Chapter 6: About to be single

Raze’s pov

"So, I saw the news, man. You’re really serious about this, man?" Dante’s voice comes through the phone.

I climb the staircase, smiling to myself. "I’m currently in the mansion, that should show you how serious I am. Thirty days. That’s all I need and that’s how long this fake engagement lasts. I play the devoted fiancé, smile for the cameras, rescue his public image, make everyone believe we’re engaged and about to marry for real."

"And?"

"And people are predictable." I push open the guest room door. "Especially lonely people. Everette will remember us. He'll remember the late nights we spent together building our company from nothing, instant noodles at two in the morning, celebrating every investor. He'll remember why he loved me."

"You sound awfully confident."

"I've always been irresistible."

He snorts. "Insufferable you mean."

"That too." I pull my polo over my head, going to the enormous bed and unzipping my duffel bag. "Once he falls again, I will propose and suggest we make the fake wedding, a real wedding. We'll exchange half our company shares as a symbol of trust before the wedding. Romantic enough to make headlines. Everette loves those kinds of stupidly romantic gestures.

"And how will that work? Won’t he be getting your company shares too?"

A slow smile spreads across my face. "My contract will say he only receives my shares once we're legally married." I fold a shirt onto the dresser with maddening care. "Only one tiny sentence. Easy to overlook."

"And because you're already married..."

"...our wedding won't be legally valid." I chuckle. "He signs away half his empire. I keep mine. When it's over, I own half of his company, he owns none of mine, and I walk away with everything."

Dante whistles softly. "Cold."

"I learned from the best."

"You mean Theodore Carrington?"

"He taught me well."

“WOW. I’m still in awe, man. This might be your best strategy yet. You do know if this works, you won’t be getting just half of his tech company but also his shares in the oil dynasty. Genius. But Wait,” Dante says. “Does this mean I will get some shares too?”

“Of course,” I grin. “We’re married.”

"Who are you married to?" a woman’s voice says behind me.

My hand freezes halfway to another shirt.

Well.

That's inconvenient.

I turn around with my best smile already in place. Standing right there in the open doorway is Serena Carrington, looking like she just flew in from a corporate hostile takeover.

"There you are," I drawl. "I was wondering why the room suddenly got cold. Back from your yearly witches' meeting?"

She growls at the remark, her posture tightening as she takes a step further into the room. "Ha ha, still snarky," she snorts, folding her arms over her chest as her brown eyes narrow into dangerous slits. "So tell me. Who did you say you were married to?"

Shit, how much has she heard?

My mind races through the variables, calculating damage control while my eyes slowly take in Everette’s deadly younger sister. Or as I like to call her.

The devil brother.

Because even if she happens to be the younger sibling and a female, trust me, she doesn't behave like one. Serena Carrington is her father incarnate through and through, from the blonde hair styled with lavish precision over a beautiful face, down to the pristine white pantsuit that screams she means absolute business, on a body any man will kill for. And a very snotty mouth to match like her father, making it hard to believe a sweet person like Everette is actually related to any of them.

"Must have heard me wrong. I said “going to marry”," I tell her smoothly, turning back toward my open duffel bag and casually ruffling through the clothes as if my heart isn't beating a fraction faster than normal. "Haven't you heard? I'm getting married to your brother. Just breaking the news to a friend."

"A fake marriage, thank God," she breathes out as she leans against the wall, watching me like a hawk. "Cause with my father marrying that snake, no way am I going to let my only brother marry you. Not after what you did to him."

Ahhhh, she doesn't like the fiancée. Noted.

"You mean what he did to me?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, please. You almost wrecked his company and disappeared for years. And now that your new company needs investors, you’re rawling back into Everette's life. Funny how you always show up when you need something from him."

That's... clever.

Wrong.

But clever.

I cross my arms over my naked chest. "You do know I’m the one helping your brother out here?" I ask.

"What I know is I won't let you use and break his heart again. We all know he will never confront you for what you did. He is far too nice for his own good, even if how he got to be so damn nice is entirely beyond me," she spits out. "I don't like you, Raze. I don't like you at all—that face of yours, that…..” her gaze rakes over my bare chest before locking back onto my face. “body, or that insufferable attitude of yours."

My grin widens as I absorb her furious appraisal without a single shred of shame. "Goes both ways, love," I say, bringing my hands together in a single clap. "Okay, nice catching up, witch, but I gotta unpack." I glide across the room and guide her out of the doorway. "Maybe we should try to be civil with each other since we will be living together. Yes?"

"Never," she snarls,

"I'll mark that as a maybe."

She swats my arm away. "I mean it."

With one final glare that promises future violence, she spins on her heel and strides down the hallway. I can't help grinning.

God, I almost missed this family.

Almost.

Just as I begin closing the door, movement catches my eye and I see Everette standing farther down the hall speaking with one of the house staff. As if sensing my presence, his gaze shifts away from the servant, drifting down the hall until his eyes land on me, then drifts down to my bare chest, tracing the lines of my torso with a subtle pause that doesn't escape my notice. I flash a wicked smile, letting him watch the view for a beat longer before stepping back and slamming the door shut.

I walk over to the bedside table and pick up my phone, tapping out a quick text to my contact. *Did you get the files?*

*Yes boss*

*Text them to me* I type back, tossing the device onto the mattress as I unbuckle my belt.

I pull my trousers down, whistling as I prepare to step into the adjoining bathroom for a long-overdue shower, when the phone bings softly against the bed. I reach out, grabbing the device and opening the attached encrypted file. As my eyes scan down the detailed documents and timestamps, a slow, triumphant smile spreads across my face.

Look at that.

The private investigator didn't disappoint.

Everette's boyfriend is a lil thief.

Looks like you're about to be single, Eve.

My smile widens.

Very single.