Chapter 5 Andrew
I like that Emily is asking all these questions. It shows she’s cautious, practical. I want her to go into this marriage knowing exactly what it is and what it’s not.
Emily tilts her head to the side, and her thick, silky brown hair falls slightly over her shoulder. It catches the light, and for a second, I’m distracted. That annoys me. This isn’t supposed to be about attraction or anything personal, but damn it, there’s no denying she’s an attractive woman.
Her eyes are searching mine, trying to find something in me, but I stay composed. I’m good at that.
“Why did you join the military? And why did you leave?” The question takes me aback, a change of direction from where the conversation was going.
I shift slightly in my seat, my gaze still fixed on her. Of course, she’d ask. I almost expect it. “Like I said before, military service runs in the family, apart from my father. My grandfather served, as did his father before him.”
Not the entire truth but it’s enough for Emily’s purposes.
Her eyes stay on mine, quiet but curious, encouraging me to keep going without even having to say anything.
“As for why I left,” I pause. “Let’s just say it wasn’t by choice. I was medically discharged after an injury.”
The words come out clipped, discouraging further questions. I don’t want to elaborate. I don’t need to. She doesn’t need to know the details—that’s not part of the deal we’re making.
Emily nods again, her expression thoughtful. “I see.”
There’s a moment of quiet, then I shift the conversation back to what really matters. “All the legal documentation is done,” I tell her. “As soon as we’re married, the capital will be injected into Riviera, and 50% ownership will transfer to me. You’ll have the funding to start the renovations immediately. ”
Emily’s eyes light up at that, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. She cares about the business, about the future of the hotels. It’s everything she’s been fighting for, and it shows.
I like that about her—she’s not doing this just for show or convenience. She’s in it because she cares about saving her father’s legacy.
“We’ll bring Riviera back to standard,” I continue, leaning forward. “But I’ll need an office here. I plan to work closely with you for the first six months, at least, to make sure the changes are implemented smoothly.”
Her eyebrows raise slightly, but she’s smiling. “Aren’t you needed at BDG?”
“I’ll split my time,” I tell her. “I want to be hands-on. If we’re going to turn this around, I need to understand the day-to-day operations. The weaknesses, the strengths.”
“That’s actually great,” Emily says, looking genuinely pleased. “I didn’t expect you to be so involved.”
“I’m not Daniel,” I say, a little more sharply than intended. Her face shifts, and I soften my tone. “I take this seriously, Emily. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it right. I want the hotels running smoothly, and I want our investment to succeed.”
She nods, a bit taken aback, but I can tell she appreciates the seriousness of my tone. Her smile returns, and for the first time, I think we’re on the same page—aligned, at least when it comes to business.
“This is everything I’ve wanted for the hotels,” she says quietly, almost to herself. “The repairs, the marketing strategy, stabilizing the staff. It’s everything.”
There’s relief in her eyes.
Her eyes meet mine again, and there’s something unspoken between us—a moment of understanding, maybe even respect.
This is my chance to prove I can take control, turn something around. Prove to myself, and my family, that I can do more than follow orders .
“I’ll do it,” Emily says, with a huge grin on her face.
For a moment, I almost can’t believe she’s said yes. Then, relief washes over me, a genuine smile pulling at the corners of my mouth. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Fuck yes. She said yes.
But I can’t linger in the satisfaction for long. I reach down to my briefcase and pull out the folder I had prepared ahead of time. I slide it across her desk toward her, knowing this is the next necessary step.
Emily’s smile falters. She glances down at the papers, her brow furrowing slightly. Then she realizes what it is.
The contract.
Annoyance flickers across her face. Bringing the contract with me was a risk I had to take. The military taught me preparation. My father taught me to seal the deal. Fast.
Her lips press into a thin line, her eyes flicking up to meet mine, irritation simmering behind them. She doesn’t need to say it, but I can feel it— arrogant bastard . I can bet my last dollar that’s what she’s thinking.
But I don’t flinch.
“Were you this sure that I was going to say yes?” Emily says in a sharp tone.
I meet her gaze evenly. “I prefer to be prepared.”
“Prepared?” She raises an eyebrow, incredulous. “Or presumptuous?”
I lean back slightly, keeping my hands resting on my knees, my body language calm but firm. “Emily, this is a business arrangement. It’s what we both need. I’m not here to play games and I’m sure, neither are you.”
She reaches for the contract. ““Is there anything in here that’s going to surprise me?”
“No, of course not,” I say.
Emily’s eyes flicker down the pages, the irritation still simmering but contained. There’s something about the way she handles herself—composed, smart, always thinking. I can tell this is all a calculation for her, too, just like it is for me. But still, Daniel was a fool.
I sit back, studying her while she skims the contract. Emily is a rare kind of woman. Brains and beauty, both.
I find myself comparing her to Chloe, my ex-girlfriend. On paper, Chloe had seemed perfect—polished, stylish, the kind of woman everyone expected me to settle down with.
But it didn’t take long for the boredom to creep in. All she cared about was shopping and lunch dates, filling her days with meaningless gossip about people I didn’t know and couldn’t care less about. I wasn’t about to spend my life listening to stories about who wore what and which sale was going on.
Emily, though, she’s different. She’s got fire and purpose, something that drives her. She’s not just along for the ride—she’s steering the ship. I can respect that. She flips through the last few pages of the contract, her expression serious, then finally reaches for the pen on her desk. My breath suspends in my chest. But before I can dwell on it, she signs both copies with a swift stroke and slides one across the desk toward me.
“There, all done,” she says, her tone dry but with a hint of disbelief. She leans back in her chair, shaking her head slightly. “I can't believe I just agreed to this.”
I take the contract, glancing down at her signature for a moment before meeting her eyes. “You’re a very persuasive man, Andrew,” she adds with a small, ironic smile.
I smile back, folding the contract carefully and tucking it into my briefcase. “I’m not persuasive, we just happen to want the same thing.”
Emily waits until I look at her again, “Are we really going to keep the same wedding date?”
I shrug, keeping my tone light but matter-of-fact. “I don’t see why not. Everything’s already in place, and it’s not like we have much time to waste.”
She nods, but there’s a flicker of something in her eyes—uncertainty, maybe? Then something dawns on me. This is her wedding, after all, and I can’t expect her to feel entirely comfortable when everything was originally set up with my brother in mind.
“But,” I add, the idea coming to me as I speak, “You should get another wedding dress if it’ll make you more comfortable.”
“You think so?” she says.
I nod, completely lost when it comes to wedding dresses. I’m going with logic here and my knowledge of human nature. “Look, this is a new arrangement. I don’t want you walking down the aisle in something that was meant for a different situation. This wedding should be on your terms now, not Daniel’s.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you,” Emily says, a studious tilt to her head, her eyes locked on mine as if I had surprised her. “Maybe I will.”
I’m about to leave when one more thing occurs to me. “I should invite you home. Come, see where I live, then you can decide if you’ll be comfortable moving in after the wedding.”
She nods, with a skeptical hint to her features, “Sounds fair.”
“And you can meet Bruno and Bear. They have the final say,” I say with a straight face.
A stricken, shocked, look comes over Emily’s face. I fight to stop from bursting out laughing. “Who are they?”
Finally, I can’t hold the laughter in any longer, “They’re my dogs.”
Emily takes a paper, crunches it up into a ball and tosses at me. It misses by a mile, landing somewhere near the corner of the desk.
We both pause for a second, and then, at the same time, burst into laughter. The tension between us evaporates, and for the first time, this whole arrangement feels almost natural. One small joke, one small laugh, and a bit of the tension they’d been holding began to ease.
“You have terrible aim,” I tease.
“Don’t make me get another paper ball,” she warns, her eyes twinkling with humor.
I hold up my hands in mock surrender, grinning, “Noted.”