“Yes. Until his grandfather declares that he fulfilled his inheritance stipulation or passes away, you must remain married to Reed.”
Her face fell. “And I have no say in the matter?”
He hated what this was doing to her. He’d make it right. “Of course you do. Orson, you’re being ridiculous. Let this poor woman out of the contract.” The last thing he wanted was to be married. Much less be married to a woman who didn’t want to be married to him.
Orson shook his head. “I’m sorry, Reed. I don’t work for you, I work for Williamson Investments. They own this contract. Until you are declared owner, you have no say.” He sighed. “The only person who can null this contract is your grandfather, but I’m guessing you don’t want me to tell him what your mother attempted.”
Reed ran his hand through his hair. No, he didn’t want that. He shot Lillian a sheepish look. Would she do this for him?
Her expression turned serious. “And if I walk away?”
Orson shook his head. “You won’t want to do that. You signed away all your assets. You’d be homeless and owe Williamson Investments the amount they promised to pay you.”
Lillian fanned herself with her hand as she quickened her pace.
“Listen, I’m just the middle man. We thought we were hiring someone to play this part. We wanted to make sure that information wasn’t leaked. We had to put that in the contract to protect Reed and this company.” He gave them a smile. “I hope you understand.”
Lillian just scoffed and kept pacing.
Orson straightened the stack of papers and laid them on Reed’s desk. “They’re ready for your signature as well,” he said as he stood and made his way toward the door. Right before he left, he turned to Lillian. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Take advantage of it. Reed’s a great guy.” He shot Reed a smile before slipping from the room.
Once he was gone, Reed turned his attention back to Lillian. “So,” he said, trying to gauge her reaction.
She stopped and stared at her hands. Then she slowly glanced up at him. “I guess I have to pack up my apartment and tell my landlord.”
He nodded. This whole situation was ridiculous, but he was willing to do whatever she needed. “I could call a service to do that. After all, you’re marrying a billionaire.”
Her lips parted as her jaw dropped slightly. Then she shook her head. “No. I can do this.”
“Of course.” He smiled over at her. “Don’t worry, my apartment’s nice.”
She cleared her throat. “I’m going to be living with you?”
Heat boiled to the surface. What was he thinking? “I’m not sure. I’ll have to read the contract. But knowing my mom, it’s probably the case.”
Her gaze moved toward the stack of paper. “Yeah. I should probably read it as well. Try to figure out what other things I committed myself to.”
He nodded. “I’ll bring a copy over to you.”
She pulled the strap of her purse up higher on her shoulder. “I should go. If I don’t, I might find myself contractually obligated to more.” She turned and made her way out into the hall. Just as she disappeared, he realized that he didn’t have her contact information. He followed after her.
“Hey, Lillian?” he called to her retreating frame.
She hesitated and then turned. “Yeah?”
“Leave your contact info with Persephanie at the front desk.”
She glanced in the direction of the lobby and nodded.
When Reed was back in his office, he collapsed on his office chair and stared at the stack of papers in front of him. What just happened?
Chapter Three
“Oh. My. Gosh,” Tamara breathed as she stood in the middle of Lillian’s room the next day. Her gaze darted around as if she were trying to process what Lillian had told her.
Stifling a sigh, Lillian pulled a shirt off its hanger and folded it up. She really wasn’t sure what she was doing or what exactly had happened. Was she really marrying a billionaire? Just thinking those words made her feel ridiculous. She wanted to tell Tamara the truth, but with the non-disclosure agreement, mum was the word.
“It’s really not a big deal,” Lillian said as she shrugged.
Tamara’s eyes widened. “But it’s Reed Williamson. Are you serious? The job requires you live with him? Lucky,” she whispered as she sunk onto Lillian’s bed.
Lillian set the shirt in the suitcase that she’d perched on her bed and then turned her attention to her friend. “About that, how much of this position do you know? Like, what exactly did Reed’s grandfather say?”
Tamara reached out and flicked the zipper to the suitcase with her finger. “It was more that I overheard a conversation from Reed’s mom. She was on the phone talking to some agency about sending a girl to help assist Reed. I figured you could use the break so I told you to go.” She sighed as she leaned back, propping herself with an extended arm. “Had I known how comprehensive this job was, I would have gone
myself.”
If she only knew how comprehensive it was. Lillian pinched her lips shut. There was no way she could spill the beans, and she knew that when it came to Tamara, she had no secrets. Lillian needed to distract herself. Turning, she grabbed another shirt from its hanger and set it in the suitcase.
“So, tell me about this elusive billionaire bachelor. Is he as handsome as they show in the magazines?” Tamara asked.
Lillian shot her an annoyed look. Fawning over a hot, rich guy was the last thing she needed to do. Not when she had the responsibility she did—even if she still wasn’t ready to acknowledge its existence. “I didn’t notice.”
Except she had. Reed was handsome in an almost unworldly way. There was no way his chiseled jaw or deep brown eyes could have been created by accident. It was unfair to the rest of the male population. He was tall—over six feet— and he had this down-to-earth quality about him that mesmerized Lillian. She seemed to forget how to talk when she was around him.
Tamara snorted. “That’s a lie.”
“Is not.”
“Yes, it is. I can see it in your eyes. You can never make eye contact when you’re lying.”
Lillian shot her friend an exasperated look and turned back to her suitcase. “I don’t have time in my life for a man and you know that.”
“Because of the baby?”
At the mention her pregnancy, Lillian’s hand made its way to her stomach. What was she going to tell Reed? How had she forgotten this huge detail? “I’m not going to tell him because there will be no baby.” Tears choked her throat as she remembered back to the horrid night a year ago. The night she lost the first baby.
“Lil, that doesn’t happen all the time. This one is going to be different, and then what are you going to tell your boss?”
Heat raced to Lillian’s cheeks as nausea flooded her body. She knew it was foolish to keep this a secret, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him or anyone else. She was jinxed in more ways than one. Right now, she needed to keep her head down and do her job. That way, Reed couldn’t fire her if he found out. “I’m going to be sick,” she said as she bee-lined for the arm chair in the far corner and collapsed on it.
Marrying a Billionaire (A Fake Marriage Series Book 3) Page 2