A Million

Adrian

"Mr. Chase contacted me. He asked that we send a bodyguard—one to keep his daughter safe. I need you to send one of the guys from Seattle. My men are all occupied," Aaron said as we stepped into his study, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"I don’t think I have any men free. The one left is the scariest of them all. He’s the guy for VIP jobs, and Chase isn’t a VIP member, is he?" I asked, glancing at Aaron, who gave me a pointed look.

"He owns one of the biggest shares in the company. He’s the famous telecom billionaire. Send whoever you have, as long as they can do their job."

I hummed, settling into the chair opposite his desk while he turned around. "Xander is available. But since we’re talking about protecting a woman, he won’t be up for the job," I shrugged.

Xander was one of the best bodyguards in ZenithCrypt Securities, and he knew it. Arrogant prick. Most clients had complained that he was cold—too cold. Didn’t talk, didn’t interact, just did the job and left. I didn’t see the problem. They wanted security, not a conversation partner.

But with a woman, things could get complicated.

"We're sending him. Give him a heads-up. He'll be leaving for Washington in a few days," Aaron said as he sat down, grabbing a file and sliding it across the desk toward me.

I picked it up, flipping through the pages. My brows furrowed with every turn. "Blackmail?" I asked, tossing the file back onto the desk.

Aaron nodded. "Yeah. According to him, they have copies of his sex tape and are threatening to release it online. That cannot happen—not with him running for Senate in the next election."

He passed me another file.

"From my findings, all the tapes are stored in a drive. We just need to destroy it, but we need someone close enough to get to it."

I pressed my lips together, my mind already piecing together possible complications. "And how do we know all the tapes are on that drive? What if there are copies somewhere else?"

Aaron swiveled in his seat, nodding. "We’re still working on finding out where all the tapes are before we make a move."

I exhaled slowly, flipping through the file again as we went over a few other matters. Apparently, we had a meeting tomorrow with stakeholders from both the Seattle and New York branches.

"So, your wife…" Aaron started, and I perked up at the sudden shift in conversation. I kept my expression neutral, unreadable, even though the mere mention of her sent her scent rushing back into my mind.

"What about her?" I asked casually, glancing from my phone to Aaron, who cocked a brow.

"I could look into her if I wanted."

I jerked forward, my hands pressing onto the desk. "You wouldn’t do that."

Aaron chuckled. "I very well could. It’s just… interesting that you suddenly have a wife right when a certain clause is being put in place." He leaned forward. "Tell me, Voss. Is it real?"

I rubbed my fingers over my day-old stubble, locking eyes with him. "She’s been my girlfriend for five years. This says a lot coming from a man who’s been hiding his fiancée from the world."

Aaron scowled, and my lips tugged into a small smirk. Touche.

I leaned back in my seat, watching him closely. "I don’t want you looking into my wife. It’s a breach of privacy, and if I find out you did… Well, I’m sure there are a few things Joan would love to know."

Aaron smirked. "A threat? Cool." He stood, stretching. "I think we’re done here. I have a date to prepare for."

I followed him out of the study. While he went off to wherever, I returned to my room.

The moment I opened the door, I froze.

Astrid stood in the middle of the room, her back slightly turned, wearing nothing but lingerie.

She glanced over her shoulder, her face paling as she realized I was there. Instinctively, she crossed her arms over her chest—a useless attempt to cover herself.

I stepped in slowly, shutting the door behind me, grinding my teeth. Trust Astrid to pull something like this. To make me remember. Those days when she’d try on lingerie and dresses just to watch me crumble.

"Use the bathroom," I said curtly, strolling toward the bed, determined not to look at her.

"Why should I?" she asked, and I glanced at her. Some of the color had returned to her face.

"You’re standing in a shared room, nearly naked, and you’re seriously asking that?" My voice held disbelief.

She shrugged. My eyes fell to her chest. Damn. She’d gotten bustier.

"My eyes are up here, Voss," she said dryly, and I felt heat creep up my neck.

"I won’t be comfortable changing in the bathroom. Unless you plan on ogling me the whole time. In that case, we’re fine," she muttered.

I huffed. For real?

I sat on the bed, rolling up my sleeves, forcing myself to look anywhere but at her. My gaze landed on the shopping bags scattered around the room. Just from where I sat, I counted six.

She went all out on my card. Typical.

"I thought you were supposed to get a few dresses to wear while we’re here. What’s with all the bags?" I asked, digging my phone out of my pocket. The bank manager would be calling any minute now.

"Is that a complaint?" she asked, staring at herself in the mirror. Probably admiring her own reflection.

"I’m just asking," I replied, slightly irritated.

She sighed, her blue eyes meeting mine. "I didn’t spend that much. If I remember right… $300,000? Maybe more." She smiled humorlessly.

I cocked my head to the side. "You disappoint me, Blythe. I thought it’d be more than that. Still have mild taste in things, I see."

Her nose flared, her eyes turned sharp. "You didn’t let me finish."

I waited, already regretting asking.

She smirked. "I paid for everyone at the store. They were so grateful. They wished you well."

My phone buzzed, and I glanced down at the invoice on the screen. One million.

Okay.

"I don’t think that’ll affect your account, right?" she teased, grabbing a robe and walking into the bathroom. "It’s a black card, after all."

She slammed the door shut.

I exhaled through my nose.

She was so goddamn infuriating.

A million gone in a shopping spree.

Guess I got myself a tough wife after all.