The Sterling's arrangement: My billionaire playboy

The photograph was everywhere. Alexander Sterling sat in his corner office on the forty-second floor of Sterling Tower, staring at the tabloid spread across his mahogany desk like evidence in a murder trial. Which, considering what it was about to do to his career, wasn't far from the truth. *"STERLING SCANDAL: Billionaire Playboy Breaks Up Political Marriage"* screamed the headline above a grainy but unmistakable image of him leaving the Ritz-Carlton at 2 AM with Victoria Ashworth. The senator's wife. The married senator's wife. "f*****g fantastic," Alex muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. At twenty-eight, he'd built Sterling Industries into a tech and real estate empire worth $2.8 billion. He spoke three languages, held an MBA from Wharton, and could negotiate a hostile takeover before breakfast. But apparently, none of that mattered when you were photographed with the wrong woman at the wrong time. His phone buzzed. James Mitchell, his CFO and best friend, had sent a link to another article. Alex didn't need to click it to know what it would say. The same thing they'd been saying for the past week: that Alexander Sterling was a liability, a playboy who cared more about his next conquest than his company's reputation. The irony was that nothing had happened with Victoria. She'd been feeding him information about a defense contract her husband was blocking—information that could save Sterling Industries' latest venture. But explaining that would mean revealing corporate secrets and destroying Victoria's political career. So Alex had done what he always did: let people think the worst and moved on. Except this time, the consequences weren't just a few gossip column inches. The door to his office opened without a knock. Only one person had that privilege. "Alexander." Margaret Sterling swept into the room like a force of nature, her silver hair perfectly coiffed despite the early hour. At fifty-five, his mother still commanded every room she entered, though these days she channeled that energy into charity work rather than high society politics. "Mother." Alex leaned back in his leather chair, studying her face. Margaret Sterling never showed up at his office unless something was seriously wrong. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" "Don't be smart with me." She placed a manila folder on his desk with the deliberate precision of someone delivering a death sentence. "The board met this morning." Alex's stomach dropped, though his expression didn't change. "Emergency session? How flattering. I assume they weren't discussing my stellar quarterly performance." "Your stellar quarterly performance means nothing if our government contracts get pulled." Margaret's voice was crisp, professional. "Senator Ashworth is calling for a full investigation into Sterling Industries' business practices. Three of our biggest clients are threatening to terminate their contracts. And the IPO for Sterling Tech has been suspended indefinitely." The words hit like physical blows, but Alex kept his face neutral. He'd learned long ago that showing weakness to his mother—or anyone in his family—was a mistake. "And the board's solution to this temporary setback?" "Temporary?" Margaret's laugh was sharp. "Alexander, this isn't some gossip column nonsense that will blow over. This is your company. Your legacy. Your father's legacy." There it was. The guilt trip that never failed to land. Richard Sterling had built this empire from nothing, and Alex had spent the last two years expanding it beyond even his father's ambitious dreams. The old man might have been emotionally distant, but he'd trusted Alex with everything that mattered to him. "What does the board want?" Alex asked, though he suspected he already knew. Margaret opened the folder and slid a document across the desk. "Your reputation is toxic. The only way to salvage this is to completely rebrand yourself. No more parties, no more scandals, no more women who aren't suitable for a man in your position." Alex scanned the document, his jaw tightening with each bullet point. Media training. Charity appearances. And at the bottom, highlighted in yellow: *"Consider marriage to appropriate candidate to demonstrate stability and commitment to family values."* "Marriage." The word tasted bitter. "They want me to get married." "They want you to grow up." Margaret's tone softened slightly, the way it did when she was about to deliver the killing blow. "You have six months to turn this around, Alexander. Six months to prove that you're the responsible leader this company needs, not the playboy the media has painted you as." "And if I don't?" "Then the board will vote you out as CEO." She said it matter-of-factly, as if discussing the weather. "Robert Hayes already has the proxy votes lined up. All he needs is one more scandal, one more reason to question your judgment." Alex set down the document and leaned back, his mind racing. Robert Hayes had been his father's business partner and friend, but the old bastard had never liked Alex's unconventional methods. This was the excuse he'd been waiting for. "Six months," Alex repeated. "Six months." Margaret stood, smoothing her skirt. "I suggest you use them wisely." After she left, Alex sat in silence, staring out at the Manhattan skyline. Somewhere in the city below, people were living normal lives, falling in love naturally, making choices that weren't dictated by stock prices and board meetings. He thought about Victoria, probably fielding calls from her husband's campaign manager right now. She'd warned him this might happen, but they'd both underestimated how quickly the media would pounce. Political scandals were like blood in the water for sharks. His phone rang. James. "I assume you've heard," Alex said without preamble. "Emergency board meeting at seven AM? Yeah, I heard." James's voice was carefully neutral. "What's the damage?" "Six months to become a choir boy or I'm out." "Shit." James was quiet for a moment. "What are you going to do?" Alex closed his eyes, feeling the weight of the decision pressing down on him. He could fight it, of course. Launch a media campaign, hire the best PR firm money could buy, weather the storm until something else captured the public's attention. But that would take time Sterling Industries didn't have. The defense contracts alone were worth $500 million. The IPO had been projected to raise another $2 billion for expansion. If he lost all of that because of his reputation... "I'm going to get married," Alex said finally. James nearly choked. "Come again?" "You heard me. The board wants stability? I'll give them stability." Alex was already forming a plan, the same calculating mindset that had served him well in business taking over. "It doesn't have to be real. Just convincing enough to satisfy the media and the board." "Alex, you can't fake a marriage. People will see right through it." "Not if I choose the right person." Alex stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the bustling streets below. "Someone with an impeccable reputation. Someone who needs something I can provide. Someone who has no interest in making this complicated." "And where exactly are you planning to find this paragon of virtue?" Alex smiled for the first time that morning, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Leave that to me." He hung up and reached for his laptop, fingers flying over the keyboard as he pulled up files from Sterling Industries' charitable foundation. Somewhere in those records was the answer to his problem. He just had to find her. The irony wasn't lost on him. Alexander Sterling, who'd spent his entire adult life avoiding emotional entanglements, was about to enter into the most important relationship of his life. The fact that it would be completely fake was probably for the best. After all, he'd never been particularly good at the real thing anyway.