Billionaire's marriage bargain

CHAPTER 2

ASHER

"What happened to your suit, sir?" she exclaimed upon seeing me.

"Some clumsy girl happened. Bring me a fresh suit," I ordered.

"Yes, sir," she replied promptly, darting off to fetch a new suit.

Thirty minutes passed before I found myself back in my office chair, feeling a bit more composed.

"Sir, I think you need to see this," my secretary said, her voice tinged with apprehension as she placed a stack of tabloids on my desk.

The headlines hit me, instantly darkening my mood.

"Scandalous Affair: Billionaire Brother Betrays Family, Steals Elder Brother's Fiancée!"

"Love Triangle of the Rich and Powerful: Younger Brother's Deception Shocks High Society."

"Inheritance of Deceit: Billionaire Scions' f*******n Romance Tears Family Apart."

The words on the tabloids were like daggers, stabbing at my carefully crafted image.

I couldn't read them anymore

"Sue them, sue all of them, until they can't afford anything again," I thundered, my voice resonating with anger.

"Yes, sir. But I'm afraid the damage is already done. Investors are worried about this sibling rivalry, and stock prices are dropping fast," my secretary informed me, her voice trembling slightly.

"Call the media team. Tell them if they don't get every article down in the next hour, I'll fire them all," I fumed, my determination to control the situation evident.

"Yes, sir," she replied, rushing out to convey the urgent message.

Frustrated and furious, I picked up the telephone

"Hello, inform every board director and manager of a meeting in the next 30 minutes. Be sure to convey that if they aren't present, they could all kiss their jobs goodbye," I bellowed, slamming the phone down in frustration.

In my anger and chaos, I couldn't help but wonder how this leak had happened. He managed to keep it a secret for two months now. So how did it get out?.

Now was not the time to figure out who leaked it, He had to do some damage control.

As I sat on my chair later in the day, I felt thoroughly exhausted. The day had been a relentless whirlwind of meetings, one after another. The finance team had managed to come up with temporary solutions to do damage control but I knew I had to find a more permanent fix.

I looked at the clock,6:30.I had to see Ethan by 7, which meant I had to start leaving now.

Turning towards the door, a tabloid on my desk caught my eye. I usually avoided such trashy reads, but curiosity got the better of me.

Entering the elevator, I started scanning the tabloid. A group of ladies joined me.

"Did you hear the latest? Asher's brother snatched his fiancee," exclaimed the blonde lady, her eyes sparkling with gossip.

I instinctively held the magazine up to my face, concealing my identity. "Who would leave Asher? He's a billionaire and looks like a god," sighed the brunette dreamily.

"It's all over the tabloids. Look!" the redhead pointed out, inches from recognizing me.

I swiftly lowered the magazine, leaving them dumbfounded.

"We... we're so sorry," stammered the brunette.

As the elevator doors opened, I exited without a word, As I passed the lobby I saw people whispering and staring at me

.

Sliding into my car, determination surged through me. "I need to clean up this mess—now!

The drive home was a blur of city lights and bustling traffic, each passing moment fueling my determination. As I pulled into the driveway of my luxurious home, I couldn't shake off the weight of the day's events.

Entering the grand living room, Ethan's familiar voice broke through my thoughts.

“Gosh, Asher, all you do is work. Can't you take a break?" Ethan complained, gesturing around the spacious living room with its elegant décor and expensive furnishings.

"Hello to you too I said dryly

Work is everything, Ethan," I replied nonchalantly, moving from the living room past the marble pillars to the modern kitchen, equipped with high-end appliances and sleek countertops.

"You've been working nonstop since what happened," Ethan persisted, following me into the kitchen.

"I'm okay, thanks for asking," I reassured him, grabbing a bottle of water from the in-built refrigerator. As I took a sip, thoughts about the recent tabloid gossip swirled in my mind.

"If you say so, Anyways are you going to go for the engagement?''He took a bag of potato chips from the marble counters

Probably not,” I said with a hint of sarcasm. “But my father will definitely want me there to keep up the image of an amiable family. What a joke that is.

" I would never understand why your brother would do that to you, I mean you guys were rivals but he took it too far this time," He said

"I don't really care about what he does, All I care about is finding a solution to fix this mess, Stock prices are crashing we could end up losing a lot of money not including my reputation'' I said with exasperation.

I turned to see Ethan looking deep in thought.

"Oh no, That's your I have a very terrible idea look," I said mockingly

"Asher hear me out, No matter how crazy this sounds, What if you hire a person to pretend to be your girlfriend. The tabloids would go crazy seeing how to have moved on'' "I bet stock prices would rise seeing how there isn’t any rivalry between you and Ryan and besides It would be fun seeing the look on Ryan’s face when he realizes how fast you have moved on’’ Ethan said gesticulating ecstatically

"Are you crazy? That's a very terrible idea and besides where am I going to find someone like that"I replied wondering how in the world Ethan became my best friend.

"Asher what age do you live in?. This is the 21st century, With just a couple thousand dollars you could get hundreds of girls lining up, And besides you’re Asher Sterling, I’m sure some would be willing to even do it for free’’ He said winking at me.

“I’m not interested in lying with a complete stranger Ethan" I replied.

"But it's going to save your company and your reputation" He tried to convince me

"I am not interested, I'll find some other way'' I shouted.

"Calm down man It's just a suggestion"Looking at his watch

"I'm so late, Rebecca is going to kill me “I smiled at the mention of his bossy new girlfriend.

"Bye Romeo, I hope you come back in one piece ’’I mocked him.

"Asher take care of yourself, I mean it" As he shut the door he called "Let me know if you change your mind.

As Ethan shut the door, I stood in the luxurious penthouse, deep in thought about Ethan's suggestion. The idea of hiring a pretend girlfriend lingered, However, after a few moments of contemplation, I shook my head dismissing the notion

Wasn’t lying and deceit what got everyone here in the first place?. It was too risky.

With determination, I went up to my study to return to work, I had to think of strategies to address the crisis at hand, A genuine solution.

As I woke up from a deep slumber in my study, the soft light of dawn peeked through the windows, giving the room a cozy glow. Rubbing my eyes, I realized I had crashed at my desk, surrounded by paperwork and half-finished reports. The mess reminded me of the chaos I was dealing with.

Letting out a groan, I pushed myself upright, feeling the stiffness in my muscles. I stretched my limbs as I took in the serene ambiance of my study, The scent of rich mahogany and leather filled the air, a familiar comfort.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes into a sharp black Gucci business suit, I made my way downstairs, my footsteps echoing in the grand foyer of my mansion.

The staff, with fear evident in their eyes, greeted me with nods and smiles as I passed by, their movements cautious and precise, like they were walking on eggshells in my presence. He was used to everyone being afraid of him.

Stepping outside, the fresh morning breeze hit me. I hopped into my sleek, black Bugatti Chiron, starting the engine with a satisfying rumble.

Driving through the familiar streets, I couldn't shake off the thoughts racing in my mind. I was going to meet my father, and I needed to be prepared for anything.

. "You're late," my father roared as I walked into the family room, luxuriously furnished with intricately patterned Persian rugs, marble floors that gleamed under the soft lighting, and opulent velvet drapes framing the windows.

I couldn't help but admit that every time I came here, even my penthouses couldn't hold a candle to this grandeur. My thoughts of admiration shattered as I stared into familiar grey eyes.

"What are they doing here?" I said furiously, the feelings of anger and betrayal I had long suppressed bubbling up inside me.

"Now, Asher, I want you to calm down. I called you here so we could have a little talk," my father said in a gentler tone, though the tension in the room remained palpable.

"What could he possibly have to say to those people?" I muttered under my breath.

"Hi, Asher," Ryan said with a smirk, adding fuel to the fire of my anger.

"I have nothing to say to them," I declared, ignoring Ryan as I turned and walked away, my footsteps echoing in the spacious room.

"Crystal is pregnant," my father called out, stopping me in my tracks. I turned back, trying to suppress the hurt as I looked at Crystal's face, a mix of surprise and concern evident.

"So what am I supposed to do about that?" I replied, feigning nonchalance even as my mind raced with implications.

My father sighed heavily. "How did both of you get into this mess?"

"Anyways, I called you here so you and your brother could at least try to sort things out. Due to the situation of things, we have to move the engagement to three days from now, and the wedding will be in two weeks. We have to try and avoid as many rumors as possible before Crystal becomes visibly pregnant."

I had heard enough. "Father, if you could excuse me, I have a business meeting now," I said firmly, my tone indicating my decision to leave the tense atmosphere.

"Asher Sterling, come back here this instant!" my father yelled, but I ignored him and continued walking towards my car.

As I got into the driver's seat, I knew I had to do one thing. I dialed Ethan's number. "Hello, Ethan, I've changed my mind. How would we do this?"