Profit over Peace

Chapter Three

Voss Holdings

Lucien Voss sat behind his wide mahogany desk, the morning light catching the glass edges of his office. Everything about the space screamed power — from the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city to the quiet hum of employees who never dared speak too loudly when he was around.

He had everything a man could want — and if he didn’t, he knew how to get it.

The door opened. Patricia, his secretary, stepped in wearing a short, fitted dress. She knew exactly what she was doing when she chose it this morning. Every woman in the building seemed to want Lucien Voss, and Patricia was no exception.

She walked up to his desk, swaying slightly as she placed a stack of files before him. When she bent forward, her neckline dipped lower than necessary.

Lucien didn’t even flinch. He leaned back in his chair, a quiet sigh escaping him. This wasn’t the first time she had tried this, and it wouldn’t be the last. Beautiful, yes, he couldn't deny that, but she was a stereotype—a thirsty, ambitious woman who probably just wanted to add his name to her roster of conquests. In the past, his flings were discreet, gone before the next sunrise. Patricia was a constant, annoying fixture right outside his door, an unpleasant stain on his professional life.

“Patricia,” he said evenly, picking up a cigar but not lighting it, “what exactly are you doing?”

“Oh, nothing, sir. Just dropping these off.” Her tone was falsely sweet.

As she straightened, her elbow knocked over a glass of water, spilling some on his trousers.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed, grabbing a small towel from her dress pocket— one she seemed a little too prepared with.

Before she could touch him, Lucien’s voice cut through the air like ice.

“Get out!, surely it’s too early to start proving yourself useless.”

She froze. “Sir, I—”

“If I have to repeat myself, you’ll regret it,” he said, his tone calm but final.

Patricia straightened quickly, muttered an apology, and hurried out.

Lucien wiped the small spill himself and shook his head. Some people would do anything for attention, he thought, already pushing the incident out of his mind.

An hour later, his phone rang.

“Sir, I have great news,” came Evelyn Ward’s voice — his legal advisor, sharp and efficient as always.

“What is it, Evelyn?”

“The billion-dollar merger with Reynard Global — it’s finally moving forward,” she said, excitement threading through her tone.

For the first time in weeks, a faint smile tugged at Lucien’s lips. The merger had been on hold for over two years. The Reynard board was known for being impossibly cautious.

“That’s good news,” he said simply.

“Yes, sir. But… there’s one more condition before they’ll finalize the deal.”

Lucien frowned. “Is it something we can’t handle?”

“Well…” she hesitated. “It’s something you might not be able to handle.”

Impossible,” he snapped, the word a gunshot. “Where are you? Get back to the office immediately.”

“Yes, sir, I’m already on my way.”

---

A short while later, Evelyn sat across from him, flipping through the papers in her lap for the third time.

“The Reynard board has one final clause, sir,” she began carefully.

Lucien’s gaze narrowed. “Which is?”

“They want assurance of stability on your end,” she said. “Mr. Reynard believes that a man in your position — unmarried, often in the headlines for… well, rumors — poses a risk to the company’s image. They want someone who reflects family values.”

Lucien’s jaw tightened. “They’re questioning my reputation?”

“Not directly,” Evelyn said quickly. “But they want a symbol of permanence. They want a man who looks settled — reliable.”

A pause.

“So they want a wife,” he said, his tone unreadable.

“It’s the simplest solution,” she admitted. “A respectable woman. A marriage that shows stability. It would make you untouchable in the media’s eyes.”

Lucien leaned back, thoughtful. “Do they have a deadline?”

“Yes, sir. A month. They’re also considering another firm. Whoever presents the stronger image first will likely win the contract.”

He scoffed quietly. “And where, exactly, am I supposed to find a wife in a few weeks? That’s absurd.”

“I may have given them the impression that your personal status wasn’t an obstacle, sir.”

Lucien’s gaze sharpened. “And why would you do that, Evelyn?”

She swallowed, glancing down at the papers in her hand. “It wasn’t a well-thought-out decision, sir. We’ve been waiting on this deal for years, and Mr. Reynard isn’t exactly the kind of man who accepts excuses or delays. I panicked.”

Lucien leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. “Then you must have a brilliant idea on how we’re going to execute such a lie.”

Silence filled the room. The air felt heavier by the second.

Evelyn hesitated before speaking again. “I have a suggestion, sir.”

“Go on.”

“You could… arrange one,” she said cautiously. “A contractual marriage. Just for the sake of appearances.”

Lucien’s brow rose. “An arranged marriage? That sounds outdated.”

“Maybe so,” she said, “but it might be our only option.”

“And the girl?” Lucien asked, running a hand through his hair.

“We can hire a low-profile, responsible woman — someone with a clean history so nothing comes up if anyone looks. Put her on a contract and pay her either monthly or a one-time f*e at the end of the year.

One year. When it ends, you could simply say the marriage didn’t work out. People divorce all the time.”

Lucien tilted his head slightly. “A divorce after a year doesn’t exactly scream stability, Evelyn.”

“True,” she admitted, “but it never said when you got married. You could tell the press if ever they ask...which I doubt they would — she preferred privacy and didn’t like the media attention. Now that the merger’s near, she’s more comfortable being seen.”

Silence stretched between them.

The plan was ridiculous… and yet, it made perfect sense.

Lucien finally spoke. “I’ll think about it. You can leave, Evelyn. Don’t ever make a move without my approval again,” his tone was cold and precise, leaving no room for argument.

“Yes, sir. I understand completely. It won’t happen again,” she said quickly, standing as if to punctuate her apology.

She nodded, offering a faint smile before exiting his office.

Lucien stood by the window, staring out at the skyline that glittered beneath him.

So many things could go wrong with this — and yet, so many could go right. The merger would put him on top of the industry, far ahead of his competitors.

If it took a wife to seal the deal, then a wife he would find.

He smirked slightly. “If it’s a wife they want,” he murmured, “then it’s a wife they’ll get.”