I'm Kate Bamford, and I'm an EA (Executive Assistant), and I've just started a new job with - quite honestly the most gorgeous man I've ever set eyes on. This is a shame because men - gorgeous, sexy, or otherwise are completely off my radar! I can blame my ex for that, he's a controlling, miserable PoS! Weeks of being told what I can and cannot do would drive anyone to murder. Oops! The less said about that the better. No, I didn't stick a knife in his black petrified heart, but I did cause him major humiliation, which, thinking about it might have been even worse. My big worry is I have a secret, and the last thing I need is for my ex or anyone else to find out. Nobody will rescue me if my secret gets out. I'm Darius Graves, CEO of Graves and Son. I have a big problem, it concerns my mother - a matriarchal socialite who lives 3,461 miles away from me in New York. It's not far enough! My 'dearest' mother thinks nothing of getting into her private jet and popping over to see me in London as if she's going to the corner shop for a pint of milk. The thing is, she wants me to get married, but only to a girl she chooses. There is not a snowball's chance in hell of this ever happening. No way. No how. My two best friends are always coming up with various solutions to this problem. i.e. Sell the bank, or keep the bank and work from home in Katmandu. However, their latest idea is a fake marriage. But to whom? I can only think of one person, and that is my new assistant. She's beautiful and thinking about her keeps me awake at night.
View MoreI don’t think I have ever been so angry for a long time. What the hell was my mother playing when she asked Kate who she was? I’d just bloody told her! And as for ‘Wish-I-had-never-heard-of-you,’ there was no way on God’s earth I would marry that woman. The outfit she was wearing was hardly appropriate for a family dinner. Flesh chiffon with strategic cutouts. From a distance, she appeared attractive, but once you engaged in conversation with her, it felt like prodding a snake with a stick. Her face remained expressionless.. Regardless of the topic, she skillfully redirected the discussion back to herself, making her ego seem larger than anything I had ever encountered. I wanted to talk to Kate in private, especially after the way she kissed me when she first arrived. I know she was pretending, but it felt genuine enough. She called me a liar when I said that I had missed her. But it wasn’t true. The more I saw her at work, the mor
As the time of the dinner with Darius’ mother approached, I couldn’t help but feel a knot of nervousness in my stomach. Meeting the mother of the man I was going to marry is a significant event, but knowing that she had different plans for his future added an extra layer of tension. I was well aware that she had someone else in mind for him, a girl she considered more suitable for their family’s status and wealth. It was a classic tale of societal expectations versus true love, and I found myself caught in the crossfire. She’d probably hate me for disrupting her plan with the girl she wanted him to marry. But what the hell, I just need to keep my eyes on the money.“Evening Jeff, how’s things with Leo and Mrs Graves?” I said as I got settled in the car.Jeff shook his head with a mischievous smile. “Oh boy, we’ve had a real rollercoaster of a day, but you know, I probably shouldn&rs
The Wicked Witch of the West was due today. Yes, that’s my mother!. Honestly, she was the last person I needed to see. Yes, I know I invited her, but what with Leo here, and complete with black eye I knew my the woman would never let it rest. Even though she had given me guardianship of Leo while she frolicked in champagne and caviar in New York’s society, it didn’t stop her from sticking her oar in whenever she wanted. Leo hated it when she came over and had even talked Alma and George into letting her stay at their mews house on Friday night just so she didn’t have to sit at the table with her mother. I couldn’t blame her. Maybe I had done this wrong. Maybe Kate and I should have just run off to Vegas and got married in an Elvis Chapel. It would certainly have caused less tension.And if course my thoughts turned to Kate. You know, love and I don’t get on. I’d done it once–falling in love, that is. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I could never do it again. That little inte
On the Thursday before our engagement party, Darius called me at the office to say his sister, Leo, had ditched school. She hasn’t been seen since last night. “I’m heading to Yorkshire in the helicopter to see what’s going on. She might turn up to the office, so can you hang out there in case she does appear there?” His voice sounded strained. He must be so worried. “Yes, of course I will. Poor love, do you know why she ran away?” Darius sighed. “It’s something to do with Seb. She adores him and Ethan, and I think she’s told some girls that she’s going to a party with him. Of course, they didn’t believe her and some sort of fight started. She might go to the house there, and I’ve phoned Mrs Cod to look out for her.” “Ok, I hope you find her quickly.” “God, so do I. I can’t think of anything worse, especially if she hitched a lift to York.” Damn, that would be dreadful. She was only seventeen, and if she got into the wrong hands, it didn’t bear thinking about. “Hopefully, I’ll see
As I sat at my desk, Kate by my side, an indescribable mix of confusion and concern gripped my heavy heart. And let me tell you, I was bloody furious! I couldn’t help but ask, “Why me? What did I do to deserve this mess?” If Oliver had orchestrated this whole thing, it must have happened before Kate even entered the picture. I mean, it would make some twisted sense if it occurred after Kate came into my life, but then Sienna wouldn’t have even known she was expecting. And there she was, right in front of me, this young woman I’d never laid eyes on before. Yet, somehow, she was connected to me through a web of lies and deceit. The disbelief etched on her face as silent tears trickled down her cheeks spoke volumes. It was a modern-day collision of emotions, tangled in a web of secrets that threatened to tear our lives apart.Passing Sienna a pack of tissues, Kate offered her support. “Don’t cry, Sienna. We’ll figure this out,” she said, placing her hand reassuringly over Sienna’s. “Whoev
Darius and I planned to throw an engagement party. Remember that gaudy ring? He received it back from me, and then he asked what I wanted in its place. His brilliant idea was to involve a jeweller, have me choose two rings, and then surprise me with one of them at the party. It may be excessive, but at least I get to choose my bling!Here’s the thing I knew I needed to get an engagement ring, mostly for Darius’s mother’s sake. She’s a very traditional lady, and it would cause a stir if I turned up without it. Despite my doubts, I realized I had to put everything on the line to secure that five million pounds. Finding my long-lost sister or adopting a child are both options I’m considering. That money could make us all live happily ever after!Here’s when the real stress set in. We set the party for the romantic Valentine’s Day, which was a Saturday, only ten days away. Panic mode activated! I called up Henry, feeling completely lost, and asked, “Henry, who on earth am I going to invit
I spent Monday at home. I even went into the office at five in the morning to get a few things and left Kate a note that I would be working from home. I can imagine what she thought when she realised I wasn’t at work. I just thought it would be better to have some space between us. I’m not saying that I enjoyed it.I actually missed her. I missed her perfume wafting around the office, and the tap of her heels. She’s like a hummingbird flitting around the office in her sassy jewel-like outfits, the glinting of her small gold earrings when the sun catches them.Kellie had called saying that Kate had called in sick. I couldn’t blame her. She was only doing the same thing as me. I wasn’t sure how long to wait for Kate’s answer, but I resolved to give her a week. I went to work on Tuesday but Kate didn’t show. I was in trouble with Alma, too. She wanted to know why Kate had left the house so quickly and before pudding! I didn’t dare tell her what had happened. She would have strung me u
I strolled down the road, leaving Darius's house behind, my mind spinning like a tornado. Disappointment washed over me as I realized he didn't want the real me. Apparently, I was just a pawn in his grand business scheme. Well, well, well, Mr Darius Graves, you played your cards, but guess what? I've got a few conditions of my own. If I were to go along with this crazy plan, my requirements would be absolutely paramount, darling. I downed the last of my coffee, hailed a taxi, and off I went, headed for home sweet home. It wasn't until I plopped down in the taxi that I noticed the shiny ring still adorning my finger. Oopsie daisy! I had meant to return it to Darius, but hey, maybe this was a sign. A sign that I should do a little moonlight disappearing act, change my name again, and vanish into thin air. I've pulled off vanishing acts before, and I could certainly do it again. During the rest of the cab ride, I let my imagination run wild, envisioning the fabulous places I could go if
The only sound in the room was the clock ticking away on the mantelpiece after I asked Kate to marry me. The poor love looked dumbfounded. “Are you okay, Kate? I’m sorry this has all come as a bit of a shock. We don’t have to stay married forever, and I will pay you for the privilege of being your husband. A million pounds for one year of marriage, and …”“Stop, just be quiet.” Kate said, her voice was trembling a little.I stopped talking immediately. She closed her eyes, and as she did, my phone buzzed to let me know lunch was ready, and I didn’t want George coming up to see Kate in this state. “I’m just going to fetch our lunch. Here you have a look at this.” I handed her the envelope my lawyer and sent with the contract. “I’ll be five minutes.”Kate nodded, but she didn’t look at me and I was wondering if I’d blown it already. I’m sure Seb would not be pleased if I was on my way to the top of Everest to run my business. This would be like falling off a log to him and Ethan. I alw
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