5
1329 Words
Nadia and Xavier knew exactly what the press wanted to hear.
So that was exactly what they gave them.
They smiled for cameras. Answered questions. Played their parts.
Within days, every news outlet seemed to have something to say about them.
Two of the country’s most successful young executives were getting married.
The wedding of the year.
The power couple nobody saw coming.
What had originally been planned as a small, private ceremony quickly became national news.
And apparently, everyone had decided they were invited.
Back at WhitCo, things were finally beginning to stabilize.
Shareholders who had threatened to withdraw from the company were now the same people insisting they had never stopped believing in Nadia.
Investors were suddenly calling with opportunities instead of concerns.
And everyone seemed to have the same question.
When were the invitations going out?
Nadia had lost count of how many times she’d heard it.
Jacqueline, unfortunately, was one of the people enjoying every second of it.
As the event planner, she was somehow more excited about the wedding than the bride.
“Who said there’s no such thing as fate?” Jacqueline said, looking far too pleased with herself. “Maybe the universe was just tired of the locked-up vibe you had going on.”
Nadia rolled her eyes.
“The universe needs to mind its business.”
Jacqueline laughed as she grabbed her bag from the couch.
“Come on. We have a wedding to plan.”
“We have a wedding to survive.”
“That too.”
They left the house and headed for one of the bridal boutiques Jacqueline had picked out.
Nadia barely stepped through the doors before she was surrounded by racks of white dresses, sparkling accessories, delicate veils, and enough decorations to make her feel like she’d accidentally walked into a palace.
She stopped in her tracks.
“Absolutely not.”
Jacqueline looked at her.
“What?”
“All of this.”
“You haven’t even seen the dresses.”
“I’ve seen enough.”
Jacqueline sighed dramatically.
“Nadia, you’re getting married.”
“Contractually.”
“Still getting married.”
“For thirty months.”
“Thirty months is a long time.”
“Not when you’re counting down.”
Jacqueline shook her head and walked deeper into the store.
Nadia followed reluctantly.
“I want something simple,” she said. “Very simple. No huge train. No crystals everywhere. No ten-layer skirt. Nothing that makes me look like I’m auditioning to be Cinderella.”
Jacqueline slowly turned around.
“You’re joking.”
“No.”
“You’re marrying Xavier Sterling.”
“I am aware.”
“Half the country is going to be watching.”
“Exactly why I want something simple.”
Jacqueline stared at her for a moment before grabbing the nearest dress catalogue.
“Absolutely not. You’re not going to have the wedding of the year and show up looking like you’re attending Sunday brunch.”
Nadia laughed.
“I would actually prefer that.”
“You’re impossible.”
“And you’re dramatic.”
“I am an event planner. Drama is literally part of my job.”
Nadia shook her head as Jacqueline began flipping through the catalogue.
“What about the guest list?” Jacqueline asked.
“No.”
“I haven’t even said anything.”
“I know what you’re going to say.”
“We need a guest list.”
“A small one.”
Jacqueline stopped flipping through the catalogue.
“Nadia.”
“What?”
“Have you seen the messages you’ve been getting?”
“I’ve been ignoring them.”
“Exactly. Everyone wants to come.”
“I don’t know why.”
“Because you’re marrying Xavier Sterling. You’re the CEO of Whitmore Co. Two of the most talked-about young executives in the country are getting married. People aren’t going to sit at home and watch it on television if they can get an invitation.”
“Good. They can watch it on television.”
Jacqueline laughed.
“You’re serious?”
“Very.”
“Nadia, your father knows half the business world. Your mother has friends everywhere. Xavier probably has a guest list longer than my arm. Then there are the investors, politicians, celebrities, journalists—”
“No politicians.”
Jacqueline stopped.
“See? You’re already making my job harder.”
“I don’t want two thousand people staring at me while I sign a marriage contract.”
“Technically, you’ll be walking down an aisle.”
“Same difference.”
Jacqueline gave her a long look.
“We’re going to have to compromise.”
Nadia sighed.
“How many?”
“Five hundred.”
Nadia’s eyes widened.
“Five hundred?”
“Fine. Four hundred.”
“That is not a compromise.”
“Three hundred?”
“Jacqueline.”
“Two hundred?”
Nadia stared at her.
“I’m not inviting two hundred people.”
Jacqueline crossed her arms.
“Then you tell everyone who’s already asked for an invitation that they aren’t coming.”
Nadia opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
That was the problem.
Everyone expected to be there.
Judging by the number of messages she’d received since the engagement announcement, half the people she knew had already mentally reserved a seat.
“Fine,” Nadia muttered.
Jacqueline grinned.
“I knew you’d see sense.”
“I said fine to figuring it out. I didn’t agree to a stadium.”
“Progress.”
Before Nadia could respond, her phone began ringing.
She pulled it from her bag.
Xavier.
She stared at his name for a second before answering.
“What?”
“Good afternoon to you too, Miss Whitmore.”
“What do you want?”
“I have good news.”
Nadia glanced at Jacqueline, who was already watching her with a knowing smile.
“What kind of good news?”
“Ryenzo Lawrence wants to meet you.”
Nadia straightened.
“Ryenzo Lawrence?”
“CEO of Enzo Pharmaceuticals.”
“I know who he is.”
“I assumed you did.”
“So why does he want to meet me?”
There was a brief pause.
“He wants to meet his future partner’s future wife.”
Nadia frowned.
“Future partner?”
“The contract is official.”
Her expression changed.
“You got it?”
“I did.”
A smile slipped across her face before she could stop it.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“There isn’t one. Ryenzo just wants to have dinner with us.”
“Us?”
“Yes. He specifically asked to meet you.”
Nadia glanced at Jacqueline again.
“When?”
“Tonight.”
Her smile disappeared.
“Tonight?”
“Tonight.”
Nadia looked down at the wedding catalogue still open in Jacqueline’s hands.
Apparently, she had a wedding to plan.
And now she had a billion-dollar business dinner to survive.
“Where?”
“I’ll send you the address.”
A pause.
“And Nadia?”
“What?”
“Dress appropriately.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“I always dress appropriately.”
“I know.”
There was something in his voice that made her suspicious.
“What are you not telling me?”
“I’ll see you tonight.”
The call ended.
Nadia slowly lowered the phone.
Jacqueline was already staring at her.
“Well?”
Nadia exhaled.
“Wedding planning is canceled.”
Jacqueline blinked.
“Why?”
Nadia looked at her.
“I have dinner with Ryenzo Lawrence tonight.”
Jacqueline’s jaw dropped.
“The Ryenzo Lawrence?”
“Yes.”
“The CEO of Enzo Pharmaceuticals?”
“Yes.”
Jacqueline grinned.
“Oh, this just got interesting.”
And judging by the look on Nadia’s face, she had a feeling it was about to get a lot more interesting than either of them expected.
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