"When he died two years ago, he left me the controlling shares. But the board of directors, the men who helped him build it, they don't respect me. They think I'm too young, too ruthless, too unpredictable. She turned back to him. "Last month, I was photographed in Monaco on a yacht with a man who turned out to be under investigation for wire fraud.
I didn't know his background. We had dinner. That was it. But the tabloids ran with it. The board used it as ammunition.
Ammunition for what? Agaton asked. Agaton. A vote of no confidence. They're trying to force me out.
They want to merge Martin with the Caldwell group. The Caldwells are an old money, ultra-conservative family from Boston. They refuse to deal with a scandal-ridden, unstable CEO. The board is giving me an ultimatum. step down and let them appoint a puppet CEO for the merger or watch them tank the company's stock by leaking internal memos about my supposed incompetence. Agaton frowned.
The logistics manager and him kicking in. A merger with Caldwell would gut our West Coast operations. They'd lay off thousands of people. My entire department would be redundant. Exactly.
Crystal said, pointing a finger at him. They don't care about the people. They care about the short-term payout. I am trying to block the merger and secure a different partnership with a tech firm in Shenzhen, but I can't do it if the board fires me on Tuesday. So, so where do I fit into this?
The Caldwells value family. The board claims I'm a loose cannon. I need to walk into that boardroom on Tuesday morning and show them that I am grounded, stable, and settled. I need to show them that the tabloids are garbage, that I've been in a serious committed private relationship, and that I am focusing on my family. Agaton rubbed his temples.
A fake husband, a real husband, legally binding with an ironclad prenuptial agreement, of course. And why me? You could hire an actor, an escort, a model. I thought an actor is a liability. The press would dig up his past in a day.
I need someone real, someone unimpeachable. Crystal walked toward him, stopping a few feet away. I need Agaton Morgan, a hardworking mid-level manager, a widower who dedicated his life to his sick daughter, a man with a spotless HR record, no criminal history, and absolutely no ambition to steal my spotlight. You are the human equivalent of a blue chip stock, Agaton. Safe, reliable, and boring.
Agaton let out a breath that was half laugh, half sigh. Gee, thanks. It's a compliment, she insisted. The board will love it. The optics are perfect.
Ruthless CEO softened by humble single father. The PR team will have a field day. It neutralizes the Caldwell's objections and forces the board to back off. Agaton looked up at her. He saw the cold calculation, yes, but he also saw the sheer terror she was trying to hide.
She was fighting for her life's work. I don't know you, Crystal. You don't know me. We had one drink together. We had four drinks together, she corrected.
And we don't need to know each other. We just need to tolerate each other in public. You keep your job. You get promoted. Actually, VP of logistics strategy.
It gives you a reason to be seen with me at corporate events. You and Lucinda move into this penthouse. She gets her own room, a private tutor, the best pulmonologists in the country on retainer. Aged and flinched. She was hitting every single pressure point with sniper-like precision.
I can't just uproot my daughter's life, he argued. But even to his own ears, the protest sounded weak. She has a routine. A school. the school she hates because she misses half the days due to asthma attacks. Crystal countered instantly.
I read your file, Agaton. You're drowning. You're $35,000 in credit card debt. You're 3 weeks behind on rent. You skipped meals this week.
I know you did because your cafeteria swipe card hasn't been used since Tuesday. Agaton stood up, his face flushing with a mix of anger and profound shame. Stop. Just stop. I am offering you a lifeline, Crystal said, her voice rising slightly.
I am offering you the ability to never look at a price tag at a pharmacy ever again. To never lie awake at 3:00 a.m. wondering if you'll have to choose between electricity and groceries. She stepped closer. The scent of her perfume, something sharp, clean, and incredibly expensive, washed over him. "Don't let your pride hurt your daughter," she said softly.
It was a dirty trick, a low blow, and it was incredibly effective. Agaton looked away. He thought about the small, cramped two-bedroom apartment, the mold in the bathroom that the landlord refused to fix, the sound of Lucinda's strained breathing in the middle of the night, the absolute terror that gripped his chest every time his phone rang. Fearing it was the school nurse, he thought about his wife Sarah, who had died four years ago. She had always told him to be practical.
Take care of the kid, Arty. Whatever it takes. He looked back at Crystal, the billionaire, standing in her fortress of glass and steel, cornered by men in suits. They were both trapped. They were both drowning.
She just had a nicer boat. "Two years," Agaton said, his voice devoid of emotion. Crystal didn't smile, but her shoulders dropped a fraction of an inch. "Two years, 50,000 upfront today. The trust fund for Lucinda set up by tomorrow and the medical retainer in writing before I sign any marriage certificate.
Done. And my daughter, Agaton added, his eyes narrowing, finding his spine. She is not a prop. She is not part of your PR campaign. The press stays away from her.
You don't parade her around for cameras. If anyone points a lens at her, the deal is off, and I will personally burn this company to the ground on my way out. Crystal nodded once, a gesture of absolute respect. Agreed. Lucinda's privacy is non-negotiable.
Agaton took a deep breath, the air feeling heavy in his lungs. He was selling himself. He was selling his life, his identity, to a woman who viewed him as a logistical asset. It was incredibly cynical. It was entirely transactional.
But as he looked out the window at the gray Seattle sky, he realized something else. He wasn't scared anymore. For the first time in 3 years, the crushing weight of financial ruin was gone. "Okay," Agaton said, extending his hand. "Let's get married.
Crystal looked at his hand for a second before grasping it. Her grip was firm, her skin cool. There was no spark, no sudden rush of romance, just the ceiling of a contract between two desperate people. "Good," Crystal said, releasing his hand. She turned and walked toward the bedroom door.