Contract Marriage with Billionaire

Swords are Drawn

From Grace,

After all the foolish things I did last night, the last person I wanted to see was Christian. However, I had to stop by the company today. The best approach was to act as if I remembered nothing. After all, I had no business related to Christian today; I was meeting Scott and Mr. Anderson for discussions.

Upon entering the company, Mr. Anderson greeted me, leading me to the conference room. With the participation of Scott and a few executives, we began to re-evaluate the few points we couldn't agree on yesterday. These weren’t crucial matters, but knowing Alexander's sensitivity to such details, I went over each one meticulously. High-level executives usually wouldn't bother with such matters, but I didn't want to let down Alex's trust. I had wanted a small meeting, and Scott had initially been surprised at my involvement, but once he realized my uncompromising nature, he too wanted to attend. Our rapid rise in the industry with Alex was due to this: we never compromised in business. Scott seemed not to expect this performance from me. My disciplined and uncompromising attitude certainly surprised him. He seemed to look for a trace of the old me, as if trying to ascertain if I truly was the person in front of him. However, all his searches were in vain; I had left that girl behind in this city years ago. As Mr. Anderson was discussing a potential issue related to the last point of the agreement, the door opened, and Christian entered, imposing as ever.

The other executives in the room stood up, but with a small gesture from Christian, they sat down. He turned to me and started speaking.

"Welcome. I hope I haven’t interrupted an important point," he said with a suggestive tone. I couldn’t quite decipher what was on his mind.

"I wasn't aware you'd be attending the meeting. I remember you mentioning not to involve you in details, so I'm quite surprised you changed your mind," I replied, noting from the expressions in the room that I wasn't the only one caught off-guard.

Christian confidently walked over and sat in the chair opposite me.

"They say the devil is in the details."

With a slight nod of acknowledgment, I returned my focus to the business at hand. It was evident to everyone that something strange was afoot between us, but I wouldn't let the situation get weirder. The last thing I wanted was to be the subject of office gossip.

Grace, seemingly oblivious to the watchful eyes, was entirely engrossed in her work. She exuded such professionalism and confidence that Christian found himself admiring her. With every question she posed and each new idea she proposed, it became evident that she had a tremendous potential. She was meticulous in detail, never moving on without being convinced of perfection.

Christian realized that Grace was truly made for this. Why hadn't he recognized such talent in her before? Grace had always been intelligent, but the woman in front of him was much more. She was like a predator. She had always been headstrong, but now it had transformed into something different. She radiated an aura that seemed to capture those around her; she was regal, possessing an innate nobility. For a moment, he considered how much they had come to resemble each other over the years. Years ago, he had told her she was too weak for him, but now Grace seemed to challenge that notion with her demeanor. After last night's events, he found himself in this place without even realizing it. Why was he here? He detested dealing with such trivial matters and didn't have the time for them. So, what was he doing here?

******

ChatGPT

The meeting had just ended. As I was answering Mr. Nelson's specific questions and gathering my belongings, I noticed Christian had not left the conference room. I couldn't discern what he was waiting for; after all, the meeting was over. Mr. Nelson and I were heading towards the door when I heard Christian's voice.

"I'd like to discuss something privately with you. If you're available, let's head to my office."

I looked at Christian, trying to gauge what he was up to, but his face was devoid of any emotion. After nodding in agreement, we started walking to his office.

As we reached the entrance, he firmly instructed his secretary, "Don't let anyone in or connect any calls until our meeting is done, Teresa."

He took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk and motioned for me to take the one opposite. I was taken aback by his choice not to sit behind his desk.

"Alright, I'm listening. It seems we have something important to discuss."

Nodding, he began, "To be frank, I must say your performance is impressive for someone your age. But for such a significant project, I believe Montenegro Group should be represented by someone with more experience. After your behavior last night, I'm sure Alex would agree with me."

I could feel my face burning with anger. Clenching my teeth, I began to respond.

"If you could clarify what you mean by my 'behavior' from last night, I'd appreciate it. My personal life has never and will never impact my performance in this project. However, I can't say the same for you. Before preaching about professionalism, you should learn not to let your personal emotions spill into your work life."

His face remained impassive as he spoke, "What I'm referring to is quite clear. In the middle of the night, our potential partner calls me, asking me to find the girl responsible for the project. I find you inebriated and had to practically drag you to the hotel. I hope you realize how much you've embarrassed me in front of our partner."

He was twisting the story to his favor. So, he was choosing to overlook what happened last night, just as I was. If he wanted to concoct his own version, so could I.

"Oh, so you were the invisible good Samaritan that 'helped' me last night? I was quite certain I managed to get to my hotel on my own."

He was trying to sideline me, but I wasn't going to let him.

"If you ever discuss your 'assistance' from last night with Alex, let me know. I'd certainly like to mention your invisible help. And before you suggest someone else should take my place, remember that I own 8% of this company's shares. It would be wise for you to reconsider, as I will never hesitate to veto any current or future business collaboration that I deem unsuitable."

We were both talking in veiled terms – he was indirectly asking me to leave, and I was essentially saying it's either with me or this partnership is over. If I knew him at all, he wouldn't back down without getting what he wanted. Yet, this time, I genuinely couldn't fathom why he was trying to oust me. I had to be careful; he had an agenda and was going to persist in bothering me. As for Alex, that was a different situation entirely. I couldn't tell him everything that transpired, but I couldn't lie either. If he knew the whole situation, he'd never let me be here. I couldn't allow Christian to sow seeds of doubt in him.