Contractually Yours: An Arranged Marriage Romance (The Lasker Brothers Book 4)

I work through lunch at my desk with Karen. There are so many tasks that have to be completed before the launch can happen, and other than me, she’s the biggest champion for this collaboration within Peery Diamonds,.

“The timeline’s too tight now,” she says. “Hae Min is taking too long to make decisions, and we can’t do this.”

“I know.” I try to speak calmly, but my voice is too tight with frustration.

She taps her chin with her index finger. “Can we select another partner?”

“That might delay us more.”

“But it’s a sunk cost. Maybe the realization that they aren’t the only ones we can work with might get them off their butts.”

She’s right, but I hesitate. I don’t want to go through the pain of vetting another conglomerate.

“I’m not just saying this to make you uncomfortable, but you need to realize there are people who question your leadership. So this project’s progress is even more important.”

“I’m…aware of that.”

“It isn’t just people within the company. Some of our shareholders are becoming concerned. You being a young woman doesn’t help matters, either.” She sighs. “It’s the same kind of misogynistic attitude everyone had when Wilhelm was in charge.”

Karen would know. It must’ve been much worse over thirty years ago when she started her career at the company.

“But people like that will always find fault with me for my age and gender.” I say it mainly to reassure myself. The fact that the collaboration isn’t going as well as I hoped is an acidic knot that’s permanently occupying my gut at this point. It was supposed to be my chance to prove to the board that I have what it takes.

“They do, and they’ll undermine your efforts. They assume the accomplishments from the last two years are due to Roderick’s oversight. Even now I hear whispers—where is Roderick? Why isn’t he doing more to help?” Karen bites off the last sentence. She doesn’t get along with Roderick. She blames him for the division within management.

I grind my teeth, since I agree with her assessment. The only thing he’s good at is submitting expense reports. But somehow people at the company act like he was the engine that ran Peery Diamonds.

He sure knows how to manage his image.

“Anyway, we should keep pushing ahead but not limit our options,” Karen adds. “Plus, we need to think of some ways to highlight our wins, so you can defend yourself if some shareholder expresses doubts about your ability. The shareholder meeting is next month.”

That’s true. It’s happening earlier than usual this year, which is worrisome, given the lack of significant progress on the project. “Since there isn’t much to say about the collaboration, why don’t we create a list of other accomplishments we can take to the meeting? Our stock price has gone up a fair amount in the past few weeks. That’s a good sign.” I wish the audit team was done going over executive expenses, but they told me it’s going to take a while, so I can’t even bring that up as something I’m doing to clean up our less-than-ideal corporate culture and control costs.

“I’ll get on it,” she says.

After Karen’s gone, Bianca hands me a sandwich from the deli next to the office. “Grabbed you a turkey and cheese.”

“You’re the best.” I smile. She made sure the sandwich has nothing but turkey, Swiss cheese, tomato and basil mayo. I don’t like anything else on my sandwiches.

“Karen should’ve let you have a lunch break,” Bianca says.

“She didn’t have anything either. Can you see if she needs anything?”

“Already sent her a grilled cheese.” She grins.

“Thanks.” Bianca thinks Karen works too hard, but she also gives our COO credit for her support. I take a bite of my sandwich.

“By the way, this came for you from Sebastian Jewelry.” Bianca hands me a small brown box she’s been holding, then starts walking toward the door. “I’ll let you enjoy your lunch. Just yell know if you need anything.”

“Will do.”

I put my sandwich down and rip the cardboard box open. Inside is another box, silver and beautifully wrapped. It doesn’t feel like jewelry. Sebastian would’ve used a special courier for that. Or better yet, he would’ve given it to me at home.

I tug on the ribbon and lift the lid. Under the white tissue papers is a beautifully framed photo of us from the party. It’s the one Noah took.

Suddenly the stress and mental fatigue melt away. I smile at the framed photo. Sebastian and I look good together. I adore the way he looks at me in the picture, like he has real feelings for me.

I pull out my phone and text.

–Me: Thank you! Love the photo!

–Sebastian: You’re welcome.

He attaches a picture of his desk, which has the same photo on it. I press my lips together so I don’t squeal like an overly excited teenager. But this makes me feel like we’re a real couple. Like we could be a true family.

He could be getting over the breakup with Gabriella. I study our picture again. He’s been so attentive and kind since the tennis match that hope stirs within me.

I put the frame on my desk, then take a snapshot and send it to him. He doesn’t respond, but he’s probably in a meeting by now.

I start to put my phone down until I see a notification from the Google Alert I set for Sebastian. Most are photos. Maybe Google found a good one? It occasionally finds some old shots of him at a fancy gala or something.

I click on the first link. The pictures that fill my screen are from the party, and many of them feature me and Sebastian. Some of the guests probably uploaded them on their social media accounts.

I scroll down. Maybe there are some shots here that I can save. My thumb hovers over a couple of photos of me and Gabriella. Somebody must’ve taken them when she came by to talk. She looks so gorgeous and radiant, and I appear… Well, I appear tense. It was from that headache, but my mind is already conjuring up what people will say.

Gabriella Ricci said she chose to end things with Sebastian Lasker. But would she have if it hadn’t been for Lucienne Peery?

Lucienne Peery stole Gabriella Ricci’s boyfriend and married him, and now L’s acting jealous and petty too?

Shouldn’t Lucienne Peery apologize to Gabriella?

I feel sorry for Sebastian Lasker. He could’ve done far better.

My hands grow clammy, but I try to ignore the unpleasant sensation. People always talk trash about me. So what else is new?

I scroll past the photos of me and Gabriella, then almost drop my sandwich when I see the last one. Sebastian and Gabriella, standing close, his head dipped low. They’re in the lobby of the Aylster, and there are other people around. But the angles of Sebastian and Gabriella’s bodies display the kind of intimacy that can only come from a couple who’ve been together for a while.

My good mood vanishes. I stare at the picture of Sebastian and Gabriella, studying it for clues that it was taken months ago. But no. There’s that Eldredge knot.

There must be another explanation. The paparazzi always take photos that will create the most stir. They crop and frame their subjects so that people will come to the most lurid conclusions.

It could be that Sebastian and Gabriella had a chance, innocent meeting. She could’ve just said hi, and he said hi back.

But a small voice in my heart says that if that were the case, they shouldn’t be standing so close. They shouldn’t be at a hotel, and their heads shouldn’t be together like they’re planning something clandestine.

I put my phone on the desk, screen down. My eyes fall on the framed photo Sebastian sent. Instead of soothing my jagged nerves, it only serves to stick a knife into the hot, writhing mess in my chest.

Roderick often sent Mom presents after he screwed Gwen. Or when he thought that he might get caught. Presents were his way of managing Mom. And she let the flowers and pretty little things blind her because that was easier than confronting the painful truth.

I realize I never asked Sebastian if he invited Gabriella to the party. Or if he still wants to be with her. Although I told him early on I was okay with his being with other women if he was discreet, I’m anything but okay now.

I should try to give him the benefit of the doubt. Jumping to conclusions would be unfair, especially when I know how things can be, even with photos. Unless tabloids plaster the Internet with Sebastian and Gabriella rolling around naked, I need to calm down and talk with him.

Knocks come at the door. Bianca slips through. “Got a minute?”

“Yeah,” I say, happy for the distraction. “What is it?”

Her steps are unusually heavy. She takes the seat in front of my desk that Karen occupied earlier. She can’t quite meet my eyes.

“You’re making me nervous. What happened?”

“I got an email from Chul-Su Park.” I frown, and she adds, “You know, one of our liaisons at the Hae Min Group.”

“Okay,” I say calmly, doing my best to pretend there isn’t a giant hole in my stomach. “What did he say?”

“He said they reviewed our launch proposal, and they love it.”

“Oh.” The burning sensation eases. “Well, that’s great.”

“Um… Yeah.” She licks her lips.

I brace myself. “Tell me the bad news.” It couldn’t be that terrible if they loved the proposal.

“I don’t want to upset you or anything because… God, you don’t need this, but…”

“Just tell me, Bianca,” I say, trying to get her going. When she gets nervous, she drags her feet before getting to the point. Even though she means well, it drives me crazy because it draws out the apprehension. It’s currently balled up in my throat. If she doesn’t spit it out soon, I’ll probably pass out.

“They want Gabriella Ricci as the brand ambassador for the Sebastian Peery collaboration.”

I stare at her for a moment. Nothing computes, and finally my brain gives up. “What?”

“That was my reaction, too.” She slides a hand across her chin. “But they’re serious. Apparently she’s really popular in Korea.”

Agitation churns in my gut. Now I wish I hadn’t had anything for lunch. “There are other models. And they must’ve seen all the love-triangle stuff gossip sites are saying about me, Sebastian and her. Having her could damage the brand.”

“I know.”

“And I was thinking about using local celebrities.”

“I told them that, but they seemed pretty set on Gabriella Ricci. Although he never said anything really, you know, explicitly.”

“They never do.” Leaning back in my chair, I put a hand over my throbbing forehead. Maybe Karen’s right. I need to find a new partner, one that’s more sensible.

“But I got a sense that maybe there’s some kind of external pressure for them to do this.”

I straighten, dropping my hand. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just the way he phrased it.”

“So Eugene Hae wants to use Gabriella?” I ask, trying to get a clear picture of what’s going on. When he and I spoke, he seemed fine with selecting Korean celebrities to promote the brand.

“No, I don’t think so. It’s hard to say for sure, but it’s like the decision came from somewhere outside the group. Chul-Su kind of hinted that that’s why it took so long for them to get back to us.”

“Pressure from outside the group.”

“Yeah.”

“And enough pressure that they won’t go through with it without Gabriella.”

“Well… It’s hard to say for sure. But Chul-Su said it would be ‘difficult to proceed’ if Gabriella Ricci isn’t the launch ambassador.”