CONTRACT MARRIAGE: his business wife

CHAPTER ONE. DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES. Blake’s POV. “How is this happening!” I hissed as I glared at the paper in my hand. I sat behind my mahogany desk, papers scattered all around me. My assistant and best friend, Aria, rushes in, another stack of papers in her hand. “Blake, you have to see this. Our new numbers are in, and ...it’s not good.” I sighed heavily. “Aria, I already know. Aria nodded, a serious expression on her face as she placed the papers on my desk. “It is worse than you think. We had a steep decline in sales, our shareholders are backing off, if not complaining and we are losing customers. Not to mention, our competitors are using this opportunity to gain ground, especially Griffin Enterprises. They are using their name, fame, and pockets to lure our customers, with their extremely low prices. I pinched my nose bride, my anger and frustration threatening to consume me. I clenched my jaw, and eventually let out a frustrated groan. “Griffin Enterprises? That’s Jace Griffin’s company is it not?” I asked, my voice filled with hate and contempt for the man bearing that name. Aria nodded, her brows furrowed in concern. “Yes, yes it is. It seems like he is intentionally doing this like he is trying to run us down into the ground. I have done my assignment, and it seems like he is planning to swoop in and buy this company once we are on the verge of bankruptcy. I know how much this company means to you, I know how hard you have worked to bring this company here, but.. i... I held up my index finger, making Aria swallow the rest of her words. “If this is what Jace Griffin wants, he will have to go through me first.” Aria nodded in agreement. “I know you are not going down without a fight, I know. But Blake, you have to accept the fact that it is not just your company that is on the line here, your family legacy is on the line too.” I stood up like I was stung by a scorpion. “Then I need to do something, something crazy, something drastic. Something Jace would not see coming. And I think I know exactly what I should do.” Aria looked at me, her expression changing from worry to confusion. “You are not planning on doing something drastic are you, Blake? We are talking about Jace Griffin, the richest CEO in the four continents, the same man who built his company on the carcass of his competitors.” My lips curled up into a sneer, “I know that. But...let us just say, I am about to make Jace, an offer he can not refuse. One that will benefit the both of us, mostly me but you get the message don’t you?” Aria smiles a stiff smile, before quickly frowning her face. “You are not planning on having dinner with the Devil, are you? Jace Griffin is a very ruthless man. He will double-cross you, take everything you have worked hard for, and leave you with nothing. “I am well aware of Jace’s reputation, Aria. But I am not offering him a business deal. I am offering him a marriage proposal, more like a merger solidified with marriage, a marriage or convenience, no more, no less.” I said, my voice filled with determination. Aria’s eyes went wide in shock, and her hand flew to her mouth to muffle her screams. “You can not be serious! A marriage? To the Jace Griffin? That...that is insane, that’s crazy. You do not even know that man, the only thing you know about him is that you hate him. He is a cold man, a ruthless demon...” I held up my hand, cutting Aria off. “ I have heard the rumors, Aria. But trust me when I say I know what I am doing, I have been thinking about this for some time. This is about the survival of my company and my family’s legacy. I can not afford to let my hate for him get in the way. Aria looked at me, disbelief all over her face. “So you are just going to sway your hips to him and propose a contract marriage, do you think it is as easy as buying a pair of shoes? How do you even know he will go for it? What if he makes fun of you and humiliates you?” I smirked. “My bestie, that is because every man has his price , and I know exactly what MR. Griffin’s price is.” Aria sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, groaning in frustration. “Okay, and your parents? You can not give gnome the fact that the Carters and The Griffins hate! Each other, they have been rivals since the beginning of time. Even if you manage to convince Jace Griffin to marry you, he and your parents will never accept it.” “I am well aware of our families’ history, Aria. But such desperate times call for desperate measures. If I am willing to save my company, I have to be willing to take risks.” I said a steely look of determination in my eyes. “And what about the man you have been seeing? That guy has been nothing but supportive, he has helped you through all of your dark times. How do you think he will react when he finds out you are going to dump him like a bag of trash and get married to someone else?” Aria asked. My jaw tightened as her question hit me, but my mind was made up. “He will understand, he knows how important this company is to me. I will explain things to him, he is an understanding guy, and he will most definitely understand why I am doing this. This is business, no hard feelings, no pleasures, just a girl trying to save her company and family’s legacy.” Just then my phone rang, and my blood boiled as I saw the caller ID. “Jace Griffin.”