THE MAFIA’S ORPHAN WIFE

THE CONTRACT PROBLEM

The problem with kissing your fake husband is that it makes pretending harder.

For 2 days we avoided each other.

Awkward.

Until Victor called.

"He’s moving the merger deadline up," Adrian told me at dinner. "To this Friday. 3 days."

"And?"

"And he wants proof we’re a real couple. Not just paper."

I nearly choked. "What kind of proof?"

"Public appearances. Affection. He’s invited us to his yacht on Friday."

My stomach dropped. "You think he’s planning something."

"I know he is," Adrian said. "Which is why we need to be convincing."

"How convincing?"

Adrian looked at me. "Very."

My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number:

`Friday. Don’t go. Or you’ll regret it. -J`

James.

I showed Adrian. His jaw tightened.

"Both of them," he muttered. "Fine. New plan."

"What plan?"

"We go to the yacht. We act in love. And we find out what Victor is planning."

"And if it’s dangerous?"

"Then I protect you," he said simply. "That’s the deal."

I nodded.

Later that night, I was packing for the trip when there was a knock.

Adrian.

He held out a small box. "For Friday."

Inside was a diamond necklace. It had to be worth millions.

"I can’t—"

"You can," he said. "And you will. Because my wife wears my diamonds."

He stepped closer. "Lanny. About the kiss..."

"Don’t," I said.

"Right." He nodded. "Just business."

But when he left, he brushed his fingers over my knuckles.

The wrong decision.

But I was making it anyway.