Page 38 of Wrong Room, Right Billionaire

“So why isn’t he going?” I ask.

Morgan’s jaw twitches at the corners, a sign of hesitancy before he goes on. “Because he is half the reason we are knee-deep in this gutter,” he spits out, and it’s no secret there are some family issues under all that mud. “He’s usually the one to visit the resorts. But if all the bad reviews and comments are true, he’s slacking. So, rather than sit here and argue with him about quality, reputation, and generational standards, I’d rather just roll up my sleeves and see what’s going on myself,” he says. I am honestly impressed with the amount of vulnerability in that statement. Even if the man is gritting his teeth through it.

Still, it coaxes a smile out of me that I attempt to bite back, but not before Morgan sees it. “Sorry, I think all that is great. I really do,” I say.

“But?” he asks.

“I just don’t really see you as a roll up your sleeves kind of guy,” I say.

“And that’s why I have to do it. That, right there. The assumptions. Assumptions make people talk. Talk that is mostly rumors. Rumors that leave fingerprints on the transparency of who Bale strives to be. I am going to shut down those rumors in person with you at my side every step of the way.”

Every step of the way.

I take another hearty sip of wine to process those words.

“So we will be seeing a lot of each other then,” I say, and he nods.

“More than I originally intended,” he says, and I give him a questioning look.

“There’s another component to the job requirements that I didn’t mention before. A new clause,” he states, and I can already tell I don’t like where this is going.

“Which is?” I ask.

“You and I will be engaged,” he says.

“Engaged in what?” I ask.

“Engaged.”

I blink. “Like…to be married? Me and you?” I point between us as my head spins; I’m so confused.

“Yes,” he says, and I cannot believe I am hearing him right. Surely I’m not.

“Respectfully, Mr. Bale,” I chuckle uneasily. “What in the hell are you talking about?”

“There was another article,” he states. “Apparently, people have gotten the idea that I am promiscuous.”

“You are promiscuous,” I blurt out. “You’re a freaking billionaire.”

I realize my voice is too loud, but this time I kind of don’t care. New boss or not, he’s talking crazy. Certified insane.

“You can’t be suggesting that you and I get married to sparkle up your reputation on a personal level, Mr. Bale,” I tell him.

“Oh, of course not,” he corrects me. “That would be extortion. The engagement would be fake, of course. As would any implication of an intimate relationship.”

I laugh, cupping my cheeks in my palms. “You want to pretend that we are together, that we are engaged as part of this job?” I ask. “No offense, Mr. Bale, but I didn’t sign up for that.”

Then Morgan leans in, his eyes growing dark in a familiar way. A way I’ve seen before. A way I do not trust. A way that makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up and my blood warm all at the same time.

“I don’t know if you fully understand just how detrimental the recent articles have been to Bale. Not just to my career and what I have built, but what my late parents built before me. It’s not just an empire, Miss Moore. Two generations of one family’s dream are in shambles because of those ill-intended articles.”

Morgan’s words make my stomach go sour as guilt floods over me. I say nothing, but he goes on.

“But surely you understand, as someone who also makes a living through ratings, what it means to have your reputation threatened. And you understand why it’s important that the heir of Bale Resorts doesn’t look like he doesn’t care about his guests or the Bale name. Being in a relationship, or appearing to be in one, would strengthen my image and repair the damage done.”

I bite my lip. I don’t like this. I don’t like it at all. But I don’t feel like I have a choice at this point. In the heat of the moment, I wrote that article without a second thought. I had no idea it could destroy a legacy.

Finally, I take a breath and sit up straight. It wouldn’t be the craziest job I’ve ever taken.