Xander
"You're sure everything is in place?" I ask, not bothering to face my assistant as I hear her shift from foot to foot.
"Yes, sir. Per your very specific terms, the contract has been drawn up and reviewed," I hear her walk towards my table and drops the envelope.
"All that's left now is your signature, then we send it off to her and it's done." She says and I immediately catch the suspicion in her tone that she fails to hide.
I grunt in appreciation, taking in the evening glow of the bustling city from the floor-to-ceiling window in my office. Soft oranges and pink paints the sky in a way that settles the constant rattling in my head and I swirl the dark amber liquid in my glass before downing it in one gulp.
I turn at last and walk towards my desk, ready to sign and seal my fate.
I pull out the paper from the envelope and do a quick rundown of everything, even though I am behind every single word. I am so engrossed in it that I fail to remember that I am not alone, until I hear the light shuffling of feet.
"You're hovering, Gladys." I mutter without looking from the papers in my hands.
"I mean no disrespect, Mr. Kane but this is all so sudden and out of the blue. No one had even the slightest idea that you were seeing someone." She takes a few steps to me and stops right in my line of sight.
"I didn't know I'm obligated to share the details of my private life with you, Gladys, my apologies." I answer drily, knowing how much my sarcasm irritates her.
"I'm sorry for overstepping, sir…" She stutters and I wave her off.
"See you tomorrow, Gladys." I sigh and she practically sprints out of my office.
I let the feeling of complete of satisfaction wash over me in the silence that follows. It had taken a lot of time, lots of planning and careful manoeuvres but everything is beginning to fall in place.
The image of her, the previous night comes to my mind, unbidden. The way her dark-as-night hair fell in long, graceful waves down her back, olive skin glowing under the lights, how she filled up every inch of that emerald green dress.
She looked like walking sin and it had taken all of my self-control to keep my eyes off her, to watch from a distance s her whole world came crashing down around her.
And it is only the beginning.
A loud bang brings me out of my reverie and I look up just in time to see a figure burst into my office and I let out a displeased groan.
"Whatever did those poor papers do to you to deserve such relentless brooding?" he says, plopping his large frame into the chair opposite my desk and crosses his ankles on my desk.
"I don't brood," I scoff, reaching over and pushing his feet off my desk. "What are you doing here, Jed?" I ask.
"What, can't a man come see about his best friend?" Jed pouts playfully, his dark curls falling into his face and I roll my eyes.
"You're bothering me, Jedidiah." I retort, deadpan and he sighs, leaning back in his seat to rock the chair back and forth.
"I heard something quite interesting this morning and I thought, no that can't be right. My dark cloud of a best friend of seventeen years couldn't have managed to get a girl, not without my help, no it can't be," I sigh, shaking my head at his dramatics.
"Imagine my disbelief when I learn that not only are you miraculously involved with the most ravishing heiress on the planet, but you're marrying her?" He says incredulously.
"What the heck, Kane?" Jed glares at me and I lift a shoulder in a careless shrug.
"What of it?" I ask through gritted teeth.
He gapes at me and sputters, hackles rising at my nonchalance.
"Since when did you decide to partake in the world of the living? And don't give me any of that evasive sarcastic nonsense because I know you." He straightens, all humour and ease gone now.
"You hate that family and now you're marrying their damn princess?" Jed pushes and I raise a brow in his direction.
"What are you doing, Xander?" He whispers in disbelief.
"I'm doing precisely what I'm supposed to be doing." I answer simply.
"What you're supposed to- what does that even mean?" He says exasperated.
"This isn't something you should concern yourself with, Jed, the decision is already made." I say as a way to end the topic but it is never that simple with Jed.
"You know at first I thought this was some fabricated story the tabloids came up with, just a regular Tuesday. But then I come in here and looking at you now I honestly can't even…" he goes quiet and I stiffen.
"Unless…unless…" Jed stands, his green eyes lighting up. "You have a plan." He says softly.
"Jed…" I mutter.
"What are you up to, Kane?" He levels me with a look that would send any other person running for the hills, but only seemed to aggravate me.
"I don't owe you an explanation for everything I choose to do with my life." I exhale.
"When you're being more mysterious and shady than usual, I beg to differ." He retorts.
I glower at him and relent, if only because I know he wouldn't stop pestering me about this.
"It's strictly for business purposes only. Kane Global is acquiring Saint-Clair Corporations through a merger and since Conrad doesn't trust me to behave with his precious assets, he agreed to let me marry his daughter." I explain.
"That's a neat and tidy explanation for the board and you might get away with it but you're going to have to do a little better than that, Kane." Jed's lips are set in a grim line and I give him a hard stare, immensely irritated by his prying even though his penchant for wanting to get to the bottom of things is one of the reasons we've been friends for so long.
I let a few minutes go by as we stare each other down and I tilt my head to the side and let out a breath when I realize he isn't going to let this go.
"I don't want you to know the specifics, I'm trying to keep you safe." I tell him.
"Don't worry about that, I can handle myself, you know that. And what do you mean keep me safe? Safe from what, Xander?"
"I think you know."
"I want to hear you say it," Jed leans forward and places his hands on y desk. "I want to hear you say it out loud and maybe that will be all it will take for you to realize just how insane this whole thing you're planning is."
"This is something I have to do, Jed." I say darkly but he doesn't budge.
"No it isn't." he cuts in.
I glower at him and he sends an equally venomous look my way and we remain like that for a while.
Jed is the closest thing I have to a brother, he has seen me through the darkest times of my life and was always there to pull me out of the depths. I know he is only concerned for me, but this is something I have been planning for a long time.
I squint at him smugly when he sighs and looks away.
"I just worry about you when you get like this, Xander. It…" he trails off and shakes his head. "It isn't easy seeing you go through life with this relentless, mechanical focus and I just… I want more for you." Jed finishes and I let out a breath.
"I need to do this, I can't explain it but this is something I have to do." I mutter, clenching and releasing my hands. "And I will need your help to see it through."
He is quiet for a moment and I watch him think things through, his powerful build hunching over in the chair and then he sits up straighter and smiles at me.
"Well then, let's get you married."
***
Conrad Saint-Clair takes the seat across from me in my office, and it is all I can do keep the smug smirk that threatens to break free.
I give him a onceover, he sits with perfect posture, commanding the attention in the room with his air of austerity. He manages to stare down his nose at me despite his slightly dishevelled appearance.
"It would seem the hours spent in the holding cell has done wonders for your humility." I drawl and he scoffs.
"If you're expecting a thank you for bailing me out before my daughter did, you'll be waiting a long time." He says calmly.
I let out a dark chuckle ad slid the envelope towards him.
"Where's your father? I'd rather be doing this with the actual head of the family." Conrad plucks the envelope from the table and I watch his every move as he goes through the document.
"Attending to matters of more importance," I retort. "You'll have me today."
"Oh joy." He mutters, eyes taking in every detail of the contract.
When he is satisfied, he sits back and I see a distant look in his eye. He remains still and unmoving like that for several moments and then his gaze shifts to mine.
I am suddenly struck by how sharp his steel-grey eyes, much like his daughters, pin me in place.
"Whatever grievances you may have with me or my family, do not hurt her. You will not cause her pain or torment, she is innocent. This may be a marriage in name only but you will treat her as your own."
I finally let the saccharine smile I've been holding in stretch across my face.
"You won't have to worry about your daughter anymore, Conrad," I took document from him and slid it into the envelope and then stood so he would have to look up at me.
"After she signs this, she'll be all mine." I say gravely.
This is just the step one in my plans on ruining the Saint-Clair dynasty and humiliating Arianne was the key to my revenge.
When I am done with her, none of them would be able to show their faces in public ever again.