Page 22 of A Win-Win Situation
That name belonged to the infuriating woman that threw a drink in my face.
That name . . . is here to be presented as my potential wife.
There’s no way in hell.
I turn, my attention immediately drawn to the woman entering the room. It annoys me that she looks even more beautiful now than she did in the club, but her aura still screamswarning. Her eyebrows furrow, and her gaze turns harsh as she spots me.
"You!" she exclaims.
"You!" I respond as we recognize each other.
A sudden realization strikes me. Is this why she approached me in the club, pretending to be innocent and afraid? Was this her plan all along? She must have known who I was and found a way to slither into our lives. Maybe she already knew who my uncle was, and helping him today—an action that warmed my heart up until a few seconds ago—was only a scheme to get her foot in the door.
My anger flares up again, and I can't take it anymore.
"Absolutely not," I say, moving toward the door to leave.
But my uncle's voice stops me in my tracks. "Lucas Christian Ayoub, you do not walk away from me. Sit down and listen!" His words are loaded with disapproval and authority, and for the first time in a long while, he calls me by my full name, making me realize the severity of the situation. I reluctantly comply, sitting back down in my chair.
"You too, Leora," he adds, motioning for her to sit as well.
She complies with his request, looking a bit startled, and says, "I don't understand."
My uncle looks between us. "Have you met before?" I size her up and find her doing the same to me, but neither one of us answers his question. He huffs before he turns his attention to Leora and begins speaking. "Leora, I did my due diligence on you. I know that you were let go from your previous job." She stiffens beside me at his words.
I knew she was looking for a job but not that she was fired.
"I also found out that your previous boss has been spreading negative feedback about you, bad-mouthing you to anyone who listens. However, we do need your skills, and I'm still offering you the job if you agree to one more condition."
Leora looks surprised, before sadness overtakes her. "Why would you still want me?" she asks.
"Because I believe in giving people a chance," he replies. "And because I see potential in you. You have a lot to offer, and we could use someone with your talents and values."
Leora looks thoughtful for a moment—there’s a sheen to her eyes.
Oh god, don’t tell me she’s going to cry.I feel a surge of discomfort as I shift in my seat, unsure of what to do. I hate when people cry. I don’t even remember the last time I shed a tear.
"Okay," she whispers, discreetly wiping away a tear that almost fell before she smiles. I can’t help but stare at her in awe.She’s good. She’s really good, my uncle is eating this up.
Uncle Antoine smiles, relieved. "Great, we'll work out the details later. But for now, let's get back to business."
Leora looks at him, puzzled. "But why ishehere?" she asks, pointing at me. There’s not a single tear left in her now sharp eyes.
He takes a deep breath, contemplating his words carefully. "As much as you seem to need us, we also need you," he says. "You see, I'm dying"—straight to the point, making the knot in my stomach twist again at the reminder—"and Lucas is my heir. But he can only take over the hotel if he gets married. That's where you come in."
Leora's expression morphs into a look of sheer confusion. "Oh, I know I said I’ve done some event planning, but I’ve never done a wedding. I meant more business events."
"No, Leora, you misunderstand," my uncle clarifies. "Lucas, here, needs a bride."
"What does that have to do with me?" she asks, still not connecting the dots. Her eyes dart between my uncle and I, and I can feel my frustration bubbling up. How can she not see what we’re getting at?
My uncle takes a deep breath, choosing his next words carefully, "We want you to be the bride."
Leora's eyes widen, and she looks back at me with a mix of shock and uncertainty. As if looking at me will make any sense of this situation. She’s beginning to understand what my uncle is offering, but for some reason, it looks like she’s not fully there, which means I have to jump in and explain it to her. My eyes roll on their own accord before I speak up. "In short, we need you to marry me so that I can take over the hotel without having our stakeholders riot because I ignored a clause in the company’scontract. I know it's a lot to ask and believe me, I'm not thrilled about this either. But my uncle is adamant that this is the best way to secure the future of the business."
Leora's mouth drops open, and I can tell that she's finally grasping the seriousness of the proposal. "Marry you? But we barely know each other," she protests, her voice wavering with uncertainty and something else.
"I want you to know that I didn't plan for this, and certainly not with you," I continue, her brows furrowing at the truth in my words.
